Meet the Team

Steve is most commonly referred to as 'The Irish Guy' 'The Bald Guy' 'The Guy with the Beard' or just all three. Steve's knowledge in utes comes from his time working in a sales role in one of NZs top RV dealerships, advising customers on suitable tow vehicles for caravans. The rest of his experience comes from his time running around Western Australia in a Hilux Surf 4x4ing in the dunes.

Steve enjoys his role talking to people to find out what purpose you want your ute for and he will help steer you in the right direction of what vehicle might suit you best. Being the adventure lover that he is, Steve is always looking for fun activities and the gear needed to make that happen, so is also very knowledgeable on what accessories you might need for all sorts of activities.

When Steve is not on the yard you might find him anywhere between the mountains to the sea, with a tray full of toys, ready to try something new and most likely with his partner Kirsty and their dog, Henry.

Darren has been surrounded by cars, 4WDs, and accessories his whole life, thanks to growing up with parents who owned an auto accessories business and a 4WD tour company in Australia. For the last 20 years in his own working career, it has been his loving wife Lisa who is also a car enthusiast, that has assisted Darren to pursue his passion of all things automotive. Darren has been involved with all aspects of selling and management in mostly Prestige European dealerships both here in Christchurch and his home town of Brisbane.

As a co-owner of Ute Nation, Darren will continue to use his strengths in Sales Management and look after the day-to-day sales with the team. Building rapport with clients and being the person they want to buy from is something Darren has built his career on. This will continue as he guides the culture at Ute Nation and the growing team.

Darren and Lisa have a busy home life looking after their three active teenage children, Jade, Jordan, and Luke. With school, sport, and youth activities for all three kids, their spare time sees them playing taxi driver most nights of the week and a major part of their weekend.

Yuri brings with him a wealth of experience from every corner of the automotive industry - starting out spinning spanners as an apprentice mechanic, then workshop manager, parts manager right through to new vehicle sales roles and managing successful sales teams in a prominent Christchurch dealership.

As a co-owner in the business, Yuri takes care of company operations and oversees vehicle preparation. With considerable experience and success in businesses of his own, attention to detail and clear lines of communication ensure repeat business from his well-established network of friends and clients.

Yuri's (long-suffering) wife Jess has developed an impressive tolerance for his impulsive and enthusiastic buying and selling of "toys" ranging from cars and motorbikes to boats and jet skis, so joining the team at Ute Nation will undoubtedly continue the trend!

Today, Yuri's biggest passion by far is raising his two daughters Isla and Brooklyn, who share their dad's enthusiasm for cool cars and silly jokes.

While he was once known for his iconic moustache, Dan is now more commonly known for his extensive knowledge of anything with wheels, from double-cab utes to premium SUVs and supercars (although he’ll be the first to say that an Audi RS6 is really the only car anyone could ever need).

Focusing on stock acquisition and strategy for Ute Nation, Dan has been a key player in building the business from the ground up with Darren and Yuri. Their hard work has attracted loyal customers from all over New Zealand. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a thriving business for Dan. He’s always looking for ways to streamline the vehicle buying process for both buyers and sellers.

When he’s not at the yard, Dan’s managing his other business interests and spending time with his wife Tash and their three young kids (though it’s not uncommon to find him down at the track in his S14, or out on a 4wd adventure in his trusty Landcruiser).

Having spent the last 10 years working as a mechanic, Jayden understands the inner workings of our vehicles better than most. He has an eye for detail, ensuring each of our trucks are prepared to an extremely high standard.

Keeping himself busy as our stock coordinator and after sales specialist, Jayden works tirelessly with our suppliers and subcontractors on everything from servicing and body work to fitting lift kits and bull bars.

Jayden is well known within the industry and by his friends and family for his enthusiasm, energy and high speed of work. Jayden only has one pace, and that's 110%.

When he's not building New Zealand's best utes and 4X4s, Jayden is busy working on one of his many BMW projects he has on the go. Away from the tools, Jaydens focus is firmly on spending quality time with his son Hugo and partner Tess.

Born and raised in Christchurch with a farming background, Andy’s love for trucks runs deep. It was a natural fit for him to join Ute Nation as a vehicle buyer. Every day, he gets to dive into his passion - dealing with trucks and connecting with great people.

In his role, Andy’s all about tracking down the best trucks and making sure they meet Ute Nation’s high standards. He enjoys the challenge of finding the perfect ride and values the relationships he builds along the way.

When he’s off the clock, Andy’s busy working on his own trucks, taking them off-roading, or out hunting, fishing, and camping. Whether with family, friends, or out in the wild, Andy’s always up for an adventure.

Jolandi has years of industry experience within sales, finance, insurance and management but enjoys the numbers side of the business most. She believes in the saying that six plus three equals nine but so does four plus five and therefore enjoys designing tailor made finance packages to suit our clients needs.

