Chris Deere

Short biography

Chris is the Founder/Owner of Supportlab Ltd, a Company that he formed in 2017 to provide coaching and support services to the Attractions Industry and other business sectors. He is also a Director of ‘The Alternative Board’ through which he facilitates business advisory boards and provides coaching solutions to Business Owners, CEO’s and Managers. Chris was the CEO of Rainbow’s End Theme Park in Auckland, New Zealand for a 10-year period from October 2007 to December 2017. He was Operations Manager for the preceding 5 years. During this tenure the park faced numerous challenges yet achieved significant growth and received a number of prestigious local and international awards. Chris is recognized as a Certified Attractions Executive (ICAE) through IAAPA, and he has been a regular speaker, panelist, mentor and judge in the US, Asia and Australia. He was a member of the IAAPA Human Resources Committee in the US for three years from 2015 to 2017 and the IAAPA Asia Pacific Education Committee in 2018. Chris is the current Board Chair of New Zealand Operators of Amusement Devices (NZOAD) an organisation that has been established to support and lead the Amusement Device Industry in New Zealand. Prior to his role at Rainbow’s End Theme Park, Chris was a Police Officer in the New Zealand Police for a period of seven years. He completed his Sergeant’s exams and qualified as a Youth Aid officer. Chris is a Board Member/Trustee of the Attainable Trust based in New Zealand, an organization which supports people with disabilities to become more included and accepted in the community.