Kia ora, Talofa, Hello.

I was born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand, and I've spent most of my life here. My parents, Sam and Pearl, were the greatest people I ever knew. I miss them dearly.

My first job was at the local supermarket, and my second was washing dishes at Wellington Hospital. It was there I discovered my passion for the hospitality industry, which evolved into a 15-year career in conferences and events.

I've washed dishes under the shadow of Mount Cook, supervised banquets at the Auckland Park Regency and Stamford Plaza, waited on tables at Fortuna Restaurant, managed conference centres at Sky City and Bellamy's Parliamentary Caterers, and coordinated events for Te Papa Tongarewa. My career highlight was managing the State Dinner for HM the Queen in 2002.

I started my own business in 2011 called Big Mark Photography. We quickly built a reputation as conference specialists, though we also covered a wide range of events—from fashion shows and corporate trade shows to intimate private gatherings and large international festivals.

In 2016, a major health event forced me to re-evaluate how we did business. Big Mark Photography evolved into Big Mark & Co, and our focus shifted beyond photography. I’d always built our own websites, and it was something I really enjoyed doing. I spent a few years upskilling, and since 2022, Big Mark & Co has primarily focused on designing and building custom websites.