Meet Owen Clements, Programme Delivery Manager

We caught up with Owen Clements whose appointment to the Alliance Management Team (AMT) was confirmed last week. Owen is one of the original staff members at Piritahi, so it’s a real pleasure to hear about his journey within the alliance in more detail.

Congratulations Owen on your appointment as Programme Delivery Manager and member of the Alliance Management Team (AMT). How do you feel about your new role?
I am really stoked to have been appointed. I did a lot of thinking leading up to the interview reflecting on past experiences and realised that I can add a lot of value.  

Tell us how your career progression has led you to this point:
I was involved with the Northcote and Roskill South neighbourhoods back in 2016 pre-Piritahi and participated in the design bid process with Harrison Grierson, Tonkin+Taylor, and Woods, our three design partners. We were successful with the bid and on day one I was appointed Precinct Design Manager. I’ve had multiple roles in the alliance since as part of the design team including Land Development Manager. Then I became Precinct Director for Tāmaki about a year ago, and now the Programme Delivery Manager and a member of the AMT.    

What were the challenges for you in the early days of the Alliance?  
I played a part in the formation of Piritahi. The early days were intense, and the alliance grew substantially. The land development team alone went from 20 people to 65 in a year. Slightly less than one new staff member starting every week for twelve months.  

What strengths do you bring to the AMT and what excites you about it?  
I have a lot of experience of rolling out a complex programme through a master plan. It requires seeing through the complexity and creating a rhythm that works.  

I have always had the vision that we can really help Kāinga Ora achieve its goals. Enabling land is complex due to the capacity of existing infrastructure servicing Kāinga Ora-owned land, but we have the right team to tackle the task. I have been privileged to work on several large-scale land development projects and the outcomes proposed by this programme of work is easy to get excited about.  

My number one goal is enabling more land. Then time, cost, and quality outcomes with an overlay of forward planning.

How are we performing?
There’s always room for improvement. But when I go now to Northcote and Roskill South and see all those houses and those families moving to the neighbourhoods, that excites me. The wealth of experience in the wider team will help us continue to help these houses jump out of the ground.  

What’s the best comment you’ve received about your new role so far?  
A colleague said that they were excited that someone from Land development was appointed to the AMT. That excites me because it demonstrates there is indeed a pathway for progression in the alliance.    

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be a farmer! Then at high school in Dargaville I wanted to be a land surveyor which is what I became.  

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?  
Do whatever works. That was a previous client's advice about bringing up kids.

Who inspires you the most?  
My dad. He passed away 18 months ago. He was involved in so many things when I was growing up. He’s my inspiration.

If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?
My dad.

What is your favourite hobby?
Playing with our two kids is my number one hobby. I thought they’d keep me young and instead they keep me on my toes! I like to mountain bike, not that there have been too many mountains lately.

What’s your favourite time of year and why?
Coming out of winter into spring and summer.  

What’s your favourite restaurant?
Tony’s Pizzeria in Belmont.

What are you reading?
Be Online, podcast-type futuristic perspective on trends in Artificial Intelligence and robotics. This interests me because of my kids and their future environment.  

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Arapohue, a little farming settlement between Ruawai and Dargaville. I still have a lot of friends there and my mother lives in the area. We go back to visit about four times a year, not enough according to my mother. I would love for my children to experience farming life.  

Meet Owen Clements, Programme Delivery Manager

We caught up with Owen Clements whose appointment to the Alliance Management Team (AMT) was confirmed last week. Owen is one of the original staff members at Piritahi, so it’s a real pleasure to hear about his journey within the alliance in more detail.

Congratulations Owen on your appointment as Programme Delivery Manager and member of the Alliance Management Team (AMT). How do you feel about your new role?
I am really stoked to have been appointed. I did a lot of thinking leading up to the interview reflecting on past experiences and realised that I can add a lot of value.  

Tell us how your career progression has led you to this point:
I was involved with the Northcote and Roskill South neighbourhoods back in 2016 pre-Piritahi and participated in the design bid process with Harrison Grierson, Tonkin+Taylor, and Woods, our three design partners. We were successful with the bid and on day one I was appointed Precinct Design Manager. I’ve had multiple roles in the alliance since as part of the design team including Land Development Manager. Then I became Precinct Director for Tāmaki about a year ago, and now the Programme Delivery Manager and a member of the AMT.    

What were the challenges for you in the early days of the Alliance?  
I played a part in the formation of Piritahi. The early days were intense, and the alliance grew substantially. The land development team alone went from 20 people to 65 in a year. Slightly less than one new staff member starting every week for twelve months.  

What strengths do you bring to the AMT and what excites you about it?  
I have a lot of experience of rolling out a complex programme through a master plan. It requires seeing through the complexity and creating a rhythm that works.  

I have always had the vision that we can really help Kāinga Ora achieve its goals. Enabling land is complex due to the capacity of existing infrastructure servicing Kāinga Ora-owned land, but we have the right team to tackle the task. I have been privileged to work on several large-scale land development projects and the outcomes proposed by this programme of work is easy to get excited about.  

