Profile
Commander Parker joined the RNZN in 1991 as a General List Engineer of the Weapons Engineering specialisation. After completing an engineering degree at Auckland University and the System Engineering Management Course at HMS COLLINGWOOD, he was posted to HMNZS TE KAHA in build in Williamstown, Australia.
After a highly rewarding experience in being involved with bringing a ship out of build, Commander Parker was posted to Naval Staff at Headquarters.
Commander Parker served as the Weapons Engineering Officer on HMNZ TE KAHA through a work up and South East Asian deployment, and soon after posted to the Royal Australian Navy ANZAC Capability Element based in Rockingham, Western Australia, for two years.
He completed the NZDF Joint Staff Course in 2008 and subsequently spent 2 years as the Deputy Director Weapons Engineering on the Naval Staff at HQ NZDF involved in policy development, introduction into service of new capabilities, and personnel management.
A 3 year posting to the AUSCANNZUKUS (five eyes) Maritime Information Warfare interoperability organisation on the staff of the United States Navy N2/N6 based in the Pentagon, Washington DC, was a career highlight thus far, and a great opportunity to work in the allied and coalition environment at the strategic level. He was promoted Commander and assumed the role of Operational Support Commander in January 2014 based in Devonport Naval Base on the staff of the Logistics Commander (Maritime). As a result of the renegotiation of the Dockyard Management Contract, which was a significant change to the fleet support organisation, he was appointed to a role within the commercial dockyard services provider.
After a 6 month UN mission to South Korea, Commander Parker served for 6 years as the Capability Integration Lead for the Maritime Sustainment Capability, a design and build project for the RNZN’s enhanced naval tanker, HMNZS AOTEAROA. This role encompassed the challenges for design, build and acceptance of the AOTEAROA.
He posted into his current role in June 2022.
He is a chartered engineer with the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
Commander Parker is married to Lisa and they have two children, Sophie (10) and Daniel (9).
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