Our Team
Jonathan Pringle
Managing Director / Principal Client Advisor
BCom
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Frame Group is owned and managed by Jonathan Pringle, who purchased the business in 2021 and brings over 30 years of senior management experience across banking, corporate finance, and professional services in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Jonathan has a strong background in investment decision-making, feasibility assessment, and whole-of-life cost analysis, developed through senior roles at Westpac New Zealand and Westpac Institutional Banking. His experience spans payments, corporate development, strategy, and capital markets, supporting long-term, value-based decision-making at executive and board level.
As Managing Director of Frame Group, Jonathan leads the firm’s feasibility and advisory work, supporting councils and other public agencies to assess options in a structured and defensible way. His focus is on ensuring decisions are grounded in a clear understanding of long-term value, including capital cost, future maintenance, operational risk, and asset renewal over time.
Jonathan is committed to maintaining the values and specialist focus that sit at the core of Frame Group’s almost 40 years of successful operation, while continuing to invest in the capability and capacity of the business to meet the evolving needs of its clients.
Jonathan has held lifelong interests in both design and Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural environment. He lives on 70 acres of QEII National Trust covenanted bush in Northland and is passionate about its long-term protection.
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Drew has been with Frame Group since 2001 where he has made good use of his Canadian Forestry Diploma. Drew has become a key member of the Frame Group Team in the feasibility, planning, design and management of recreational tracks and walkways and forestry roads, often in very challenging topography.
He has worked in many of the most iconic parks in NZ and has also worked extensively on urban walkways in several cities. He has a sound understanding of contract management and practical construction methodology.
Drew is skilled at route finding, mapping and computer terrain modelling such that the benefits and efficiencies of evolving technology are adopted where appropriate. He is able to provide practical advice and assistance to clients and contractors. Drew is an active participant in outdoor activities including tramping, snowboarding, water sports and cycling.
Nessa Robinson
Chief Transformation Officer / Principal Client Advisor
LLB, BA (Psychology)
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Nessa Robinson is Frame Group’s Chief Transformation Officer and Principal Client Advisor. She brings over 20 years’ experience leading complex transformation, regulatory, and stakeholder-driven programmes across the public and private sectors.
With a background in law and psychology, Nessa’s work is grounded in critical thinking, compliance, and an in-depth understanding of organisational dynamics. Her experience spans large-scale regulatory change, risk management, governance support, and delivery oversight, with a strong focus on translating complexity into clear, practical pathways.
At Frame Group, Nessa plays a key leadership role in shaping and delivering advisory and transformation programmes for councils, central government agencies, and sector partners. Her work is characterised by structured engagement, clear communication, and the ability to align diverse stakeholders—including iwi, regulators, and operational teams—around shared outcomes.
Nessa is committed to ensuring that programmes are not only well-designed, but implementable and enduring. She brings a disciplined, human-centred approach to change, supporting clients to move from concept through to execution in a way that is practical, compliant, and fit for purpose.
Outside of her professional work, Nessa enjoys time in nature, exploring food and culture, and travel, reflecting a strong personal connection to place and people.
Caudillo Aguas
Senior Engineer / Project Manager
BE(Civil), CMEngNZ, CPEng Structural, IntPE(NZ)
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Caudillo is a chartered structural engineer with extensive experience on structural analysis, assessment, rehabilitation, and new-build design of bridges and multi-storey buildings. He had worked with city councils and government entities, including NZTA and Kiwirail, on numerous road/rail/pedestrian bridges, retaining walls, culverts, and other structures, many of which are in rural lands or environmentally senstive areas. He brings with him significant technical engineering knowledge and decades of relevant experience from working on diverse complex projects with various challenges, including remote access, difficult ground conditions, high seismicity areas, and working around environmentally vulnerable locations.
Geoff Wigley
Senior Engineer / Project Manager
Regional Manager - Wellington and South Island
BE (Civil) Hons, CPEng Structural, CMEngNZ
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Geoff is a national technical lead for complex structural solutions, with regional leadership across Wellington and Te Waipounamu. He brings deep expertise in outdoor recreation infrastructure, specialising in pedestrian and cycle bridges, boardwalks, and retaining structures in challenging terrain.
Geoff’s experience spans the full project lifecycle, providing clients with continuity from early-stage strategic advice through to final delivery. He regularly delivers feasibility studies and business case support, moving seamlessly into concept design, detailed engineering, and construction monitoring. This end-to-end involvement ensures practical constructability considerations are identified early, minimising risk and ensuring projects are viable from day one.
Distinguished by his ability to integrate engineering with Te Ao Māori values, Geoff designs solutions that respect mana whenua aspirations and protect the mauri of the landscape. He is known for turning difficult geotechnical and site constraints into clear, buildable designs that enhance public access while maintaining strong environmental protections.
Away from the desk, Geoff is deeply connected to the environments he works to protect. An avid surfer and gardener, he finds balance through yoga and time in nature. He is constantly exploring the more remote corners of Aotearoa, seeking out new coastlines, tracks, and wild landscapes - passions that give him a genuine appreciation for the end-user experience of the infrastructure he delivers.
Trevor Butler
Principal Consultant
BE(Civil)Hons, MBA(Exec), Fellow ENZ
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Trevor is a Civil/Structural Engineer with 43 years of experience in design, construction and project management across several industries including forestry, civil construction and outdoor recreation access facilities.
