Avisure General Manager
Nick Brown, Avisure’s new general manager, betrayed traces of his Kiwi origins when he talked to AviNews earlier in the year, although he has been an expatriate for many years, working in the UK, Europe, Australia and the Pacific. Cumulatively, he has over 10 years’ experience as a chief operating officer (COO) and general manager across a variety of enterprises, including telcos and start-ups.
He was appointed general manager in October, and says he was drawn to Avisure because he felt the role offered an ‘interesting opportunity, which fitted his skill set’. Above all, he is delighted to be able to work with ‘highly skilled, highly knowledgeable people who take an immense pride in what they do and deliver amazing outcomes’.
‘For a lot of people that’s their nirvana, and not one that many people get a chance to experience – to be able to use their knowledge, expertise and passion to make a difference.’ Nick’s skills and experience complement that Avisure environment. Working as a COO gave him experience and skills in managing remote offices, and people with different skills sets and different problems. ‘Although it might sound trite, I want to create an environment at Avisure where both the people and the business can grow. I see my role as supporting this group of incredibly smart and capable people to the best of my ability.’ Nick describes himself as being ‘a pretty good problem solver, one who can understand concepts quickly, and who likes to get things done. You can’t let perfect be the enemy of good, so sometimes you have to make decisions where “good is enough”.’
He is looking forward to finding a successful balance between helping to grow the business and maintain Avisure’s key strength. ‘You can’t commoditise what we do. Our strength rests on personalised expert service, and that won’t change.’
When he’s not working, Nick likes to keep fit and active, to travel, (a grown-up daughter working in London was a good incentive for a recent trip) and to take on new challenges. ‘I’m not averse to change, in fact I embrace it.’ Working in varying roles in different countries would seem to support this. Prior to Avisure, Nick was running his own mobile food business on the Gold Coast. ‘I’d always wanted to run my own business, an opportunity came up, and I took it’.
In 2018, his dedication to fitness involved setting himself a major challenge. He completed an Ironman competition – a gruelling triathlon encompassing a 3.8 km swim, a 180 km cycling leg and a 42.195 km run. ‘It was something I’d always wanted to do’, Nick says, and a great experience was made better by having my wife and two daughters at the finish line’.
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