WESTLAKE - Key Persons


Andrew Nicoll - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman

Becky O'Gram

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Principal
Originally from Reading, England, I trained as a teacher at the University of Leeds after completing a degree in Mathematics with Computer Science. I have always been passionate about Mathematics and knew I wanted to teach it from the age of 14. After a few years of teaching in England, we took the chance to make a permanent move to Auckland and I've been at Westlake since 2012. I have been fortunate to have plenty of experiences to grow and take on leadership positions whilst staying at a school I love being part of. This has included Head of Mathematics, Deputy Principal, and now Associate Principal from 2022. My main responsibilities are focused on curriculum and ensuring the high-class delivery of teaching and learning that Westlake Boys is known for. My passion for education is centred on high expectations and supporting all students to achieve their very best. I believe excellent teachers build positive relationships, provide options that cater to a variety of needs, and celebrate successes. I am invested in developing great teachers, ensuring the strength of our profession for generations to come. I love working at Westlake Boys; our students are engaging, insightful, fun, entertaining and a pleasure to work with. I feel it a privilege to witness their growth into fine young men.

Brad Coetzee

Job Titles:
  • Head of Faculty
  • Staff Trustee

Cameron Wilson

Job Titles:
  • Head of Department

Caroline Jung

Job Titles:
  • Head of Department

Carolyn Phillips

Job Titles:
  • Head of Faculty

Conor Pearson

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Principal
Kia ora koutou. I've been lucky enough to work at Westlake for the last five years and have loved every moment. In my role as an Assistant Principal, my primary concern is the welfare and well-being of our students. My particular focus is guiding the Year 9 cohort through their transition process and ensuring they feel enthusiastic and energised about coming to school every day. Making Westlake a safe and inclusive environment for all students is my priority. As educators, we have a responsibility to ensure we best equip our boys with the skills they need to become conscientious young men. As such, focusing on the character education of our students is a specific passion of mine. As well as this, I am also an English teacher. I am delighted to share my love of literature with our students every day. Outside of the classroom, my passion lies in the sporting arena; I've helped manage the Westlake Football Programme for a few years and currently coach our Year 9 A1 team. When I'm not working I enjoy playing sport, reading, running, and spending time with my wife, son and dog.

David Ferguson

Job Titles:
  • Headmaster
Kia ora. I was born and brought up in the North East of England and New Zealand has been home for 20 years now (as has Westlake Boys High School). I am from a family of education leaders and the values instilled in me during my formative years still stand me in good stead - working hard, being nice to people and contributing positively to a community. I always wanted to be a teacher and I started teaching PE in a boys' school in the UK in the early nineties. I think teaching is the best job in the world. I have been lucky enough to have served as the Headmaster of Westlake since 2010 and I enjoy it more every year. Westlake is the school I wish I had been able to go when I was a teenage boy. I see my role as doing what I can to make sure everyone here can feel good about being here every day, whoever they are. We are a large, diverse and high achieving organisation that is a microcosm of Auckland society in 2022. I'm really excited about our future and hope that we can continue to be a successful school where teenage boys want to come and achieve great things and where adults want to work, grow and contribute to our culture.

David Squire

Job Titles:
  • Physical Education

Dr Anne Eddy

Job Titles:
  • Library Manager

Heather Jeen

Job Titles:
  • Head of Faculty

Helen Jorgensen

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Principal
As Assistant Principal my role is to monitor, mentor and support students through their NCEA qualifications, and work with teachers, deans, and students to ensure that all our young men leave school with the qualifications they need to be successful. I am passionate about helping our young men find success, both in the classroom and beyond. I have been teaching at Westlake Boys since 2009 and during this time I have taught Social Studies, Hauora, and English. Prior to my role as Assistant Principal, I was head of the Level 1 NCEA English course for 9 years, and I also completed 6 years as a dean. Outside the classroom, I have been heavily involved in the distance running programme for ten years. When I am not at Westlake Boys I enjoy spending time with family and friends, travelling and playing sport, especially netball. I am fond of skiing in winter, and tennis and touch rugby in the summer. However, my true passion is supporting our students to be the best that they can be. I am very proud to be part of a school that offers incredible opportunities, dedication, and support for our young men.

Jennifer Fan

Job Titles:
  • Counsellor

Joe Cachopa

Job Titles:
  • Deputy Principal
A keen jogger, avid reader, and eager traveller, I have been at Westlake for approximately twenty years. I am a Social Science teacher, having taught Senior History and Junior Social Studies for numerous years.

Johnny Waititi

Job Titles:
  • Te Kaihautū O Te Puna

Julia McGahan

Job Titles:
  • Director of International Students

Karl Jorgensen

Job Titles:
  • Head of Faculty

Matthew Russell

Job Titles:
  • Deputy Principal
Born and bred in Tāmaki Makaurau, I have not moved far from home. In fact, my grandfather grew up in old Northcote in the 1920s, and I remember him telling me stories of how he roamed the shore through the farms and orchards and swam and fished at Sulphur Beach, a little different from the Shore now. After I left school, I studied a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Chemistry at the University of Auckland and commenced my career in education at Westlake in 2008. While teaching Chemistry, and since 2017 Earth and Space Science, I have enjoyed the continuous journey of learning. Sharing a passion for lifelong learning with many talented young men over my time here is a real highlight for me. I joined the senior leadership team in 2022 and my responsibilities as a Deputy Principal are leading NCEA and assessment as the Principal's Nominee. Before joining the senior leadership team, I was the Head of Faculty - Science for almost ten years, a role that I greatly enjoyed, made even better by the dedicated and hard-working teachers in the faculty.

