Meet Brett Tourell, Aeronautical engineer, former UN Military Observer, and start-up enthusiast
After 22 years working for the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Brett Tourell has joined Bridgewest Ventures for a five-week work placement, bringing his wealth of systems experience, dynamic leadership style, and strategic thinking skills to the world of deep tech start-ups.
A long military career
Born in Otago, Brett’s career in the New Zealand Air Force got off to a bit of a rocky start. He joined with an eye on becoming a fast jet pilot. But the day after he signed his papers, the NZ government canceled their deal to lease F-16 strike fighter aircraft from the US.
Forced to reconsider his options, Brett was offered the opportunity to use his degree in exercise science to train the physical trainers for the NZDF and the NZ Police. He loved the role’s active, adventurous nature, and taking groups out survival training was always a buzz. But one day, chatting to an engineer Brett helped him solve an equation and jokingly said, “Mate, if you ever need more help, I'll be down the gym.” It could have been a throw away moment, but Brett realised he was feeling the urge to use his technical brain.
Returning from an overseas tour of duty in Egypt, Brett studied engineering, followed by a year long NZDF training course focused on aircraft engineering management. He then began working as an airworthiness engineer on the P-3K2 Orion aircraft used for surveillance, search and rescue, and to support UN operations. Over the years he moved up the ranks, until he led technical operations. Today he works as a senior engineer supporting the asset management and airworthiness framework for the RNZAF.
Life as a United Nations Military Observer
Brett’s experienced three overseas operations, but the most memorable was his deployment to the Golan Heights in 2014. There he led a team of officers from twelve countries, during a 13 month period of intense conflict. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967. Under a 1973 ceasefire Syrian troops are not allowed in an area of separation, but tensions remain, and in 2014 there was a flare up of hostilities. The UN monitors the area of separation and the observation post occupied by Brett’s team was on the border of Israeli-occupied Golan.
Brett recalls, “I remember my first hour in the observation post sitting drinking coffee, hearing what I thought were really large explosions outside. I’m looking around, but no-one’s batting an eyelid, and I go, ‘Okay. That's okay. No one’s moving. We're okay.’ But the next day a shell sails past the post, takes out a truck going past, and kills two local people.”
“We were up on a hill looking out over a Syrian hamlet. In the evening we’d see people go out to fight. At night, we'd see artillery and tracer fire. And then in the morning, we'd see them come back and bury their dead in the cemetery just in front of our position. In the end we ended up having to withdraw from the post, because we were unarmed observers and receiving consistent fire. It was very humbling considering the position of the locals who had all semblance of normality removed from their lives . I remember coming home to New Zealand and being very grateful for where we live.”
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
Despite the suffering he observed during his post with the UN, Brett still sees that time as the highlight of his military career because of the people he met and the friendships he built.
He explains, “I wouldn’t say I’m an engineer's engineer. I’ve good technical skills, but my strength is more in leadership and relationships. One of the big lessons I've learned is no matter how complex the technical puzzle you’re solving, chances are the team dynamics will be more complicated. And that's where my strength is; hearing what people have to say. It's the team that will bring the solution”
“One of my key skills is the ability to draw out key info, and get agreement on next steps, even under pressure. There were times I’d turn up to work at 3:00am, with two hours’ notice to deploy, and the aircraft was unserviceable. That’s when you need to be able to talk to your team and get to the issue quickly. A big part of the start-up world is assessing how valuable ideas are. There are a lot of solutions out there that don't have a problem. So, the ability to dive into something, absorb as much as you can, distill out what’s important, and make an assessment, appeals to me”
Stay agile, stay curious, stay open
Bridgewest Venture’s Investment Manager Kate de Ridder knew Brett from her past life as an Air Force engineer, and asked if he would consider a placement at Bridgewest. Fascinated by deep tech’s potential to do good in the world, Brett decided to explore the start-up ecosystem.
He's unfazed by the unfamiliar industry, saying, “I come from a really small military where we don't have huge resources. You have to be willing to give things a go. That adaptability’s one of the reasons New Zealand’s military are so well respected around the world. Also, 12 years ago, I took leave and worked in a UK medical engineering firm for four months. That experience highlighted as long as you're enthusiastic, willing to learn, and ask good questions, you can add value.”
Brett sees his other key skill as being able to convey hard truths in a human way. He says, “We’re all people. Everyone puts their undies on one leg at a time. So, treat people with empathy. People don’t always expect that of engineers, but although I know where my calculator is and I know how to use it, I don't have an intimate relationship with it, you know?”
Tech driving good in the world
Brett’s a staunchly proud New Zealander
“Bridgewest are building an industry that will support this country economically, environmentally, and reputationally. And, while they’re exceptional at picking commercial winners, it’s not just about dollars. They want to invest in tech that will help people, improve equality, and make life better. I’ve a lot of respect for that.”
“They’re also building an industry that will attract Kiwi talent home. A lot of my friends have gone overseas to work. It would be great to have their talents employed here in New Zealand, and a lot of them would love to come home, but there isn't the same level of opportunity here. Organisations like Bridgewest are changing that.”