Judged none.
Seen it before.
Phil McConchie knows business from every angle – building them, buying them, saving them, selling them.
He’s worked across industries, continents, and crises. Having experienced first-hand The Void of impartial advice, genuine expertise, accessibility to knowledge relating to available options, and access to tangible, meaningful and affordable assistance for struggling businesses after others have seemingly thrown in the towel – and admitting to having previously flown “too close to the sun” from time to time during his own business career, or simply having been broadsided by external events beyond his and his team’s control, Phil was motivated to establish Ravine.
Phil McConchie
MSc, NZCE, PMP
Director / Principal
Phil is an experienced businessperson and as one of two co-founders of the Camelspace Group of companies, held the role of Commercial Director from start-up until its eventual sale in 2024, some 17 years later.
Jointly taking the Group from one employing two people to 140 fulltime permanent staff across three branches nationwide.
The Group first established a formal Board of Directors in 2016 as part of a wider programme of introducing governance practices commensurate with the size business it had become. Phil always held a seat on the Board.
Phil went on to lead several successful acquisitions and subsequent integrations for the Group whilst continuing to maintain overall responsibility for all matters financial/commercial, performing the role of Group CFO as well as overseeing marketing and brand strategy functions. The company became widely regarded as market leaders in the latter two domains.
With the onset of COVID having a devastating effect on the business, as it did on so many, Phil’s focus became navigating the business through a challenging period of what ultimately became 500 days of closure due to either L3 or L4 lockdown. An equally difficult post-COVID period ensued, where residual COVID-related financial issues lingered and created significant impediments to sustainable trading.
With battles seemingly being fought relentlessly on countless financial fronts over the next two years, all feeling like a step-up in intensity and severity to anything experienced over the previous 17, despite that period spanning several economic cycles, recessions and global financial shocks.
Although a relentlessly bruising and prolonged period of business stewardship for most NZ business owners and not one any would choose, the wins, losses and learnings further equipped Phil with the necessary experience and know-how for Ravine.
Phil has breadth of financial experience in the hospitality sector through his ongoing involvement in two Auckland venues of which he is a shareholder and performs the role of Contracts Manager as and when required, and Ravine having worked with several unrelated bars and restaurants over the past 24 months.
Prior to returning to New Zealand to start Camelspace in 2007, Phil spent 15 years working in a number of countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa holding a number of senior technical, project management and team-lead client facing roles on a diverse mix of Information Analysis and Industrial Control and Automation System projects in the petrochemical and nuclear industries.
Living and working on projects in Chelyabinsk, Russia; Houston and Dallas, Texas; Vung Tau, Vietnam; the North Sea (Danish and U.K. sectors); Cadereyta, Mexico; Escravos, Nigeria; Sardinia, Italy; Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. and Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia and others.
In 2002 Phil was the on-site Technical Lead for commissioning, start-up and go-live of the Fissile Material Storage Facility Integrated Control System. The facility’s control and information system for the safe long-term storage and accounting of Russia’s decommissioned nuclear weapons (weapons grade plutonium) in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia.
For the year prior to his return to NZ, Phil worked as an IT Research Scientist and Software Developer at Hewlett Packard’s European Research Laboratory in Bristol, England.
In addition to a Masters degree in Computer Science (Distinction), Phil has an NZCE (Int.) in Electronics and Computer Technology; Trade Certificate and unrestricted electrician’s practicing license; and holds both of the pre-eminent and internationally recognised qualifications for project management: Project Management Professional (PMP) and Prince 2 Practitioner.
Others
Access to an extensive network of ‘others’ such as analysts, funders, industry specific experts and legal specialists – if and when required.