Teams + Culture

We’re a group of qualified, experienced and passionate people working together to deliver high quality, innovative projects.

Our culture can be summed up in two words – Relaxed, Professionalism. This means you can expect us to be professional at all times, with a relaxed and positive approach. You will see that our philosophy is contagious, especially on our job sites where everyone works together for a common goal – create and deliver quality projects on time, to the highest standard.

Team Overview

Design – start the process by creating innovative concepts and layouts and see each project through to completion.

Project Management – lead and facilitate our services from first contact, through to project handover.

Estimation – analyse and resolve the details of every design and project, compiling accurate construction costs.

Project Administration – coordinate and control the construction of our projects, monitoring time, cost, quality and safety.

Maintenance – assist with ongoing support once a project is complete.

Administration – provide office assistance to our project teams through processing permits, files, supplies, orders and invoices.

Marketing – research new business opportunities, develops our brand and services to match future market needs.

Steve Knight

Managing Director

Since 1993 Steve has been integral in developing what was a small maintenance business into an interior fitout, building refurbishment firm that still offers maintenance.

Steve’s vision is clear - provide exceptional service, advice and ensure that our teams, people and projects are resourced and developed to meet these standards. Committed to social responsibility, Steve has created an ethical culture that promotes honesty, a high level of integrity and encourages individual involvement and corporate support for charities and community groups.

A registered architect and licensed builder, Steve has completed many Priority projects including the recent Bowman House refurbishment and BMC redevelopment.

Nichola Curtis

Design Manager

Nic heads up our design team and oversees the entire creative and design process for each project ensuring the design intent is achieved for each client.

An accomplished designer specialising in commercial office and furniture environments, Nic’s reputation in this field has seen her career develop from senior design roles through to the position of Design Manager for a national firm. While earning postgraduate qualifications Nic won a major design award - the QUT/Virgin Blue Design Competition and was admitted 4 times to Dean’s List for Excellent Academic Performance.

Before joining us we had worked with Nic on a number of major projects and knew she had the flair and ability to drive the development of our design team. Major projects include BMT WBM.

Amy Coats

Interior Designer

As a Designer, Amy facilitates the development of design concepts in communication with clients and the project manager.

She works with you to create a layout through 2D perspectives and 3D renders to develop a design that is feasible, creative and unique to your business and the users of the space. Amy enjoys all aspects of the arts and design, and has an in depth knowledge of materials and a flair for integrating unique materials into her designs. Prior to joining Priority, Amy worked in office interior and furniture environments and has worked closely with architects on Green Star submissions to the Green Building Council of Australia.

Recent projects that Amy has designed included APRG and the Royal Flying Doctors.

Amanda McFeat

Interior Designer

Amanda is experienced in all the design stages of a project achieving high level design outcomes for clients and the firms she has worked with.

A local Interior Designer Amanda has worked in architectural, interior design and constancy environments and has been involved in some iconic Brisbane projects. As part of a project design team, she has worked on various commercial projects spanning education, health, government, hotel/leisure, retail and office based projects. In these roles Amanda has worked closely with clients, developed an understanding of their needs, contributed to the briefing process, developed concepts to final documentation and project completion.

A very compassionate person, Amanda has given her time to support a variety of charitable programs and is well suited to our culture.

Henna Viikari

Interior Designer

Henna is a qualified Interior Designer who has gained much praise and recognition from peers and mentors for her creative flair and detailed attention.

A native from Finland, she finds inspiration in travel, nature and historical architecture. Her understanding of commercial environments has seen her create a number of clever and inspirational spaces unique for its users. Supporting our design and project management teams, Henna surveys sites and is involved in the creative process from initial concepts, finishes selections, colour boards to completion of construction documents.

The timely and accurate support she provides is one of the reasons we are able to respond quickly to multiple faced paced projects.

John O’Sullivan

Sales & Production Manager

John has been with Priority since 1993 and has been involved in everything from estimating to site management, starting off with us as a Carpenter.

He quickly made the move into sales and became our most successful Project Manager regularly setting new benchmarks for service, client satisfaction and size of project. Most of John’s projects are the result of referrals or repeat work and is highly regarded by client and renown throughout the industry.

In his present role as Project Director he uses his experience to coach and develop our Project Management team and oversees all projects monitoring, quality, timeframes, costs and site safety. A recent major projects John has managed is Queensland Health.

Peter Lewis

Project Manager

Peter’s knowledge and experience is what makes him a very successful Project Manager.

A qualified Property Valuator, Peter has over 30 years industry and Project Management experience and a background in strategic planning for large government commercial office portfolios, asset and lease management. He has successfully managed many large scale, high-end fitouts for a number of high profile businesses.

His ability to collaborate with users and designers has resulted in many stylish, innovative and fun projects. Recent major projects include BMT WBM and Clemenger Harvie Edge.

Bruce Seccombe

Project Manager

A tertiary qualified Interior Designer, Bruce has extensive experience and knowledge of the construction industry and has been involved with a number of significant projects within both the private and public sectors.

