Business Development Manager · Auckland, New Zealand

Bridging
the trenches
and the boardroom.

7+ years across fibre networks, fire systems, and complex infrastructure delivery — now driving commercial growth in resource recovery at Waste Management NZ.

410%
Of 90-Day Target
82
Accounts Won
2.9t
Daily Volume Growth
5+
North Island Regions
About

The engineer
who learned to close.

“The gap between a good solution and a signed contract is almost never technical. It’s trust, timing, and whether someone believes you understand their problem. That’s what I build.”

Most people in BD can tell you what the product does. I can tell you how it works, why it fails, and what it actually costs to deliver. That’s not a bonus — that’s what changes the conversation.

Seven years in infrastructure. Fibre networks and national broadband rollouts across provincial networks. Fire protection design for major civic, commercial, and hospitality builds: a high-security government precinct, an 8,000m² performing arts facility, and a 16-level high-rise development. Project coordination across procurement, compliance, and delivery.

I’ve been the person on site when things go wrong, and I’ve been in the commercial meeting where someone’s trying to explain why it won’t. I know which one is harder.

Now driving commercial growth in resource recovery at Waste Management NZ — 82 accounts converted from competitors across five North Island regions, 410% of a 90-day acquisition target, and an average tyre volume growth rate of 2.9 tonnes per day. The sector is moving fast and the clients are sophisticated. That suits me.

By the numbers
82
Accounts Won
410%
Of Target
2.9t
Volume Growth/Day
7+
Years Infrastructure

A career built deliberately — from field installation, to network design, to fire protection design lead, to commercial growth in resource recovery.

Expertise

Where I’m strong.

Four capabilities that separate technical commercial operators from everyone else in the room.

TD
01

Technical Infrastructure Delivery

When I’m in a commercial conversation, I’m already thinking about delivery risk, compliance requirements, and what the project actually costs to execute. Clients notice. Engineers trust it. Decision-makers act on it.

BD
02

Commercial Development

I don’t just sell, I scope. The gap between a good solution and a signed contract is almost never technical — it’s trust, timing, and whether someone believes you understand their problem.

RR
03

Resource Recovery

Compliance pressure is real, the logistics are complex, clients need someone who can translate both sides. Converted 82 competitor-serviced accounts to WM in the first 90 days — 410% of target — across Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Taranaki.

BIM
04

BIM + Revit Design

Technical drafting, clash detection, MEP coordination. I understand what a pipeline actually looks like to build — not just to report on. $80k rework avoided through Revit clash detection alone.

Work

Built. Delivered.
Results on record.

Selected work across resource recovery commercial growth, fire protection design, and national fibre infrastructure.

WM New Zealand tyre collection truck at a resource recovery yard
01 / 05 Resource Recovery · Commercial BD
Territory Build-Out

Tyre Recycling Territory

WM opened a new BDM role in a territory Treadlite, Tyrecycle, and JJ's had locked down — no existing pipeline, no warm leads, a 20-account target for the first 90 days. Removed the biggest onboarding friction point by personally handling Tyrewise registration and verification for every converting account, then backed it with a consistent follow-up cadence that turned first calls into signed accounts. Built the Salesforce pipeline and Excel tracking system — covering pipeline stage, retention risk, and competitor displacement — that still runs the territory today across 100+ accounts.

↑ 82 accounts won — 410% of a 20-account, 90-day target. 2.9t/day average volume growth.
Discuss this project
Major Civic Precinct
02 / 05 Fire Protection Design · BIM / Revit
Technical Drafting Lead

Major Civic Precinct

Lead drafter for the fire protection design of a five-building, high-security government complex. MEP coordination, clash detection, and compliance documentation.

↑ Compliance package signed off first pass.
Discuss this project
Large Commercial Theatre
03 / 05 Commercial · Fire Protection
End-to-End Delivery Lead

Large Commercial Theatre

Owned the full fire suppression and detection system design from concept to commissioning for an 8,000m² performing arts facility. Stakeholder coordination, contractor handoff, code compliance.

