Our People

Our people are at the heart of what we do.

Montana Group now employs close to 1,000 people across Tamaki Makaurau and Waikato regions with a breadth of backgrounds, knowledge, and expertise. 

Across our brands, we have a broad range of expertise from Chefs, Front of House, Logistics, Event Planning, and Operations and Sales.  

We also have a Central Services division, with specialists in Finance, IT, Procurement and Facilities, Human Resources, Branding and Communications, and Nutrition and Food Quality providing strategic and specialised support across all brands.  

We know that our people have a big influence on the experience our guests and clients receive and is why our brands ethos is defined by a simple statement — ‘I Make the Difference’.  

This ethos connects with our people, our teams, and the individuals that make a difference every day to make our guest and client experience better, friendlier, more efficient, and more memorable.  

Board of Directors

Dallas has been one of the most innovative leaders in Hamilton/Waikato for the past 20 years.  He is a Director and Co-owner of the Montana Group and holds multiple board member and shareholder roles in key Waikato businesses. He has introduced industry-changing strategies and approaches in the Hospitality and Events Industry and was crucial to the acquisition and successful operation of the inaugural Hamilton-based HSBC NZ Sevens Tournament in 2018. Dallas was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, in the June 2018 Queens Birthday Honours list for Services to, Business, Philanthropy and Sport.

Dallas Fisher, Director/Shareholder

Troy brings a unique combination of organisational and creative flair to his roles in the Montana Group having joined the Montana Family in 2006.  Starting his training in the Royal New Zealand Navy, Troy went on to work in a series of New Zealand and London’s finest restaurants.  Working alongside Michelin starred chefs has left Troy with a passion for combining originality, stimulation, taste and texture. Troy is the General Manager of the Auckland based catering operation under the Flame Tree brand and Retail sites throughout the city.

Troy Reid, Director/Shareholder

Andrew is the founder and Managing Director of LondonGreen which owns and invests in technology-based companies, including IT Partners and Lightwire. A chartered fellow of the Institute of Directors, Andrew holds a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce from the University of Waikato and has studied strategy and leadership at Harvard Business School. Andrew also holds a number of external governance roles, including The Lines Company, Livingstone Building. He is Chair of the Waikato Anglican College Trust and Montana Group.

Andrew Johnson, Executive Chair

Sharon's background is in finance, strategy and assurance.  She spent over 20 years with PwC in both the UK and New Zealand, and 16 of those as a partner. In 2009 Sharon become the lead Assurance partner for PwC clients in the Waikato, King Country and Bay of Plenty. Since leaving PwC in 2019 Sharon has held a number of CFO roles, providing an interim solution for organisations who find themselves needing to recruit for the future or backfill for a short period of time.  The companies vary from public health to research institutes across New Zealand.  Sharon now focuses on her governance roles, including Seeka, Wool Impact, LondonGreen and The Network for Learning.  Similar to Sharon's other roles these entities cover a wide variety of ownership models, industries and geographic sectors.  

Sharon Cresswell, Director

Peter Stubbs brings over 30 years of governance experience to the board. His career began as a business lawyer, practising for 35 years until the end of 2020. For most of that time, Peter was a partner in the Commercial Department of Simpson Grierson. During his legal career, he specialised in various sectors, including FMCG, sales and marketing, events, sport, facilities management, and family-owned businesses. Since the early 1990s, Peter has held numerous board roles across public and private sectors. Peter is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and holds a Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors, as well as a Certificate in the Fundamentals of Management from Columbia Business School. Additionally, he is a shareholder in the New Zealand technology company, Hammerforce.

Peter Stubbs, Director

Executive Leadership Team

Lizzi was appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Montana Group in January 2024. Lizzi has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality and catering industry, notably leading the Urban Gourmet Team since 2016. As COO, Lizzi will play a pivotal role in shaping and optimising our operational strategies to ensure continued success and growth across the Group. As part of this role, Lizzi leads our operational teams across Urban Gourmet, Montana Food and Events and our Education and Retail divisions in Auckland and Waikato. 

Lizzi Pearson, Chief Operating Officer

Nic Wetere, Chief Financial Officer

Nic joined Montana Group as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in September 2023. A qualified accountant and an experienced CEO and CFO, Nic brings a wealth of experience, expertise and a proven track record in finance and strategic leadership to the Group.

As part of her role with Montana Group, Nic is overseeing all aspects of the Finance, IT and Procurement functions of the business.