Our Team

We are a dedicated team of professionals with a passion for developing innovative coatings and surface treatments that protect, preserve and enhance a wide range of materials.

Team Members

Eldon Tate

Dr Eldon Tate

CEO and Founder

Eldon developed our state-of-the-art technology while completing his PhD research at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Dr Emma Wrigglesworth

Dr Emma Wrigglesworth

Technical Lead

Emma is a Scientist conducting new R&D at our research facilities in Wellington, New Zealand. Emma brings her expertise in metal-polymer nanocomposite design and characterisation to our R&D team.

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Stephen Fitzer

Operations Manager

Stephen is our operations manager with experience in both project and production environments. He graduated with an MSc in Engineering Project Management and previously worked on collaborative, complex, and innovative research projects.

Board Members

Prof. Jim Johnston

Prof. Jim Johnston

Founder and Director

Jim is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of New Zealand and the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry. He has published over 140 research papers and is the inventor on 15 patents. He provides a mixture of technical and commercialisation skills to the company.

Hayden Nicholson

Hayden Nicholson

Shareholder and Director

Hayden is the managing director of the NZ based Polymer Group Ltd and contributes heavily to the development of the Inhibit technology. Hayden brings over 40 years of industrial coatings experience to the team.

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Dr. Peter Lee

Executive Director and Chair

Peter brings with him 30 years of commercial experience in senior roles in US businesses including 15 years as VP of R&D at International Paper Company and eight years as CEO of UniServices.

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Nina Le Lievre

Investor Director

Nina brings to Inhibit Coatings 10 years of experience working with high growth startups and investors through Enterprise Angels, where she is currently CEO.

Let's Get In Touch

Contact our team of specialists to find the right solution for your application. We would love to hear from you

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