↑ First-pass compliance. $80k rework avoided.
Discuss this project
16-Level Hospitality Development
04 / 05 16-Level High-Rise · Commercial
Fire Alarm Schematic Execution

High-Rise Development

Fire alarm schematic execution across all 16 levels of a major hospitality development. Riser diagrams, device addressing, integration with mechanical and BMS systems.

↑ 16 levels. Zero schematic re-issue.
Discuss this project
Rural Fibre Network
05 / 05 Civtec · UFB / RBI Programme
150+ km Backbone & Distribution

Rural Fibre Network

Network design and field delivery of 150+ km of backbone and distribution fibre across multiple provincial townships. GIS mapping, civil handoff, risk assessment.

↑ Townships connected. Zero material rework.
Discuss this project
Track Record

The path from site
to commercial — built deliberately.

Timeline

Field → design → delivery → commercial. Each role earned by doing the one before it properly.

  1. May 2026 — Present

    Business Development Manager

    Waste Management NZ · Resource Recovery & Tyre Recycling

    Converted 82 competitor-serviced accounts directly to WM across Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Taranaki. Full account lifecycle in Salesforce — lead qualification through to won-account handover and retention. Built and maintained a live commercial tracking system covering 100+ accounts, and supported South Island opportunity development and new BDM onboarding.

    → 410% of 90-day target. 2.9t/day average volume growth.
  2. Dec 2025 — Apr 2026

    Fire Protection Designer & Business Development

    Tekin Industries, Auckland

    Primary commercial liaison between clients, suppliers, and internal teams, owning the full client journey from enquiry through delivery and retention. Drove new business through scope definition, feasibility assessment, and cost and delivery negotiation with key B2B stakeholders. Managed end-to-end procurement and supplier engagement.

    → Full-cycle commercial ownership, enquiry to delivery.
  3. Feb 2022 — Dec 2025

    Project Support & Fire Protection Designer

    Zero Fire Ltd, Hamilton

    Primary technical and commercial liaison on landmark projects including the $200M Elizabeth Towers and $80M Waikato Regional Theatre. Managed a concurrent portfolio of 6–15 B2B accounts. Championed a multidisciplinary design consolidation initiative that eliminated physical material waste and on-site clashes before construction commenced.

    → $80k rework avoided. Landmark projects delivered.
  4. Aug 2019 — Aug 2024

    Network Designer — Telecommunications Infrastructure

    Civtec Ltd, Hamilton

    Directed B2B stakeholder engagement across 6–15 simultaneous regional infrastructure projects, negotiating site access and technical scopes with commercial property owners and tier-one contractors. Designed resilient fibre backbone and distribution networks using GIS mapping tools.

    → 150+ km fibre designed and delivered.
  5. Aug 2018 — Aug 2019

    Telecommunications Technician

    Civtec Ltd, Hamilton

    Customer-facing infrastructure installations, resolving on-site technical issues and maintaining compliance with industry standards. Conducted site surveys and partnered with civil contractors on outside plant solutions.

    → Foundation of everything that followed.
Education

Business Management, Level 7

New Zealand. Plus Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity, Level 6, and Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Level 7 — the technical-to-commercial foundation behind every role since.

Certifications

Cloud, Data & Delivery

AWS Academy Graduate — Cloud Foundations (2025) · Data Analytics — Deloitte Australia, Forage (2025) · Project Manager — Siemens Mobility, Forage (2025) · Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner — IBM (2021) · AI Skills Level 3 — Digital Passport (2025) · Site Safe Building Construction Passport (2024)

What People Say

What people say.

“Karam was one of the most reliable network designers I worked with. Always on top of his work, easy to collaborate with, and genuinely open to new approaches on the job.”
Colleague
Civtec / Chorus NZ
“Karam produces accurate and compliant 3D designs for fire protection systems, supporting the design process from concept through to drawing documentation.”
Principal Engineer
Fire Protection
Open to Commercial Engagements

Let’s build
something that actually works.

Whether it’s a commercial partnership, a complex infrastructure project, or just a conversation about where things are heading — I’m open to it.

Auckland, New Zealand · NZ-wide engagements
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