MEET THE TEAM
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OUR TEAM
Roading and Building (RB) Recruitment was born after finding a distinct gap of knowledge in what is required of specific roles in civil and construction. We are on the ground working in Civil every day – we understand your needs. We know the intricacies and requirements of each role and the right people for the job.
We are a team of experienced and committed recruitment experts with our roots firmly in the South Island. Our consultants have decades of on the ground experience in civil, construction, truck driving and more with the licences and knowledge to really understand the industries we recruit for.
With offices in Queenstown, Dunedin and Christchurch, RB Recruitment can provide you with recruitment solutions across Otago, Canterbury and beyond.
BEN sexton
Managing Director
A South Island boy through and through, Ben moved to Christchurch to launch RB Recruitment in 2021. With over 10 years in Sales and Recruitment, and a number of years specifically on the ground in Civil, Ben has a wealth of knowledge and experience behind him to match the right people to the right job for you.
Having to hang the footy boots up due to a motorbike crash, he now enjoys spending his spare time snowboarding, mountain biking and hacking his way around a golf course (no really, he hacks badly!).
Kristan Gemmell
Branch Manager – Southern Branch
Kristan relocated his family back home to NZ in 2021 after 14 years in Australia. He worked in the dynamic and challenging Sydney recruitment industry, with his focus on civil, construction, rail, transport and logistics. He was part of some major government projects in Sydney such as the new Western Sydney airport build, various motorway and tunnel projects and some major Sydney train network upgrades.
When he’s not splitting his time between our Dunedin and Queenstown offices, you’ll find Kristan spending time with his family and coaching rugby. You may bump into him around the local Dunedin club rugby competition in 2022!
Luke Downey
Recruitment Consultant
A Christchurch man born and bred, Luke brings with him over 20 years’ experience across civil and construction. It’s safe to say he knows his way around a work site having previously been site foreman and civil operations manager, as well as having over a decade of truck driving under his belt. After a 13 year stint in Australia, Luke has come home to bring up his children close to his Canterbury roots and put his diverse skillset to good use.
When he’s not at the office or out and about on site, Luke can be found spending time with his family or tending to his veggie garden at home by the beach.
PAUL SEXTON
Recruitment Consultant
A true blue collar Southern boy, Paul started on the ground in the civil industry as a fresh faced teen and has worked his way up. Starting out as a labourer and hammerhand around the South Island, he moved up north and into geotechnical drilling. He has contributed to and supervised sites on some pretty cool tier one projects around the country!
Paul has been in recruitment for just over a year and is happy to be back in the South working with RB Recruitment. Never afraid of getting his hands dirty, he is the first to jump back on the tools when he comes out for site visits!
Samya harris
Marketing & Accounts
Samya joins us from the UK with a background in marketing and communications. Her previous roles have ranged from tech to FMCG and have been based from London to Sydney to Auckland while she travelled the world after University. Samya keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes here while trying to keep the boys under control in the office!
Although Aotearoa has been her home for three years now, Samya still loves getting out to explore new parts of the country and tick off her NZ bucket list. This year she’s taken up surfing and skiing, although insists it’s very much an ‘all the gear and no idea’ situation!
Cindy Duong
Accounts & Payroll
Having recently relocated from Dunedin, Cindy joins us with a background in finance and accounting. Originally hailing from Vietnam, Cindy came to New Zealand to study, completing a Masters degree in Finance in 2016. She is a numerical whizz and enjoys continuously learning and developing herself – she is currently studying for yet another accounting qualification!
Cindy is enjoying getting to know Christchurch, and can usually be found exploring the markets and local foodie spots or hitting the beautiful walking trails around Canterbury.
Michelle Veitch
Resourcing Administrator
Growing up in a family of practical Tradespeople, Michelle is a hands-on person who knows her way around heavy machinery and a paintbrush! She has been involved in South Otago’s civil and construction community for years, successfully running Dunedin’s Special Rigs for Special Kids event for over a decade. With over 25 years’ experience in customer service and hospitality, a common theme in all her work has been her commitment and care to those she works with, leading to a natural segue into recruitment.
As well as working across our Dunedin and Queenstown offices, Michelle is a country mum and wife at heart living with her family by the sea. As if she isn’t busy enough running charity events and supporting RB Otago, she also has a fabulous catering business on the side – ask her about her mean BBQ salads!
Ollie dog
Head of Morale
At 8 years young, Ollie the English Springer/Fox Terrier Cross is getting on in dog years but a puppy at heart. Always on hand to offer a morale boost, he spends his days greeting guests with a friendly woof, playing with his ball and just being a good boy.
His biggest achievement would be running the length of New Zealand for the Otago Hospice with his dad in 2016. Not many pups can say they’ve done that!