Bruce’s design background has given him the ability to quickly identify new trends and styles and was one of our first team members to gain Green Star Professional accreditation. With 15 years experience in the areas of interior design, project management and business development combined with an extensive knowledge of architectural and design industries, Bruce’s ability to apply his expertise adds significant value to each project, our Project Management team and the end result for each client. One of Bruce’s latest projects is the Bremmer Institute of TAFE’s graphic arts facility.

Daniel Marshall

Project Manager

Daniel has Bachelor of Built Environment qualifications and studied Interior Design and Landscape Architecture before completing a postgraduate Interior Design degree.

In 2007 he made the switch to Project Management and has worked on a wide range of designer joinery, furniture and urban art projects nationally from concept to fruition. With a number of major clients in his portfolio he works hard with them and our designers to deliver high quality and well-designed projects.

He is brilliant at communicating what the design needs to achieve and goes to great lengths to look after his clients. Daniel recently completed a major fitout for APRG and Complete Building Certification.

Richard Wiseman

Project Manager

A well-travelled Englishman, Richard has qualifications and extensive experience in construction, fitout and manufacturing environments and brings over 10 years experience to our Project Management Team.

Richard comes from the highly detailed and hectic world of retail fitout where he managed multiple projects to very tight time frames. It was in this role that he developed strong customer service skills and built many of long standing business relationships and has become renown throughout the industry as a successful Project Manager.

His wealth of experience has been easily adapted to the commercial office environment and he has been quick to establish a number of major projects with key clients.

Craig Johnstone

Project Manager

Craig has a varied and diverse background. A Bachelor of Arts, he has an imaginative style and natural creative talent that has seen him grow into project management delivering a spectrum of innovative and interesting projects.

Experience in both government and private arenas, Craig has led many large-scale, highly detailed projects from concept to completion. Dedicated and persistent by nature his passive and calm approach enhances the creative process by challenging clients thinking, our creative process and project teams to deliver distinctive designs and projects for a wide range of clients and varying budgets. These roles have given him the opportunity to hone his management skills across simultaneous projects with multiple stakeholders to consider where he has exceeded all expectations, meeting budgetary and time restraints with a high degree of quality.

David Goldsmith

Estimation Manager

You could not find a better person to lead and manage our Estimation team. David is a highly detailed and analytical person by nature who is extremely passionate about commercial construction.

A standout talent within the industry, he has been with Priority since 2007 and is and is currently completing a degree in Quantity Surveying at QUT. His relentless drive to resolve every single detail adds significant value to each project and ensures the projects are delivered within budget. His ability to communicate with suppliers, contractors and consultants resolve construction issues and provide expert advice to our clients, has proven to be invaluable to Project Managers, Designers and Project Administrators. Recent projects David has been part of include RFDS and BMT WBM.

Tom Knight

Estimator

Tom supports our Project Management, Project Administration and Estimation teams through the compilation of project costs.

He is in the process of pursuing an engineering degree and his current position is giving him valuable exposure to the construction industry, developing the skills he needs to engage and direct consultants, suppliers, contractors and on a range of projects. He joined us in 2010 and has been heavily involved in the development of our estimation team and their practices.

Since joining us Tom has been directly involved in the delivery of a number of successful projects, where he and our team worked together to design and scope the work to meet clients’ budgets and vision. One of his most recent projects is APRG.

Lloyd Godsland

Estimator

Since 2004 Lloyd has been working in estimation roles and has a diverse range of residential, architectural, civil and commercial experience.

He has been involved in providing cost analysis for large project offices for the mining sector in remote locations. His ability to interpret construction documentation has added value to our costing and construction process, ensuring that all items for the project have been included and that we are advising the most efficient method of construction and materials.

He has been involved in a number of very successful projects with us and worked closely with our Project Managers and Project Administrators to provide project advice to our clients. Lloyds latest projects include the DWS and OHL fitouts in 400 George Street.

Dean Robertson

Project Administrator

With extensive experience in the construction industry, Dean supervises and co-ordinates all aspects of a project.

A qualified Glazier he was an Apprentice of the Year and moved onto management and sales roles and further honed his organisational skills. He joined us in 2005 and successfully made the transition to manage a large number of trades on multiple projects – his experience and architectural knowledge enable him to think ahead on each job. Dean has continued his professional development attaining a builders and supervisors license, Green Star Professional accreditation and is a first aid officer.

Projects that he has supervised included the Clemmenger Harvie Edge fitout and the Bowman House refurbishment.

Darryl Pianeda

Project Administrator

Darryl is driven to make things happen and relishes the challenge presented by the many and varied projects that he is involved with.

With a background as a Carpenter he worked his way into quality control and customer service role for a national company before joining us in 2005. A great communicator and natural leader he has developed an outstanding rapport with our trades, suppliers and contractors. His ability to consistently meet what seem like impossible deadlines has earned him high levels of praise from our clients.

Passionate about his role, Priority and own development he is a Green Star Accredited Professional, registered site supervisor as well as a first aid officer. Recent project include APRG and Bucyrus.

Chris Zahnow

Project Administrator

Chris has diplomas in Management, Project Management, Asset & Facility Management and Ecological Sustainable Practices and joined our Project Administration team in 2011.

