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"From the first time I met Peter, it was clear how passionate he was about working for Marley NZ, its people and the plastics industry. He has always believed in the power of developing others, seeing potential in people and helping them grow."
That's how Competenz Training Advisor Luke van den Bos describes Peter Sutcliffe, who retires from Marley on 31 July after 27 years with the business.
During that time, Peter has helped shape a workplace learning culture recognised as one of New Zealand's best, with Marley named Plastics Training Company of the Year in 2023 and runner-up in 2025. More importantly, he has helped develop generations of skilled plastics professionals while championing a simple philosophy that has guided his entire career - invest in people first, and the results will follow.
Peter retires as Marley Production Manager - Moulding and Support. While he'll hand responsibility for the role to Giuliano Porta, he believes the learning culture that has become synonymous with Marley will continue long after his departure.
Despite nearly three decades with the business, Peter laughs when people describe him as one of Marley's longest-serving employees.
"Twenty-seven years is only about five minutes in this place," he jokes. "We've got a young lady retiring a week before me. She's 73 and she's just completed 37 years with the business."
He estimates around a third of his team have been with Marley even longer than he has - a reflection, he believes, of a business that invests in its people and gives them reasons to stay.
Looking back on his career, Peter says there are principles that have shaped not only his leadership, but Marley's approach to developing people.
For Peter, manufacturing has never been just about machinery or production targets.
"Everything that you do is about the people and your investment in the people. They're learning, they're growing and they're able to contribute to the business as well, so everybody wins."
That philosophy underpins Marley's approach to workplace learning, where employees are encouraged to build nationally recognised qualifications, develop new skills and continue learning throughout their careers.
Peter believes one of Marley's greatest strengths is recognising capability rather than simply years of service.
The business recognises and rewards employees for the skills they develop, with nationally recognised qualifications opening the door to greater responsibility, career progression and increased remuneration.
"The business wins because we have highly skilled people doing a great job, and the employee wins because they enjoy the training, earn more as they learn more and have a clear pathway to keep growing."
Peter believes one of the biggest mistakes employers can make is thinking they need to develop their people alone.
While Marley's experienced supervisors, mentors and internal assessors provide day-to-day coaching on the factory floor, partnering with Competenz has helped ensure that practical experience is supported by nationally recognised qualifications, structured learning and independent guidance for both learners and the business.
Competenz Training Advisor Luke van den Bos works alongside Marley to develop training plans, coordinate assessments and support learners throughout their apprenticeships and traineeships, while also helping employers strengthen their own workplace training capability.
"The Competenz programme has always been the foundation of our training. We've built a lot around it internally, but that's still the core. Being recognised for the way we're supporting our people is a big deal because it shows we're giving our people the best opportunity to succeed."
Peter has watched automation and robotics reshape manufacturing throughout his career.
Rather than fearing those changes, he believes the industry's training must evolve alongside them.
"Fundamentally, the training is the same, but it does need to be tweaked as we get more and more into robotics. We still need people to understand the fundamentals, but they also need the skills to assess, troubleshoot and solve problems as the technology evolves."
Health and safety has always been one of Peter's non-negotiables.
He believes every person has a role to play.
"Every person is a cog in the wheel. If one cog isn't working properly, eventually the whole machine feels it. That's no different when it comes to health and safety. Looking after each other is everyone's responsibility."
One of Peter's greatest satisfactions has been watching former learners become mentors themselves.
Marley supports that growth through regular career conversations, mentoring and opportunities for people to continue building new skills throughout their careers.
"When people complete their qualifications, they're proud of what they've achieved. They take those certificates home and show their families. Then they turn around and help someone else achieve the same thing."
As Peter prepares to retire, he says the greatest measure of any leader isn't the products they've made or the titles they've held, but whether they've created an environment and culture where others can continue to learn, lead and succeed long after they've gone.
With former learners now mentoring the next generation, Marley continuing to reward skills over tenure, and Giuliano preparing to lead the next chapter, Peter leaves knowing the culture he helped build has become part of the business itself rather than the responsibility of any one individual.
Luke believes that enduring culture is Peter's greatest legacy.
"Over his 27 years at Marley, Peter has played a huge role in building a strong learning culture, shaping countless careers and helping develop the next generation of plastics technicians. I have no doubt that Peter's approach to training and developing people has been a major contributor to the exceptional retention and long service of Marley employees, something he was always incredibly proud to showcase. His impact on the business and the plastics industry will be felt for many years to come."