Mr Andrew Berry

Job Titles:
  • Head of Careers / Careers Practitioner

Mr Andrew Ross-Thompson

Job Titles:
  • Relationship Manager

Mr Brad Cachopa - CHRO

Job Titles:
  • Human Resources Director
  • Operations Manager
A passionate sports fan and a qualified Accountant, all thanks to the excellent education and sporting experiences I had at Westlake as a student who graduated in 2006. I returned to work at Westlake in 2017 and I have taught in the Commerce Department, directed our Cricket programme and also lead the delivery of our high-performance sports programme - The Academy of Sport. Most recently, as the Property Manager I was the caretaker of all our facilities. Now, as the Operations Manager, my role is to lead and develop our infrastructure at school and ensure our campus provides modern, safe, clean, and functional teaching and learning spaces. I see my role as critical to supporting the learning outcomes and extra-curricular experiences our young men have at Westlake. It is very enjoyable to now give back to our students so they too can enjoy their time at school as I did.  

Mr Brad Jansen

Job Titles:
  • Auditorium Manager

Mr Brett Hollister

Job Titles:
  • Communications Manager

Mr Dave Diprose

Job Titles:
  • Arts Administrator

Mr Finn Jennings

Job Titles:
  • Health Centre Assistant

Mrs Camille Smith

Job Titles:
  • Events Manager

Mrs Claudia Jansen

Job Titles:
  • Cashier

Mrs Helen Martin

Job Titles:
  • Gateway and Trades Academy Co - Ordinator

Mrs Juanita Fordham

Job Titles:
  • Business Manager

Mrs Judith Clough

Job Titles:
  • Operations Manager

Mrs Katrina Nuttall

Job Titles:
  • Uniform Shop Manager

Mrs Lyn Cuthbertson

Job Titles:
  • Learning Centre Manager

Mrs Natalie Bryant

Job Titles:
  • Lead School Nurse

Mrs Sandra White

Job Titles:
  • Headmaster
  • Headmasters Executive Assistant

Mrs Sheena Parkin

Job Titles:
  • Accounts Manager

Mrs Tracy Houzet

Job Titles:
  • Advancement Manager

Mrs Yvonne Parseramen

Job Titles:
  • Sports Administrator

Ms Kerry Burger

Job Titles:
  • School Nurse

Ms Nerine Du Preez

Job Titles:
  • ICT Systems Administrator

Ms Wendy Zhou

Job Titles:
  • Food Technician

Nick Brown

Job Titles:
  • Head of Department

Nick Dale

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Principal
I have worked at Westlake Boys High School since 2012 and really enjoy being part of Westlake's friendly, welcoming community. I believe Westlake is an outstanding school which provides amazing opportunities for our students. I have been fortunate to take on varied roles and responsibilities both inside and outside the classroom during my time at Westlake. This has included being a Pastoral and Academic Dean, a Within School Leader as part of the Pupuke Kāhui Ako, Community of Learning, and running the football programme for a number of years.

Paul Fordham

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Principal
Westlake Boys High School is my alma mater. Following my graduation from school I studied a Bachelor of Physical Education at the University of Auckland and continued with Post Graduate study in Social Theory with particular interest in Masculinity. I have spent the past 14 years teaching in single-sex boys' secondary education on Auckland's North Shore in both the state sector and Catholic sector. During this time, I also spent a year teaching at Surbiton Girls High School in the United Kingdom. I am passionate about Physical Education and the role it can play in fostering positive behaviours for maintaining wellness. I have been fortunate to have held various areas of responsibility throughout my time in education including leading a physical education department, being a senior dean, managing school-wide property, coordinating and maintaining school-wide health and safety procedures, being the director of sport, music and performing arts, a Deputy Principal and now Associate Principal. My main area of responsibility is pastoral care and ensuring Westlake is a safe and healthy place of learning for our student body. My leadership approach is to hold students at the heart of decision-making. We know that young men benefit from relational education where trust and high expectations are a priority. I therefore value fairness and consistency, effective communication, ensuring I am visible and approachable and role modelling what we expect of our young men. We have a responsibility for our practice to be adaptive and reflect the needs of the students we serve, and in this respect, developing the professional capacity of staff is a priority.

Penny Weakley

Job Titles:
  • Head of Faculty

Rain Kim

Job Titles:
  • International Academic Advisor

Ryan Scivier

Job Titles:
  • Head of Faculty

Shane Young

Job Titles:
  • Deputy Principal
Being part of and contributing to a team is very important to me. Leading by example would be my modus operandi and striving to make a difference. Upon reflection, I would like to have made an improvement in whatever way. There are so many opportunities for our young men at Westlake and every day presents a new challenge, there is very little chance of being stuck in a rut. Our students and past students excel in all spheres of life and star on many stages, locally and globally. It is indeed a privilege to be a part of this School.

Shar Stewart

Job Titles:
  • Head of Faculty

Simon O'Brien

Job Titles:
  • Head of Department

Suzanne Cornelius

Job Titles:
  • Head of Department

Theuns Strydom

Job Titles:
  • Head of Department

Thomas Raybould

Job Titles:
  • Trustee

Warwick Robinson

Job Titles:
  • Head of Department

Yeseul Lee

Job Titles:
  • Korean International Advisor

Yui Anusansuntorn

Job Titles:
  • Thai International Advisor