May 2019 – Sept 2023
CIS Group
Founder, Director, and Strategic Lead
Chrisco Oelofse – Operational Rebuilder & Systems Leader | This is my executive portfolio | Relocation Brisbane 1 Aug 2025
May 2019 – Sept 2023
CIS Group
Founder, Director, and Strategic Lead
Company & Role Overview
CIS Group was established as a boutique, high-risk, high-compliance remedial main contractor to address the systemic limitations and fragmentation in New Zealand’s façade, remediation, and hazardous materials sectors. Operating as a vertically integrated unit alongside Auckland Flashing Solutions (AFS) and Flashclad, CIS Group provided full-scope delivery from scoping and design through to fabrication, installation, and compliance handover.
This delivery model enabled execution in environments requiring strict regulatory alignment, including occupied buildings, government assets, public infrastructure, and hazardous material zones. The company combined rapid execution with systemised governance, earning panel contractor and preferred supplier status with agencies such as Auckland Council, ACC, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (via CityCare), while also delivering for First Gas, Fonterra, Auckland Airport, and multiple Tier 1 main contractors.
CIS Group also served as the incubator and validation platform for Agile Systems—a modular, CNC-driven aluminium construction ecosystem developed in direct response to the inefficiencies, limitations, and risk exposure observed during complex delivery.
The New Zealand construction environment in 2019–2023 was characterised by:
Escalating pressure from leaky building failures, particularly across the residential and public asset sectors
Intensified regulatory requirements for asbestos removal, façade compliance, and environmental controls
Labour and supply chain disruption, worsened by COVID-19 lockdowns and resource volatility
A reliance on subcontractor-heavy delivery models with fragmented accountability and poor risk containment
A clear gap in the market for a vertically integrated, digitally enabled, self-performing contractor
CIS Group entered this space with a strategy anchored in control: in-house manufacturing, full project traceability, compliance-first workflows, and on-site innovation feedback loops. It replaced friction with flow—and theory with execution certainty.
Role Definition: Strategic Priorities
The strategic role required building the business from inception while simultaneously redefining industry delivery norms. Key objectives included:
Delivering remediation, reinstatement, and high-spec facade works under strict H&S and environmental governance
Securing panel contractor and preferred supplier status with local government and institutional clients
Developing Agile Systems from a concept to a fully validated, field-proven ecosystem of modular cavity, cladding, and amenity systems
Maintaining business continuity under COVID restrictions, while pivoting manufacturing to essential services
Establishing a replicable execution model driven by digital tools, lean manufacturing, and role consolidation (via the Project Owner model)
Within 24 months, CIS Group scaled from startup to strategic supplier, delivered projects across five verticals, deployed Agile cavity and flashing systems across multiple sites, and built a platform that reduced project exposure, accelerated installation, and improved lifecycle compliance.
Technical and Strategic Capabilities Enhanced
Developed a live ERP-equivalent stack using Trello, SharePoint, ClockShark, and Xero to synchronise pricing, programming, compliance tracking, and workforce allocation across all active jobs
Refined a predictive estimating and scheduling engine originally conceived at TBS and 4Sight, linking pricing logic directly to Microsoft Project for time-sequenced execution planning
Implemented a field-to-factory production loop between CIS site surveys, AFS CAD detailing, and CNC fabrication of Agile and non-Agile flashing systems—enabling just-in-time delivery with no off-site delay
Governance, Compliance, and Risk Control
Delivered Class A/B asbestos remediation projects in live public, industrial, and offshore environments with zero notifiable incidents
Achieved and maintained ISO 14001 certification, with workflows that aligned H&S, environmental, and QA documentation into a single digital governance suite
Oversaw execution in critical compliance environments, including Auckland Airport, New Zealand Archives, and occupied government facilities requiring clearance protocols, audit trails, and stakeholder reporting
Innovation, Disruption, and System Integration
Led the ground-up development of Agile Systems—a CNC-based aluminium construction ecosystem built to:
• Reduce labour dependency through panelisation and mechanical interfaces
• Minimise reliance on wet seals and gaskets by introducing mechanically drained cavity designs
• Deliver precision manufacturing via 3D-modelling and aluminium detailing
• Optimise build speed, enabling installation time reductions of up to 80% in Agile Home configurations
Embedded Agile’s cavity, cladding, fencing, decking, and amenity units into CIS site workflows, turning project delivery into continuous product development and system refinement
Operational Oversight and Delivery
Directed the delivery of projects across multiple categories:
• High-risk asbestos remediation
• Complex cladding reinstatement and weather-tightness repairs
• Façade upgrades on public assets (libraries, archives, social housing)
• High-rise new-build specialist façade packages using Flashclad systems
• Agile installations across modular decks, cavity systems, and public toilet units
Maintained continuous execution flow between CIS (site), AFS (fabrication), Flashclad (supply), and Agile (R&D and interface design)
Execution Model and Systems Development