He is a fellow of Engineering NZ and has an Executive MBA which enables him to apply sound management principles to development and engineering challenges.
Trevor is a founding director of Frame Group and has specialised in the development of functional and practical design solutions. He has been involved in many challenging projects, including development on several iconic recreation sites as well as establishing access for forest management in difficult topography.
In his free time, Trevor is an occasional tramper, skier, mountain biker, climber and fisherman. He is also a Trustee of Te Araroa, the developer of New Zealand’s 3,000 km walking trail.
Trevor Butler continues his commitment to Frame Group and its clients and remains with Frame Group as its Principal Consultant.
Alvin Chan
Structural Engineer / Project Manager
MCivilEng, BE (Civil) Hons, MEngNZ
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Alvin is a talented young engineer at Frame Group working across projects throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, involved in design, engineering, construction management, and asset inspections. His nationwide project portfolio spans diverse outdoor infrastructure, showcasing the innovative use of FRP, timber, steel, and concrete. This includes the design of a 120 m swing bridge and the retrofit superstructure of one of the 100+ year-old Victorian-era concrete arch bridges, demonstrating complexity and diversity.
Alvin has completed his Master's degree while working at Frame Group, complementing his on-the-job learning. During his Master's studies, Alvin deepened expertise in Construction Technologies (BIM, LiDAR, IoT, robotics, AI), Advanced Structural Studies (concrete, steel, timber with emphasis on seismic and low-damage systems for Aotearoa NZ), Construction Management (contract management, supply chain, procurement), and Infrastructure Asset Management (resilience, whole-of-life decision-making, sustainability, alignment with national and UN goals and NZ/international best practice). This academic pathway has accelerated Alvin's professional development, dovetailing with his practical design work, construction management delivery, asset condition assessments, and outdoor field surveying at Frame Group. He applies this knowledge daily at Frame Group, delivering high-quality, defensible outputs for clients and project stakeholders.
Before joining Frame Group, Alvin had a background in structural design, project management, and construction monitoring of small to large-scale residential projects across the Auckland and Hamilton regions. Moreover, he has participated in designing multiple high-rise commercial buildings and infrastructures in Macau SAR, using software such as SAP2000, ETABS, and SAFE to conduct structural analysis and examine the design's dynamic loading resistance. In his free time, Alvin enjoys playing and watching soccer and badminton, is passionate about motorsports and the automobile world, and has strong interests in both Asian and European history; he also enjoys historical strategy and racing simulator games.
Bernie Ranum
Senior Landscape Architect/Designer
BLA (Bachelor of Landscape Architecture) Hons
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Bernie is a Senior Landscape Architect with more than 16 years’ experience across public realm and infrastructure projects. His experience includes walking and cycling networks, parks and reserves, master planning, playgrounds, stream regeneration, ecological restoration planting, streetscapes, feasibility studies, and landscape construction. His work spans concept design and documentation through to construction delivery.
The choice of landscape architecture as a career was driven by a desire to work on projects that bring tangible social and environmental benefits to Aotearoa New Zealand, and Bernie sees the profession as a practical way to make a positive difference in this field.
Prior to obtaining a landscape architecture degree at Unitec, Bernie worked as a pharmacist in New Zealand, the UK and Ireland, as well as a short period teaching English in Japan. Outside work, Bernie enjoys walking his dogs on West Auckland’s beaches and bush tracks, and he also makes time for yoga and live music.
Simone Zoellner
Engineering Technician
BAS (Bachelor of Architectural Studies)
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Simone brings a strong foundation in architectural design, with several years of experience as an architectural draughtsperson and a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from Victoria University of Wellington.
She is currently expanding her expertise through an accredited Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at Unitec. Passionate about creating thoughtful, sustainable environments that connect people to places, Simone blends technical skill with a deep appreciation for natural systems.
Outside of work, she’s often climbing, skiing, creating art, or out exploring — always inspired by the landscapes she’s working to protect.
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Thomas works as an Engineering Technician at Frame Group, supporting projects that integrate design, modelling, mapping, and fieldwork. With a Bachelor’s degree and Master of Science in Geography, he brings a strong foundation in geospatial analysis, environmental science, and geomorphology.
His technical experience includes working with elevation, hydrological, and morphological data to better understand landscapes, landform processes, and environmental change. This aligns with Frame Group’s practical, evidence-based approach to sustainable design and infrastructure solutions.
Outside of work, Thomas is a keen runner and enjoys exploring New Zealand’s trails with his family. He also enjoys playing board games with friends.
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In her role as Finance Manager, Trina oversees a diverse portfolio of responsibilities, including core accounting functions, monthly financial reporting, accounts payable and receivable, tax compliance, payroll administration, and support across broader business initiatives as required.
Trina brings a strong attention to detail and a commitment to continuous improvement. She is an advocate for best-practice standards, ensures accuracy and integrity in financial reporting, and values clear, straightforward communication.
Her current part-time position with Frame Group provides the flexibility that enables her to pursue other professional and personal interests. Outside of work, Trina enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors—whether that’s going for a run, hiking, skiing, or taking her dogs for long walks along her local beach at Muriwai.
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