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Meet The Team
Meet Your Pottery Cheer Squad
We’re the hands, hearts, and frequent giggles behind Kiwi Underglaze. We test the shades, shake the bottles, and occasionally argue over which pink is the perfect pink - all so you can have the best time with your pottery. Think of us as your slightly obsessed, always enthusiastic cheer squad for every splash of colour. Making pottery is serious fun, and we’re here to make sure you never run out of inspiration (or underglaze).
Dylan Gardiner
Director & Chief Colour Alchemist
Dylan is the brains behind our magical Kiwi Underglaze formula. With an uncanny knack for product development (he once created clay bodies so popular they practically flew off the shelves), he now pours all that genius into making sure our underglazes stay the best in the biz. When he's not deep in ceramic chemistry, you'll usually find him designing new equipment, solving engineering puzzles, or disappearing down a rabbit hole researching something completely unrelated that somehow ends up helping Kiwi anyway. He's also the person our team calls when a problem seems impossible... because somehow, he usually figures it out.
Sonja Gardiner
Director & Chief Executive of Sales and Growth
If you've ever wondered how a New Zealand underglaze company ended up colouring pottery all over the world, you're looking at one of the main reasons. Sonja is the driving force behind Kiwi's sales, partnerships, and big-picture growth. She spends her days working with distributors, supporting retailers, dreaming up new opportunities, and making sure our customers have the best experience possible. She's equal parts strategist, relationship builder, and professional problem solver. Around here, she's famous for having ten ideas before breakfast... and usually making all ten happen!
Claudia Collins
Operations Manager
As Kiwi has grown, so has the complexity behind the scenes—and Claudia is the one who keeps it all running smoothly. She oversees the systems, processes, and people that keep our manufacturing operation performing at its best, ensuring we continue to deliver the quality, consistency, and reliability our customers have come to expect. Always thinking a few steps ahead, Claudia is passionate about building a business that doesn't just meet expectations, it exceeds them. From ensuring products are made to the highest standard to helping create a seamless experience for our customers around the world, she plays a key role in making sure Kiwi delivers on its promise every single day. Calm, practical, and endlessly capable, Claudia is the steady hand helping guide Kiwi into the future.
Anna Engelbrecht
Production and Delivery Lead
Behind every bottle of Kiwi Underglaze is a production team that takes real pride in what they do, and Anna is the one leading the charge. She keeps the factory floor running safely and efficiently, ensuring every batch is produced with care and every bottle meets the high standards our customers have come to expect. Anna has an incredible eye for detail and a calm, practical approach that keeps the team focused, motivated, and always striving for excellence. Whether she's coordinating production, maintaining quality, or helping solve the day's challenges, she leads by example and brings out the best in everyone around her. Her pride in the team's work shows in every bottle that leaves our factory.
Emma Trolove
Marketing Co-Ordinator
Emma helps bring our colours to life. She creates content, keeps our social media humming, tells the Kiwi story, and shares the incredible work created by our community of potters around the world. Whether she's behind the camera, designing eye-catching content, or dreaming up the next creative campaign, Emma is always looking for new ways to inspire makers and showcase what makes Kiwi special. With a great eye for detail and a passion for creativity, Emma makes sure our brand is just as colourful, welcoming, and inspiring online as it is in the hands of the artists who use it. She loves finding new ways to connect with our community and celebrating the creativity that makes the world of ceramics such a fun place to be.
Eulah de Witt
Business and Operations Support
If you've reached out to Kiwi, there's a good chance you've chatted with Eulah. Whether she's helping customers, answering questions, coordinating orders, or supporting the team behind the scenes, she's always focused on making every interaction a great one. Friendly, approachable, and wonderfully organised, Eulah has a knack for making people feel looked after from the very first conversation. No two days are ever the same, and that's exactly how she likes it. Whatever needs doing, Eulah jumps in with a smile and helps make sure the Kiwi experience is as colourful and enjoyable as the products we make. She's also the undisputed champion of keeping the office plants alive, something the rest of us have learned is a genuine talent.