Martin Farrand
DIRECTOR
Martin started his career at the Herald as an apprentice lithographer (offset printer), completing his apprentice in 1973, he left that year to start an OE around the pacific. The sailing saw him meeting the previous owner of Forbes, when delivering Colin Forbes yacht ‘Rainbird’ from Fort Lauderdale to New Zealand. Following this Martin became a sales Rep for Colin in 1977. Martin Bought the company in 1987 and has developed it to where it is today. Martin is still a passionate sailor, however he also enjoys flying light aircraft among other leisure activities.
Eva Farrand
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Eva joined the Forbes team at the close of 2010 after achieving a post graduate degree at Auckland University. Since then she has held a variety of roles in the business and now tends to focus on business strategy and strategic projects.
Outside of work Eva is a keen equestrian with a couple of horses that take up most of her spare time. Otherwise you may find her on the indoor netball court when she manages to squeeze in a game or two.
09 414 6690 | Ext: 701
Earle Farrand
SPECIAL PROJECTS LEAD
Earle joined the Forbes team in 2014 after qualifying as a commercial and industrial electrician.
He has held a variety of roles throughout the organization but tends to enjoy the production and operations side the most.
Earle is a keen sportsman, Rugby, Boxing, Tennis, Squash… and his most recent hobby has him doing his pilots license. Outside of work, sport, watching sports and flying, his time is generally filled with his family, his rescue greyhound Billy and exploring NZ and abroad.
09 414 6690 | Ext: 709
“Working with the clients from concept stage right through to seeing the product in the market place is what gives you the satisfaction of a job well done.”
MANAGEMENT TEAM
John Leite
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
John joined Forbes in 2019 and brings with him a wealth of financial expertise and strategic acumen to our close-knit family business. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with manufacturing experience primarily in FMCG, dairy and now the packaging industries.
John’s knack for inspiring and mobilizing teams towards a common goal combined with his strategic mindset makes him a great catalyst for positive long term change.
Beyond his spreadsheets and his family, John’s passion lies in sport and in travel. When he isn’t playing football himself, he is busy driving his 3 young kids to their various sporting assignments
09 414 6690 | 027 704 8116
Clinton Sampson
PRODUCTION OPERATIONS MANAGER
Clinton immigrated with his family to New Zealand in 2007 and joined the Forbes Packaging family in 2019 after previously coming from another packaging company.
He has led teams successfully in Fiber board packaging, Corrugated and Injection molding but ultimately enjoys the challenges of packaging.
Throughout his career, he has been a firm believer in the power of continuous improvement and project excellence. He channels all his energy into every project, striving to exceed expectations.
Beyond the office, you’ll find him out on the water, pursuing his passion for fishing or hanging out with his dogs. He’s a firm believer that a healthy body fuels a sharp mind and staying fit is integral to his lifestyle.
09 414 6690 | 021 766 549
Jonathon Botting
SALES MANAGER
Jono grew up heavily involved in his fathers packaging business, exposing him to the packaging and printing world from childhood. From running flexo presses and slit rewinders to running the warehouse; it was a good introduction to the Packaging world.
After a year stint of working on a large farm in Germany, a degree at Otago University, and a 4 year account management role in the pressure sensitive flexo label Industry; Jono joined Forbes mid 2014 in a BDM role and he has since taken over as Sales Manager in early 2023.
He takes a lot of pride in tirelessly working directly with stakeholders/clients and delivering both, project and supply chain excellence to the end client. Creating and fostering long term mutually beneficial relationships have been and are still integral to the success of Forbes’ 65 year history.
09 414 6690 | 022 123 4680
Robert Lye
SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE
Robert started his career as a paper merchant starting out in a customer service role before moving into a sales role. After seven years, he joined a small packaging company before joining up with Forbes Enterprises in 1989. The challenge back then was to diversify the companies customer base from mainly cosmetic industry packaging, to clients from all industries looking to use cardboard packaging.