My number one goal is enabling more land. Then time, cost, and quality outcomes with an overlay of forward planning.

How are we performing?
There’s always room for improvement. But when I go now to Northcote and Roskill South and see all those houses and those families moving to the neighbourhoods, that excites me. The wealth of experience in the wider team will help us continue to help these houses jump out of the ground.  

What’s the best comment you’ve received about your new role so far?  
A colleague said that they were excited that someone from Land development was appointed to the AMT. That excites me because it demonstrates there is indeed a pathway for progression in the alliance.    

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be a farmer! Then at high school in Dargaville I wanted to be a land surveyor which is what I became.  

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?  
Do whatever works. That was a previous client's advice about bringing up kids.

Who inspires you the most?  
My dad. He passed away 18 months ago. He was involved in so many things when I was growing up. He’s my inspiration.

If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?
My dad.

What is your favourite hobby?
Playing with our two kids is my number one hobby. I thought they’d keep me young and instead they keep me on my toes! I like to mountain bike, not that there have been too many mountains lately.

What’s your favourite time of year and why?
Coming out of winter into spring and summer.  

What’s your favourite restaurant?
Tony’s Pizzeria in Belmont.

What are you reading?
Be Online, podcast-type futuristic perspective on trends in Artificial Intelligence and robotics. This interests me because of my kids and their future environment.  

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Arapohue, a little farming settlement between Ruawai and Dargaville. I still have a lot of friends there and my mother lives in the area. We go back to visit about four times a year, not enough according to my mother. I would love for my children to experience farming life.  

Meet Owen Clements, Programme Delivery Manager

We caught up with Owen Clements whose appointment to the Alliance Management Team (AMT) was confirmed last week. Owen is one of the original staff members at Piritahi, so it’s a real pleasure to hear about his journey within the alliance in more detail.

Congratulations Owen on your appointment as Programme Delivery Manager and member of the Alliance Management Team (AMT). How do you feel about your new role?
I am really stoked to have been appointed. I did a lot of thinking leading up to the interview reflecting on past experiences and realised that I can add a lot of value.  

Tell us how your career progression has led you to this point:
I was involved with the Northcote and Roskill South neighbourhoods back in 2016 pre-Piritahi and participated in the design bid process with Harrison Grierson, Tonkin+Taylor, and Woods, our three design partners. We were successful with the bid and on day one I was appointed Precinct Design Manager. I’ve had multiple roles in the alliance since as part of the design team including Land Development Manager. Then I became Precinct Director for Tāmaki about a year ago, and now the Programme Delivery Manager and a member of the AMT.    

What were the challenges for you in the early days of the Alliance?  
I played a part in the formation of Piritahi. The early days were intense, and the alliance grew substantially. The land development team alone went from 20 people to 65 in a year. Slightly less than one new staff member starting every week for twelve months.  

What strengths do you bring to the AMT and what excites you about it?  
I have a lot of experience of rolling out a complex programme through a master plan. It requires seeing through the complexity and creating a rhythm that works.  

I have always had the vision that we can really help Kāinga Ora achieve its goals. Enabling land is complex due to the capacity of existing infrastructure servicing Kāinga Ora-owned land, but we have the right team to tackle the task. I have been privileged to work on several large-scale land development projects and the outcomes proposed by this programme of work is easy to get excited about.  

My number one goal is enabling more land. Then time, cost, and quality outcomes with an overlay of forward planning.

How are we performing?
There’s always room for improvement. But when I go now to Northcote and Roskill South and see all those houses and those families moving to the neighbourhoods, that excites me. The wealth of experience in the wider team will help us continue to help these houses jump out of the ground.  

What’s the best comment you’ve received about your new role so far?  
A colleague said that they were excited that someone from Land development was appointed to the AMT. That excites me because it demonstrates there is indeed a pathway for progression in the alliance.    

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be a farmer! Then at high school in Dargaville I wanted to be a land surveyor which is what I became.  

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?  
Do whatever works. That was a previous client's advice about bringing up kids.

Who inspires you the most?  
My dad. He passed away 18 months ago. He was involved in so many things when I was growing up. He’s my inspiration.

If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?
My dad.

What is your favourite hobby?
Playing with our two kids is my number one hobby. I thought they’d keep me young and instead they keep me on my toes! I like to mountain bike, not that there have been too many mountains lately.

What’s your favourite time of year and why?
Coming out of winter into spring and summer.  

What’s your favourite restaurant?
Tony’s Pizzeria in Belmont.

What are you reading?
Be Online, podcast-type futuristic perspective on trends in Artificial Intelligence and robotics. This interests me because of my kids and their future environment.  

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Arapohue, a little farming settlement between Ruawai and Dargaville. I still have a lot of friends there and my mother lives in the area. We go back to visit about four times a year, not enough according to my mother. I would love for my children to experience farming life.