Designed and implemented the Project Owner model—eliminating estimator/PM handoffs and enabling single-role accountability from pricing to final inspection
Developed and scaled a live handover architecture incorporating:
• Scope-specific QA registers
• Asbestos tracking and documentation
• Agile detailing sequences
• Financial forecast vs actual dashboards
Used Agile integration to unify cladding system compatibility across jobs, removing system conflict, reducing junction risk, and transforming delivery from bespoke to modular
Client Interface and Strategic Market Positioning
Delivered for:
• Auckland Council – public facilities, archives, civic upgrades
• CityCare / Ministry of Internal Affairs – panel delivery for government building refurbishment
• ACC – regulatory and safety-driven compliance upgrades
• First Gas and Fonterra – critical infrastructure sites requiring operational containment and live-environment coordination
• Auckland Airport – Class A surgical demolition, asbestos remediation, and enabling works
• Multiple Tier 1 main contractors – subcontracted delivery of Flashclad façade systems and Agile detailing on new residential towers (up to 17 storeys)
Maintained active engagement with WorkSafe NZ, third-party auditors, council QA teams, and internal governance across all live high-risk environments
Strategic & Business Milestones
Revenue Growth & Market Expansion
CIS Group scaled from a startup to a multi-disciplinary contractor delivering complex works across New Zealand’s highest-risk construction environments.
Achieved 50% year-on-year revenue growth, reaching approximately $6M turnover within 24 months
Established preferred supplier and panel contractor status with:
• Auckland Council
• Ministry of Internal Affairs (via CityCare)
• ACC
• First Gas
• Fonterra
• Auckland Airport
• Multiple Tier 1 main contractors
Expanded vertically into plumbing, drainage, and gas-fitting to reduce reliance on external subcontractors, increase internal delivery control, and compress cost and time margins across project scopes
Business Scaling through Innovation and Systems Architecture
Deployed a closed-loop operational model from site scoping to digital design, in-house fabrication, installation, QA, and council signoff
Refined the Project Owner structure to improve continuity, eliminate scope misalignment, and improve closeout speed
Validated Agile Systems in parallel with market delivery—building a real-time feedback mechanism between job sites and product development
Project & Operational Success
Auckland Council Projects
Massey Library Upgrade
• Scope: Recladding, full roof remediation, drainage, structural reinforcement
• Expanded from $500K to ~$2M after identifying significant building failure
• Delivered end-to-end, including architectural redesign, flashings, and cavity systems via AFS
• Included in-house plumbing, drainage, and gas-fitting under newly formed internal division
Manukau HUP (Council HQ) Asbestos Removal
• Designed and installed the first mobile sliding containment system in NZ for Class A asbestos removal on occupied concrete buildings
• Coordinated WorkSafe NZ, council, and independent auditors—zero contamination, zero disruption to operations
• Execution methodology was commended by WorkSafe as an industry model
New Zealand Archives
• Performed surgical demolition and internal remediation under full environmental control to preserve documents and national artefacts
• Managed full Class A asbestos removal, interior rebuild, and envelope integrity restoration
ACC / Ministry of Internal Affairs (via CityCare)
Remediated multiple occupied government buildings under panel contract frameworks
Performed internal demolition, cladding reinstatement, structural upgrades, and building envelope correction under live-occupancy protocols
Provided full digital documentation and QA signoff, including Agile and AFS detailing for non-standard interfaces
First Gas & Fonterra
Delivered high-risk, live-site remediation and asbestos removal within operational industrial sites
Deployed internal containment, mechanical penetrations, Agile cavity systems, and zero-wet-seal detailing to meet client governance and compliance standards
Auckland Airport
Executed enabling works, demolition, and Class A asbestos remediation within airside and landside zones under civil works compliance
Maintained tight sequencing to ensure no disruption to runway operations or terminal functionality
High-Rise Residential (17-Storey Flashclad Project)
Delivered subcontract façade install on a high-rise tower with full Flashclad integration
Coordinated flashing fabrication (AFS), Agile detailing (junction risk reduction), and façade install within a tightly sequenced Tier 1-led delivery program
Demonstrated ability to integrate with head contractor environments without loss of execution control or interface breakdown
Financial Turnarounds & Cost Efficiencies
Reduced subcontractor reliance across drainage, internal plumbing, flashing fabrication, and architectural documentation
Lowered project variation exposure by implementing real-time cost forecasting linked directly to programme and allowance tracking
Reduced total build-time duration by up to 30% through Agile componentisation and AFS pre-manufacturing
Converted high-risk project scopes into predictable, margin-controlled delivery sequences using modular detailing and digital compliance workflows
Eliminated traditional documentation lag—council-ready QA packs were completed in real-time and synced via SharePoint, reducing project closeout delays by up to 50%
Influence on the Organisation’s Future
CIS Group redefined what it means to operate as a high-compliance contractor in a market shaped by risk, regulation, and delivery failure. Through its vertically integrated structure—combining CIS Group (execution), AFS (fabrication), and Flashclad (system supply)—the business achieved control, resilience, and profitability across scopes where most contractors struggled to deliver certainty.
