Ray White Whangarei and Tutukaka announce new co-director

Ray White Whangarei and Tutukaka are delighted to announce the appointment of new co-director Rod Parkinson.

Mr Parkinson joins the directorship team alongside Vanessa McKenzie and Allan Sykes, after founding co-director John Monteith retired in December 2022 after 40 years working locally in real estate.

Rod brings over 28 years of experience in professional services, including commercial and institutional banking, and more than 15 years in leadership roles. Mr Parkinson joins the Ray White office after working as the CEO of one of Northland’s largest law firms, and brings strong business management and leadership skills to the Ray White Whangarei and Tutukaka team.

Mr Parkinson said his decision to join the Ray White family was an easy one:

“I have known John, Vanessa, and Allan for over 20 years and have seen the team grow from humble beginnings to become a leading business model, well respected in the Ray White Group,” he said.

“The strong belief that ‘if you put people first, everything else follows suit’ drives the culture and success of the team.

“This, along with the desire to take an already excellent business to the next level, made the decision to join an easy one.

“I look forward to working with the Ray White team to achieve that next level of excellence.”

Mr Sykes said he had worked alongside Mr Parkinson for many years, first at Westpac and then at Henderson Reeves.

“We have always appreciated his knowledge and expertise. With a deep understanding of financial operations he has also gained valuable experience in customer service and business development,” he said.

“Rod has a deep understanding of, and desire to deliver, great team and client outcomes, has demonstrated ability to successfully lead and manage teams, and is as passionate about Northland as we are.”

Mr Parkinson officially joined the Ray White Whangarei and Tutukaka team in January 2023 – after a record breaking year for the Whangarei office which were recognised for their outstanding sales, leadership, marketing, systems and client satisfaction in 2022. The office received seven Ray White New Zealand awards, and a further two Ray White international awards for their commitment to customer satisfaction.

Today, the company has a growing sales, property management and administration staff of more than 50 people with a reputation that ensures most clients are either repeat customers or have been referred by family or friends.  They are backed by Ray White’s International reach with more than 930 franchised offices across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Hong Kong (195 in New Zealand).

Ms McKenzie said Mr Parkinson was known for his strong communication skills and his ability to build positive relationships with clients and colleagues.

“He is a proven leader with a diverse set of skills and a strong track record of success in both the legal and banking sectors, and an asset to any team,” she said.

“We are excited to have him working with us.”

Ray White New Zealand CEO Daniel Coulson welcomed Mr Parkinson to Ray White.

“The Whangarei team have a strong history of success, and enjoy unprecedented market share as a result of their customer focus, strategic decision making, and desire to ‘do more’,” Mr Coulson said.

“We welcome their appointment of Rod Parkinson to their directorship. Rod is a strategic thinker and comes to our group with exceptional people management capabilities, and is used to leading teams through challenging transformative environments.

“His experience across diverse teams and dealing with a multitude of stakeholders will be an asset to their business.”