Derek Watson

Derek is co-owner with his wife Rebecca and sole Director of local civil construction company Ritchie Civil. Since qualifying with his engineering qualification he has gained 25 years experience in the civil construction industry within New Zealand. He is passionate about giving people a go and a chance to better themselves. For them to gain valuable long-term skills along the way – he says “we all started somewhere”.

Derek first came across Mates of Tairawhiti in 2019 when he attended one of the first regional awareness roll outs by Eastland Group. Seeing the importance of Suicide Awareness, all Ritchie Civil staff then attended the training.

Unfortunately Ritchie Civil lost a 21 year old male employee to Suicide in July 2019. Being through losing someone first hand Derek joined the Mates of Tairāwhiti steering group in 2020.