Agile Systems extended this architecture further—transforming operational complexity into productised intelligence. What began as a cavity and flashing concept evolved into a modular, aluminium-based ecosystem capable of unifying disparate cladding systems, reducing junction risk, accelerating build speed, and creating a platform for scalable, compliant delivery across multiple project types.
By embedding systemised workflows, cross-trade visibility, and digital accountability across the full lifecycle of every project, CIS Group built an operating model that outperformed its size, disrupted its sector, and validated new standards for what lean, resilient, execution-led construction leadership looks like.
Professional Legacy & Industry Impact
The impact of CIS Group extends beyond its project ledger. It delivered a clear, repeatable model for how the construction and remediation industries can evolve:
From fragmented to unified
From reactive to predictive
From contractor to ecosystem
CIS Group proved that complex, high-risk environments can be de-risked—not through overstaffing or over-engineering—but through precision, integration, and leadership discipline.
The frameworks, tools, and philosophies developed at CIS have now carried forward into Agile’s next chapter, and into the leadership blueprint applicable across industries: that systems should scale, tools should integrate, and excellence should be designed—not hoped for.
CIS Group leaves behind not just successful projects, but a repeatable operating system for high-performance delivery in risk-regulated industries.
Key Takeaways
CIS Group delivered more than technical projects—it delivered proof of concept for leadership under complexity. Across four years, a startup-scale contractor became a panel-approved, compliance-first, digitally structured operator executing some of the most demanding public and private projects in New Zealand.
What emerged was a leadership philosophy and operating system capable of scaling far beyond CIS itself.
Key Competencies Proven:
Strategic Design Thinking – Architected a vertically integrated business that replaced the traditional contractor model with a controlled, self-performing ecosystem
Operational Mastery – Delivered multi-million-dollar contracts with accuracy, reduced exposure, and minimal external reliance through digital tracking and lean systems
Transformation Leadership – Built Agile Systems as a product and a platform by embedding innovation directly into live project delivery environments
Change Management – Navigated seismic external conditions (including COVID-19) by redeploying capabilities, retaining workforce continuity, and maintaining financial performance
High-Risk Execution – Delivered Class A asbestos remediation, live site façade reinstatements, and critical infrastructure projects under WorkSafe, council, and government oversight
Culture Building – Established and developed cross-functional teams across engineering, manufacturing, architecture, and construction, all operating under a shared governance and delivery philosophy
Next Career Steps
CIS Group’s legacy is not limited to remediation or construction. It serves as a high-fidelity demonstration of executive leadership in a volatile, high-compliance, high-complexity operating environment.
The systems, strategies, and structures proven across this chapter are now applicable at enterprise scale:
Chief Operating Officer (COO) roles where transformation, margin recovery, delivery realignment, or vertical integration is required
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) roles in sectors where innovation must be operationalised and complexity needs to be simplified
Leadership positions in companies seeking to digitise workflows, reduce delivery risk, and modernise project or asset operations across regulated or technical industries
The next chapter will leverage the lessons of CIS—disruption with discipline, innovation through execution, and vertical integration as a driver of operational resilience.
Disrupt. Refine. Optimize. Elevate. Beyond Building or Maintaining. Driven by Agility.