ABOUT BEN

I’ve spent the last 30 years in education, with the past 20 serving as a school principal. Currently, I’m the principal of Shotover Primary School in Queenstown, leading a vibrant state school of 600 students. As an active, current principal, I bring that to everything I do: I don’t look at leadership from the sidelines. Every framework, strategy, and idea I share has to survive the real-world test of timetables, budgets, staff workload, and community expectations.

I started Think Different because I believe authentic leadership isn't about pretending to have all the answers or hiding behind management buzzwords. It starts with self-awareness, clear communication, and having the courage to make thoughtful decisions in complex, high-pressure environments.

Through tailored coaching, board workshops, and leadership development, I partner with school boards, principals, and leadership teams across Aotearoa New Zealand. Having led schools through rapid growth, vision resets, and major transitions, I know firsthand that a strategic plan is only as good as the culture supporting it. My focus is on giving leaders practical tools to understand their own thinking, foster genuine accountability, and build cohesive, resilient teams.

My curiosity about sustainable change also led me to complete a Master’s degree in Change and Organisational Resilience through Academy EX. Through practitioner research in school settings, I explored how emerging technologies—specifically generative AI—can move past quick answer-generation to become genuine cognitive partners for students and teachers. That work formed the foundation of The Fourth Teacher framework and my work with AI Education Kiwi. 

What became clear through that research is that educators rarely lack willingness to adapt—the real work is building the practical, everyday capability to do so.

When we work together, you won't get generic slide decks or canned advice. You’ll get an experienced colleague who listens deeply, asks the incisive questions, and helps you cut through the noise so you and your team can lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.