Ideally qualified for his role Chris has an active role in bringing our projects from design into reality. Since 2000 he has been working in construction management in the commercial building industry. As a Construction Manager Chris has been involved in a number of structural steel projects within Australia as well as overseas and his experience includes government, retail construction and commercial refurbishment projects.

He is continuing his professional development and is in the process of attaining site supervisor’s licence as well as a degree in facility management services.

Geoff Teague

Maintenance Manager

Since joining us Geoff has made a name for himself with our clients and in the industry by setting a very high standard for service and response times.

Geoff is a trade-qualified plumber, who has been involved in a number of varied and large-scale commercial and residential projects. His project experience includes plumbing, project estimation for large commercial construction firms, site administration and project management. This has given him the range of construction experience and technical knowledge needed to manage our maintenance service and multiple jobs with a high level of detail. With experience in running his own business he is an essential part of our team responding to and scheduling maintenance requests.

He has a very hands-on role and specialises in problem solving, finding creative solutions to unusual maintenance jobs.

Matthew Murray

Carpenter

A jack-of-all-trades, Matthew is a qualified carpenter highly experienced in commercial work. Well equipped, he has all the tools, knowledge and experience to get any job done right the first time.

An Irish native, Matthew started working with us on as a carpenter on one of our projects. Seeing his tradesman-ship first hand and his very friendly, happy and professional attitude, we knew he’d be the perfect person to support our clients and Maintenance team.

Matthew responds to requests for small carpentry, joinery and handyman jobs. With a mobile set up, he is often on site within hours of clients contacting us.

Kristn White

Administration Manager

On any given work day Kristn’s role as Administration Manager, can include crisis counselling, problem solving, iPhone support, payroll, HR, recruitment, daily and monthly accounting, management reporting, booking the Christmas party and sorting out staff gifts or baking a slice or batch of muffins for someone’s birthday.

Often here well after everyone else has gone home, Kristn is one of our most hardworking and dedicated team members. Kristn gives us a wealth of business experience earned from previously owning and running her own retail store as well as being a full time mum. Her invaluable administration knowledge has been influential in setting up our internal and quality control systems and the development of our admin team.

Emma Blair

Administration Assistant

After joining us in 2004 Emma is a very popular and well-liked team member, genuinely caring about her responsibilities and the people she works with.

Her main role is to support our Project Managers and Project Administrators to make sure, contracts are signed, permits are in place, invoices get issued and payments processed on time. This ensures that projects are not delayed due to paperwork or handling issues. She provides support for all teams and has developed a good understanding of all administration roles and other internal positions.

Emma often fills in when people are sick or on annual leave and then stays back to get everything she needs done – we would be lost without her.

Kristie Mudiman

Administration Assistant

Kristie joined our Administration Team in 2010 when she was looking to return to the workforce after maternity leave.

When we first met Kristie we couldn’t believe our luck - over 7 years of administration and accounts support with a commercial maintenance provider, so we were quick to get her on board. She is heavily involved in the initiation of projects setting up our site safety folder, issuing building applications and payment of fees so jobs get started on time.

Once a project is done, Kristie is involved in filing the physical and electronic records ensuring that all information is securely stored and able to be recalled when needed – she is a key part of our quality assurance process.

Zoe Knight

Administration Assistant

Zoe is our office all-rounder helping out in almost every area of the business and has one of the coolest and most important jobs – managing our social club.

Currently studying a Fine Arts Degree at QUT, Zoe supports our team through ordering essential office supplies and is a checking mechanism, regularly going through the office reconciling project files, fast tracking the approval of urgent costs and following up important paperwork. She also assists in the filing and archiving our account and project records.

Without her involvement, our project teams would not be able to deliver the level of service they currently provide.

Jane Marks

Administration Assistant

A very knowledgeable professional, Jane’s has spent over 12 years running her own business.

Jane’s experience in office management and business administration has her working on the financial side of our admin team overseeing payment runs, processing transactions and managing debtors. She also supports our Project Management team by updating pending projects, client and company information.

The internal support she provides is imperative in freeing up time for members of the admin team and those involved in running our projects – she is one of our greatest resources.

Shannon Priem

Marketing Manager

Shannon joined Priority in 2007 as the company’s Marketing Manager.

While studying Business Management, Shannon gained professional marketing experience working with a number of nationally recognised companies, developing their brand and identity through periods of high growth. In his role with Priority, Shannon collaborates with the Project Management team in developing our professional networks and indentifying opportunities with our existing contacts.

At a strategic level, Shannon works closely with our senior people setting the direction and implementing new practices adding value to our services and business.

Zac Hancock

Research & Database Officer

Zac is the eyes and ears for our Project Management and Marketing teams. He has already completed a business degree with majors in marketing and is in the process of finishing an economics degree at UQ.

Working at a highly strategic level, Zac uses his research and analytical skills to mine our database and online resources. He checks the integrity of our data and uses this information to find opportunities to better service our existing client base and provide our Project Managers with key market information. The support he provides gives us an advantage in being able to partner with new and existing clients on future projects.