July 2013 – May 2015
Arrow International
Senior Construction Project Manager
July 2013 – May 2015
Arrow International
Senior Construction Project Manager
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Chrisco Oelofse – Operational Rebuilder & Systems Leader | This is my executive portfolio | Relocation Brisbane 1 Aug 2025
Arrow International
Senior Construction Project Manager
Introduction & Context
Introduction & Context
Company & Role Overview
Company & Role Overview
Company & Role Overview
Arrow International was one of New Zealand’s leading construction firms, specializing in complex commercial, residential, and remedial projects. Chrisco Oelofse joined as Senior Construction Project Manager, where he played a pivotal role in leading both proactive high-performance project execution and high-risk recoveries.
His tenure at Arrow marked a critical growth phase in his career, proving his ability to not only clean up the messes left by others but also execute large-scale projects to perfection—so seamlessly that senior management underestimated his impact until issues arose after his departure.
Industry & Market Conditions at the Time
New Zealand's construction industry was navigating stringent regulatory changes, particularly in façade compliance, seismic resilience, and social housing demands. While the market was booming, companies that failed to maintain compliance rigor and structured project controls faced severe financial and operational risks.
Your Entry into the Role (Challenges, Expectations, and Initial Goals)
Chrisco took on multiple high-profile projects, ranging from new developments to distressed projects that required crisis management. His ability to stabilize failing projects while also executing high-value developments at peak efficiency quickly became a defining trait of his leadership at Arrow.
Key projects included:
Number 10 Crown Lynn Place ($10M, 104 Apartments) – A major crisis recovery after the site was shut down by Auckland Council due to compliance failures.
Number 17 Crown Lynn Place ($6M, 75 Apartments) – A 75-unit residential project abandoned by 15 previous managers before Chrisco successfully closed it out.
Number 8 Crown Lynn Place ($2M, 10 Apartments) – Another project in disarray due to leadership instability, requiring structured intervention and project closure.
Number 45 Upper Queen Street ($800K, Cladding Remediation) – A high-compliance façade remediation project, successfully delivered under Chrisco’s leadership.
Social Housing Development ($15M, Multi-Townhouse Project) – A high-profile new-build project that was running far ahead of program and financial targets under Chrisco’s leadership, but fell into distress within four months of his departure due to Arrow’s failure to maintain structured leadership continuity.
Skills, Competencies, Responsibilities & Activities
Skills, Competencies, Responsibilities & Activities
Skills & Core Competencies Developed
Skills & Core Competencies Developed
Project Turnaround & Crisis Management – Proven ability to stabilize failing projects, reinstate compliance, and drive them to successful completion.
High-Performance Project Execution – Led projects that ran ahead of schedule and exceeded financial goals, proving structured leadership drives results.
Quality Assurance & Compliance Mastery – Navigated New Zealand’s evolving regulatory frameworks, ensuring all projects met strict QA and council requirements.
Financial & Risk Control – Developed strict cost management strategies, ensuring projects remained profitable while avoiding regulatory penalties.
Stakeholder & Council Engagement – Effectively negotiated with Auckland Council and consultants, turning distressed projects into successful case studies.
Responsibilities & Key Activities
Responsibilities & Key Activities
Managed multiple high-risk and high-value projects, ensuring execution aligned with QA, financial, and operational benchmarks.
Oversaw site teams, subcontractors, and consultants, ensuring seamless coordination and leadership stability.
Implemented structured compliance and QA workflows, reducing project risk and streamlining approval processes.
Negotiated with Auckland Council and regulatory bodies, successfully reinstating projects that had been shut down due to previous mismanagement.
Developed and enforced risk mitigation strategies, ensuring that both distressed and well-performing projects remained financially viable.
Achievements & Philosophy
Achievements & Philosophy
Business & Project Achievements
Business & Project Achievements
Number 10 Crown Lynn Place ($10M, 104 Apartments) – High-Profile Crisis Recovery
The Challenge
The project was shut down by Auckland Council due to non-compliance, missing QA documentation, and poor project oversight. No progress had been made, and Arrow faced major financial and reputational risks.
Chrisco’s Strategy & Execution
Spent one month diagnosing all failures and creating a structured recovery plan.
Implemented strict QA documentation and compliance processes, securing re-approval from Auckland Council.
Rebuilt site management structures, preventing further financial and operational losses.
Outcome & Long-Term Impact
Successfully reinstated and completed the project, saving Arrow from legal and financial repercussions.
The project became an Auckland Council case study for compliance best practices.
Number 17 Crown Lynn Place ($6M, 75 Apartments) & Number 8 Crown Lynn Place ($2M, 10 Apartments) – Leadership Crisis Stabilization
The Challenge
Number 17 Crown Lynn Place had seen 15 different site/project managers who had all failed to stabilize the project. The site was in disarray, with frequent turnover and escalating costs.
Number 8 Crown Lynn Place faced similar instability, with no clear leadership direction.
Chrisco’s Strategy & Execution
Took control of both projects, implementing structured leadership and operational stability.
Created a clear execution roadmap, preventing further delays.
Improved communication and reporting structures, ensuring the project was back on track.
Outcome & Long-Term Impact
Both projects were successfully closed out, preventing Arrow from financial penalties.
Reinforced Chrisco’s ability to clean up high-risk, mismanaged projects and drive them to completion.
Number 45 Upper Queen Street ($800K, Cladding Remediation) – Compliance-Intensive Execution
Successfully executed a high-compliance façade remediation project, meeting all council regulations.
Developed a QA framework for tracking remedial works, preventing defects and ensuring compliance at every stage.
The project was delivered on time and under budget, reinforcing Arrow’s reputation for complex remediation work.
Social Housing Development ($15M, Multi-Townhouse Project) – A Case Study in Leadership Impact
The project was far ahead of schedule and financial targets under Chrisco’s leadership. Arrow International’s senior management underestimated the impact of structured leadership, assuming the project was running smoothly due to its nature.
Instead of replacing Chrisco with another high-level leader, Arrow left only a site manager in place. Within four months of his departure, the project was in major distress due to a lack of oversight, proving that structured execution was the key driver of its success.
Philosophy & Strategic Approach
Philosophy & Strategic Approach
Structured Execution & Leadership – Ensuring all projects followed strict operational frameworks, preventing delays and inefficiencies.
Financial & Compliance-First Thinking – Keeping projects ahead of schedule and profitable through disciplined cost and risk control.
Risk-Driven Decision-Making – Identifying and addressing potential failures before they escalated into major setbacks.
Stakeholder Engagement – Ensuring smooth council approvals and investor confidence through proactive communication and risk mitigation.
Conclusion & Lasting Impact
Conclusion & Lasting Impact
Chrisco’s leadership at Arrow International was defined by his ability to transform failing projects into success stories while also executing high-performance developments flawlessly. His impact included:
Re-igniting and successfully delivering a 104-apartment project that had been shut down by Auckland Council.
Stabilizing two large-scale residential projects that had been mismanaged by 15+ previous managers.
Delivering a high-compliance cladding remediation project ahead of schedule and under budget.
Running a multi-million-dollar social housing project so efficiently that Arrow assumed leadership was unnecessary—only to see it fall apart after his departure.
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