Our Team

Finance Coach - CA, BCom, BCompt (Hons)

Howdy, I’m Gustav, Finance Coach here at Business Mastery. I know firsthand the challenges and rewards of running a business. Before moving to New Zealand from Cape Town, South Africa, five years ago, I built an accounting and advisory firm, expanding it to two offices and over 300 clients before selling it to relocate.

As a Chartered Accountant, I’ve held various senior roles, including CFO, Manager, Controller, and Advisor, gaining experience across all areas of finance—budgeting, forecasting, scenario analysis, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and profit improvement. After years of advising and suggesting solutions, I joined Business Mastery as a coach to make a bigger impact. Coaching lets me go deeper, equipping business owners with the tools and mindset to manage their own financial strategies.

Outside of work, you’ll find me spending time with my wife, Tricia, and our 3-year-old son, Luca, stoking the Braai, or running the great trails around Christchurch.

Director | Head Coach - BCom, BSc, DIPM, Cert. AC, Cert. AM

Kia ora, I’m Marcus, owner and head coach at Business Mastery. For the past seven years, coaching business owners has been both my passion and profession.

In late 2017, while managing a $1M marketing budget for a luxury vehicle retailer, I became restless and launched a marketing consultancy as a side hustle. As it grew, I noticed many Kiwi business owners were learning the hard way - through trial and error. That’s when I discovered my passion for helping people develop their skillset and, in turn, their businesses.

A chance conversation with my jiu-jitsu coach connected me with ActionCOACH.  The genius of their systems and their dedication to addressing a deep need in the business community resonated with me, leading to our partnership here in Canterbury. Since then, I’ve worked with dozens of businesses across a range of industries, helping them free up time, boost profits, and make business ownership more enjoyable.

Beyond work, I’m a family guy, a passionate (but admittedly very messy) cook, and I love the great-outdoors. As with all stories, there’s a lot beneath the headlines, so I hope we can talk further. Who knows—maybe our stories will intertwine!

Director | Accounts - BCons

Hey, I’m Chels, co-owner with Marcus and cheerleader for all our wonderful clients. It’s such a privilege to partner with people on their business goals - and I love watching the personal transformations that naturally unfold along the way.

In my role as co-director, I have a hand in the ‘big picture’, but I’m also involved in the day-to-day details as the Accounts Administrator. I’ve worn many ‘hats’ at Business Mastery over the years and always have a finger on the pulse.

When I’m not at Business Mastery, I’m Chief Operations Officer in the Shaw family. Marcus and I have three beautiful children, Alaska (9) Bowie (8), and Chet (5) - which ensures life is both fun and challenging.

Business Development

Hello, I’m Clare, and I lead Business Development at Business Mastery. I spread the word to local businesses about the life-changing benefits of working with our coaches. You’ll find me pounding the pavements in Sydenham—and beyond—listening to the challenges Kiwi business owners are facing.  

As a former hospitality business owner, I understand how tough and isolating it can be to build a successful business. I grew my small sandwich company into one of Sydney's Top 10 catering and events companies while managing a team, juggling a baby, and navigating a pandemic. With the benefit of hindsight, I now see that there is another way - business ownership can actually be enjoyable when you have the right tools.  

I’m a long way from ‘home’ - a tea-drinking, cheery London expat who after 12 years in sunny Sydney, landed in Christchurch in 2022 with my Kiwi husband and savvy 7-year-old daughter. We love a road trip adventure, pizza oven sessions at home on a Sunday and planning our next travel destination.

Marketing & Operations Lead - BA (Hons)

Kia Ora! I'm Zia, the creative brains behind Marketing and Operations and the unofficial Baby Spice of the squad. It’s my job to tell the story of Business Mastery as it unfolds - so I keep the socials pumping, the blog updated and a camera on hand at all times. 

I’ve had a diverse career across creative fields, and after watching one too many episodes of Mad Men, I semi-accidentally started my own copywriting business. This led to countless conversations with business owners about their successes and their pain points and I came to appreciate that all ideas and services - no matter how brilliant - need to be underpinned by solid systems and good people. It feels like a full-circle moment to now be part of a team providing exactly that. 

I’m married to Jordan, an avionic engineer, and together we have two little boys (Pascoe and Hadley) who keep me on my toes - and sometimes flat on my face. Beyond the work desk, you’ll find me with my nose in a historical novel, planning my next design project or barefoot in my back garden, Cab Sav in hand.