Jolandi can assist with financing your new Ute and its accessories as well as financing trailers, boats, jet ski’s, campervans and more. She specialises both in consumer and commercial finance packages and can offer a range of insurance product options.

In her spare time, Jolandi enjoys travelling and spending time with her husband Hennie. She is a big fan of F1 racing, rugby, fitness and always enjoys a good barbeque (braai).

Joti brings over 20 years of accounting and administration experience to Ute Nation. Her career began at a tyre and windscreen retail shop back home in Fiji, and she later spent six years in the automotive industry in Christchurch before joining Ute Nation when it opened in 2022. Joti manages the day-to-day admin and accounts, finding joy in watching our utes arrive, getting groomed, accessorised, and ready for sale.

Joti's interest in the automotive industry started with her father, who was an auto electrician in Fiji. This passion continued with her husband, Aaron, a mechanic who also loves the automotive industry.

Outside of work, Joti enjoys a busy life with her family and church. She loves spending time with Aaron and their daughter Jessica, travelling around the South Island. In her spare time, Joti enjoys cooking and trying new dishes whenever she can.

With a background of administration, design and photography, and a love for cars and adventure, joining the Ute Nation team was a no-brainer for Jess.

As the marketing manager for Ute Nation, Jess is kept busy. From overseeing our social media, to planning our content and designing our apparel, she's always in the thick of it. Her love for adventure is satisfied by jumping behind the wheel to create content, and with a passion for events, it's no surprise that she loves planning and organising them too.

When she's not at the yard, you’ll find Jess exploring Christchurch’s top walks and brunch spots or heading out of town for the weekend with her husband, Sam. If there's a car event in town, she'll be there, proudly repping Ute Nation or lending a hand to Sam as his trusty assistant photographer.

As a mechanic with over 5 years in the industry, and a decade behind the camera as a hobby, Sam proves that work and play can be one and the same, especially when fueled by passion!

As Ute Nation's photographer and videographer, no two days are the same for Sam. Whether he's capturing stock images for the website, filming reels and TikToks, or taking a truck off-roading for that perfect shot, Sam's enthusiasm for automotive content knows no bounds.

When he's not at work, you'll find Sam at home working on his cherished 300ZX, enjoying the weekend with his wife Jess, hanging out with his mates, or out shooting car events across the country.

With a career deeply rooted in the automotive industry, Brady brings diverse skills to the Ute Nation team. He’s done it all, from panel & paint to detailing and mechanics.

Now, in his hybrid role at Ute Nation as mechanic and detailer, he handles everything from fitting wheels and tyres to lift kits and finishing details, including buffing and paint correction. Brady is dedicated to ensuring every vehicle on our yard looks its best.

Off the clock, you'll find Brady working on his own cars or helping his mates with theirs, or travelling and exploring new places with his partner, Sarah.

Known for his mullet and his beloved VL Commodore, Dom hails from Nelson and has been in the mechanic game for over a decade. He started his journey with an apprenticeship at a Ford dealership in his hometown and was there when the PX2 Ranger was launched. For the past eight years, he’s worked solely on European cars, sharpening his skills in different European car yards.

Now at Ute Nation, Dom is our go-to mechanic, handling repairs before and after sales with a passion for “unbreaking” things. There’s nothing more rewarding to him than fixing up a vehicle and handing it back as good as new.

When Dom’s not under the hood, he’s always on the move. You’ll find him tearing up mountain bike trails, hitting the slopes on his snowboard, jet skiing with mates, or cruising in his VL. He also loves spending time with his wife, Yasmine, who shares his passion for the automotive world.

Originally from Sydney, Josh has called Christchurch home for nearly a decade and brings a wealth of experience in the automotive world and grooming. A valuable member of the Ute Nation crew, he’s dedicated to ensuring our vehicles look their absolute best.

In his role at Ute Nation, Josh takes pride in his work, focusing on vehicle preparation, detailing, and grooming, giving each ride the care and attention it deserves.

When he's off the clock, you’ll find Josh soaking up family time with his fiancé, Jodie, and their five daughters. Whether he’s enjoying a family outing, firing up the barbecue, at weekend sports, or cruising on his motorbike, Josh is always on the go.

Jacob has spent four years in the automotive industry in Christchurch, gaining experience in parts sales, grooming, and mechanics. Now at Ute Nation, he handles car detailing, vehicle prep, and accessory instals.

Jacob’s passion for detail means he’s driven by the satisfaction of perfecting every job. Jacob takes pride in making sure every vehicle looks its absolute best.

When he’s not in the grooming bay at work, he’s busy with his own project cars, hanging out with the boys, hitting up gigs, or getting roped into cleaning his mates’ cars too.