July 29, 2026
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"From the first time I met Peter, it was clear how passionate he was about working for Marley NZ, its people and the plastics industry. He has always believed in the power of developing others, seeing potential in people and helping them grow."
That's how Competenz Training Advisor Luke van den Bos describes Peter Sutcliffe, who retires from Marley on 31 July after 27 years with the business.
During that time, Peter has helped shape a workplace learning culture recognised as one of New Zealand's best, with Marley named Plastics Training Company of the Year in 2023 and runner-up in 2025. More importantly, he has helped develop generations of skilled plastics professionals while championing a simple philosophy that has guided his entire career - invest in people first, and the results will follow.
Peter retires as Marley Production Manager - Moulding and Support. While he'll hand responsibility for the role to Giuliano Porta, he believes the learning culture that has become synonymous with Marley will continue long after his departure.
Despite nearly three decades with the business, Peter laughs when people describe him as one of Marley's longest-serving employees.
"Twenty-seven years is only about five minutes in this place," he jokes. "We've got a young lady retiring a week before me. She's 73 and she's just completed 37 years with the business."
He estimates around a third of his team have been with Marley even longer than he has - a reflection, he believes, of a business that invests in its people and gives them reasons to stay.
Looking back on his career, Peter says there are principles that have shaped not only his leadership, but Marley's approach to developing people.
For Peter, manufacturing has never been just about machinery or production targets.
"Everything that you do is about the people and your investment in the people. They're learning, they're growing and they're able to contribute to the business as well, so everybody wins."
That philosophy underpins Marley's approach to workplace learning, where employees are encouraged to build nationally recognised qualifications, develop new skills and continue learning throughout their careers.
Peter believes one of Marley's greatest strengths is recognising capability rather than simply years of service.
The business recognises and rewards employees for the skills they develop, with nationally recognised qualifications opening the door to greater responsibility, career progression and increased remuneration.
"The business wins because we have highly skilled people doing a great job, and the employee wins because they enjoy the training, earn more as they learn more and have a clear pathway to keep growing."
Peter believes one of the biggest mistakes employers can make is thinking they need to develop their people alone.
While Marley's experienced supervisors, mentors and internal assessors provide day-to-day coaching on the factory floor, partnering with Competenz has helped ensure that practical experience is supported by nationally recognised qualifications, structured learning and independent guidance for both learners and the business.
Competenz Training Advisor Luke van den Bos works alongside Marley to develop training plans, coordinate assessments and support learners throughout their apprenticeships and traineeships, while also helping employers strengthen their own workplace training capability.
"The Competenz programme has always been the foundation of our training. We've built a lot around it internally, but that's still the core. Being recognised for the way we're supporting our people is a big deal because it shows we're giving our people the best opportunity to succeed."
Peter has watched automation and robotics reshape manufacturing throughout his career.
Rather than fearing those changes, he believes the industry's training must evolve alongside them.
"Fundamentally, the training is the same, but it does need to be tweaked as we get more and more into robotics. We still need people to understand the fundamentals, but they also need the skills to assess, troubleshoot and solve problems as the technology evolves."
Health and safety has always been one of Peter's non-negotiables.
He believes every person has a role to play.
"Every person is a cog in the wheel. If one cog isn't working properly, eventually the whole machine feels it. That's no different when it comes to health and safety. Looking after each other is everyone's responsibility."
One of Peter's greatest satisfactions has been watching former learners become mentors themselves.
Marley supports that growth through regular career conversations, mentoring and opportunities for people to continue building new skills throughout their careers.
"When people complete their qualifications, they're proud of what they've achieved. They take those certificates home and show their families. Then they turn around and help someone else achieve the same thing."
As Peter prepares to retire, he says the greatest measure of any leader isn't the products they've made or the titles they've held, but whether they've created an environment and culture where others can continue to learn, lead and succeed long after they've gone.
With former learners now mentoring the next generation, Marley continuing to reward skills over tenure, and Giuliano preparing to lead the next chapter, Peter leaves knowing the culture he helped build has become part of the business itself rather than the responsibility of any one individual.
Luke believes that enduring culture is Peter's greatest legacy.
"Over his 27 years at Marley, Peter has played a huge role in building a strong learning culture, shaping countless careers and helping develop the next generation of plastics technicians. I have no doubt that Peter's approach to training and developing people has been a major contributor to the exceptional retention and long service of Marley employees, something he was always incredibly proud to showcase. His impact on the business and the plastics industry will be felt for many years to come."
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