Growing the customer base of Forbes Packaging has meant bringing clients on board for the long haul, which is reflected in the majority of our clients who have been with us for a number of years.
DDI: 09 414 9451 | 021 635 482
SALES TEAM
Michael Schofield
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Michael joined Forbes in 2024, bringing with him an impressive track record from eight years immersed in the world of pressure-sensitive, shrink sleeve, and In Mould Labelling (IML) technologies across New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia. His extensive experience in the packaging industry is not just a career but a testament to his dedication and expertise.
With a deep understanding of packaging solutions, Michael excels in building and nurturing relationships with brands of all sizes, from major players to emerging businesses. His approach is anything but conventional—Michael is known for his creative, outside-the-box thinking that transforms challenges into opportunities for better serving both customers and consumers.
Beyond his professional achievements, Michael is a passionate advocate for sports. His involvement extends well beyond playing; he is actively engaged in volunteering, and has contributed significantly to local sporting associations through various board and committee roles. His commitment to the sporting community reflects his belief in teamwork, dedication, and giving back.
At Forbes, Michael’s blend of industry knowledge and community spirit enriches our team, driving innovative solutions and fostering meaningful connections across the packaging landscape.
09 414 6690 | 022 182 0354
Jared Guy
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
Jared has been with Forbes Packaging for 3 years now, starting as a printing press operator and now landing himself at the front of the business in a CSR / Operations Lead role.
Starting in the Packaging Industry at the young age of 15, now being 25 he has extensive knowledge all aspects of packaging from printing the product to now getting it ordered and delivered to your door.
Outside of work Jared is a keen health guru specializing in helping busy business professionals get their body back on their side as well as spending all of his time with his two small dogs.
09 414 6690 | 022 486 4296
CUSTOMER SERVICES TEAM
Grace Solon
CUSTOMER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE -
TEAM LEADER
Grace’s journey with Forbes began in 2015 when she was assigned in Line Production/Quality Assurance. Grace’s experience and learnings over the years have played a big part in how she became an integral part of the Sales team as a CSR and now as a Team Lead.
Grace’s vision is not just making sure that she is doing her utmost best in meeting the customer’s requirements but at the same time uncompromising the quality standard of our products.
Outside of work, Grace enjoys watching documentaries and loves to cook for her family and friends.
09 414 6690 | Ext: 748
Teresa Joe
CUSTOMER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE
Teresa has been with Forbes for the past 5 years. Printing was all new when she joined another company 6 years ago for a year. Since joining Forbes, Teresa has gained more knowledge and understanding in Printing and Packaging industry.
Teresa came from an Events and Conference background in customer service with over 15 years’ experience which is similar in responding to customers with their products and understanding what they order and enquire daily.
Outside of work Teresa loves to spend time with Family and Friends and going on unplanned travel trips.
09 414 6690 | Ext: 704
Sasha Lam
CUSTOMER SERVICES & MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE
Sasha has been with Forbes Packaging since 2017 and started as a customer services representative. She previously came from a label company and gained knowledge there in the print industry which has now only extended more since working for Forbes Packaging.
Sasha has a background in graphic design and has worked in different departments within the organization gaining additional technical knowledge from a design perspective and is now stepped into a hybrid role of customer services and marketing.
In her spare time Sasha is busy wrangling her 2 young boys (as well as her husband) and loves spending time at the beach or shopping during the warmer months.
09 414 6690 | EXT: 714
Mellisa Jonas
CUSTOMER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE
Mellisa joined Forbes in April 2023, initially working in the Quality Control department, where she was responsible for quality checks and managing job bags. Following a brief period working on the production machine, she transitioned into customer service.
With over a decade of experience in customer service, Mellisa previously worked for The Foschini Group, a leading fashion retailer with over 3,000 stores. In her role within their financial services division, she provided both customer and sales support for the mobile department. She also gained valuable experience in customer service while working for a courier company.
A proud South African, Mellisa has a keen interest in history, politics, and enjoys spending quality time with her family.
09 414 6690 | Ext: 711