about. Learn what makes Ivory Egg special

Ivory Egg hatched in 2005 with the hope of bringing the concept of a ‘smart home’ to life. Rather than focusing on installing the technology that powers smart homes, Ivory Egg has always sought to source and supply ‘Best of Breed’ products to support installers. Ivory Egg founder Colin Price adopted KNX as the control platform of choice and ever since our team have raised awareness of KNX in the UK and are now a centre of ‘egg’cellence.

We pride ourselves on being independent and although we are a small team we are growing fast and continue to contribute to the phenomenal growth of KNX in the UK. Whether you are an Installer, Architect, or M&E consultant, if you are in the “Smart” building industry we can help with product information, technical advice or even training.

Meet the New Zealand team

Colin Price

Director and Founder

Colin has a background in electrical engineering including 4 years working in Japan for Invensys designing advanced power supplies. One of the very earliest adopters of KNX in the UK he initially ran a custom installation business and then decided to use his skills to offer KNX to the market as a wholesaler and formed Ivory Egg.

Romesh Anandaraja

General Manager

After completing a physics degree and post graduate qualification in strategic management Romesh entered the audio visual and automation industry. Over the past twenty years he’s been involved in almost every aspect of the industry, including some of the worlds most sophisticated residential and super yacht projects, many of which have won international awards. In his spare time he’s a keen musician, playing the Piano, Violin, Drums, Guitar and Bass. 

Dave Thwaites

South Island Sales Manager

Dave started out studying audio engineering and soon moved into Home Theatre sales and design. In 2008 he moved to Australia and got into wholesale working for Yamaha Music, since moving back to New Zealand he has worked for a well established Audio Visual integrator focusing on Lighting control and Audio Visual Systems. Dave has developed a passion for building controls and is excited to be able to offer KNX solutions to his clients. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his young family, attending live music events and attempting to catch that elusive trophy trout.

Stephen Tankard

Logistics & Training

Stephen joined Ivory Egg in early 2016, having gained experience of KNX whilst working for a CEDIA member company in London. Stephen oversees logistics, technical support and training for Ivory Egg NZ. He loves a challenge and has competed in the non-stop cycling "Race Across America” three times - sensibly as team manager, not as a rider!

Shamir Nathu

Technical & Operations

Shamir (known as Sam) previously worked in the airline industry and has come from a support analyst background. For Ivory Egg he has completed the KNX partner course and provides operations and technical support. Outside of work Shamir has a keen interest in cars and boxing.

Bobby Merai

Business Development Manager

Bobby comes to Ivory Egg with extensive experience in the electronics, electrical and HVAC industries. He was first exposed to home/building automation at ABB where he was tasked with introducing KNX into the NZ market. Bobby did his KNX training at ABB, and helped deliver some of the first KNX projects in NZ, both domestic and commercial. His passion for KNX also saw Bobby become one of the original founding members of the KNX National Group of NZ. Just prior to joining Ivory Egg Bobby spent five years with Siemens working in HVAC controls for commercial buildings. Outside of work, Bobby enjoys running, collecting vinyl records and spending time with his family.

Leah Keown

Financial Controller

Leah joined Ivory Egg as Financial Controller from a background in Accounting and holds a Diploma in Accounting as well as being a qualified Bookkeeper. In addition to ensuring the smooth operation of Ivory Egg New Zealand administrative affairs, she also manages our accounts with both customers and suppliers. In her free time Leah enjoys spending time with her family and friends and has a passion for the outdoors, as well as Netball, completing her Performance Coach with Netball New Zealand.

Meet the Australia team

Clayton Brown

Managing Director

Clayton has a background in electrical contracting specialising in home and building automation. As an early adopter of home automation in Australia, he has worked extensively with most of the systems available. Completing his training over 20 years ago, Clayton has spent the last 10 years introducing KNX to the Australian Market. He has keen passion for his work and the electrical industry, and the ability to grasp new technology, adapting it to clients’ needs.

Simon Harvey

Sales Executive

Simon is a qualified electrical contractor with over 20 years experience installing and programming home automation systems that are still common in the industry today. Before Ivory Egg he was installing KNX and worked for an international manufacturer for over 10 years. He is a certified KNX tutor and has a strong passion for innovation and support. When he is not working, he can be found enjoying the water and family time.

Tobin Bald

Sales Executive

Tobin comes to Ivory Egg with ten years experience in the high end residential and boutique commercial building supply industry for bathroom and plumbing. Tobin has a high attention to detail and a drive to understand individual business needs to customise the best possible service offering, with a vast understanding of the needs of project stakeholders to get the best outcomes for all involved. Outside of work Tobin is a keen mountain biker and a passionate cook!

Sydney Royce

Customer Service and Logistics

After Sydney moved to Australia from California she completed her business administration degree. She then started working for Ivory Egg in operations. With experience in customer service and strategic planning, she enjoys building relationships with our customers and has great enthusiasm to help keep the business in line and organized. In her free time Sydney enjoys being active outdoors and going to the gym.

Meet the UK team

Sue Milne

Managing Director

Sue joined the Ivory Egg team from the leisure marine industry. With a strong background in sales and new media she led teams in the UK and Europe to deliver CRM systems to their customer base. Sue has overall responsibility for the smooth running of the UK business. In addition to water sports she enjoys most outdoor activities and will be seen running with her dog Mack near the office in Bosham!

Mark Warburton

Technical Director

Mark has worked in the smart home industry for over 12 years in both NZ and the UK, in various roles including system integration, project management and sales. As Technical Director, he is responsible for ensuring Ivory Egg continues to be the most knowledgeable KNX distributor. When Mark is not in the office, you can usually find him on his rather expansive allotment.

Karina Satulaite

Financial Controller

Karina has recently joined Ivory Egg as Financial Controller. She keeps us all in check, pays the bills and manages our accounts with customers and suppliers. In her free time Karina enjoys spending time with her family and friends and has a passion for a wide range of sports especially wakeboarding.

Dean Crann

Sales Executive

Dean Joined the Ivory Egg team from the telecommunications sector where he has over 13 years experience building productive relationships in both retail and B2B sales. Dean is very sociable and enjoys networking and learning new skills to help him keep ahead of the curve in his chosen line of business. When not busy visiting customers and developing new business opportunities Dean can be found in the kitchen cooking for his family and friends. He is also a keen photographer.

Craig Suff

Account Manager

With a degree in Business and years of experience in the retail sector, Craig is on hand to support our key accounts with everything they need. Originally in a purchasing role, Craig’s product knowledge and phone manner meant he was perfect for a more customer facing position. A fan of football, Craig is normally being disappointed by Southend United.

Nick Gillman

Account Manager

Nick joins Ivory Egg with with an impressive track record in sales & account management spanning 15 years in various industries, including IT & Telecoms. Nick bends over backwards to fulfil his customers needs, going the extra mile to ensure they feel valued and supported. When not working Nick can be found gaming or watching the latest Marvel movies with his menagerie of pets whilst enjoying a drop of his excellent home brew!

Alison Hawksby

Operations Manager

Alison joins us from a strong administration background specialising in the education and engineering sectors. Alison is responsible for the operational processes of the office, looking after our training candidates and general order processing. Her natural organisational skills and attention to detail keep us all in check. She enjoys mountain biking at weekends and helps to organise local woodland trial races. For the record she makes a mean Lemon Drizzle cake too!

Pete Mower

Purchasing & logistics

After finishing his degree Pete went travelling around southern Africa and then spent three years in Australia. He returned to the UK in early 2015 and now runs the warehouse at Ivory Egg, which has recently increased in size. Pete is responsible for our purchasing and stock control, he takes care of all our logistics and looks after your orders with our suppliers. Pete enjoys being outdoors and is a keen cyclist, while he also follows Portsmouth FC and London Irish.

Jo Hussey

Business Data Manager

Jo has been a part of the Ivory Egg Team for several years and has a background in customer service and order processing. Jo initially worked in a logistics and purchasing role at Ivory Egg but her expertise and finesse with spreadsheets led to a jump to looking after the website and the 'behind the scenes' data management. With a creative degree, she has a passion for photography and enjoys showing off her classic Mini.

Sue Dent

Marketing Co-ordinator

Sue is an experienced marketeer and qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She brings with her experience in providing holistic marketing support to businesses in a range of industries including building technology and electrical contracting. A born and bred Bosham girl, Sue enjoys being outdoors and on/in the water with her family and friends in her spare time.