Meet the Cat Herder of Girri Birrang: Nathan Smith
Meet Nathan Smith, Girri Birrang’s National Operations Manager – though he prefers to call his role ‘Head Cat Herder’.
Nathan’s journey into construction started in 2009, when spending a few weekends driving a backhoe loader and installing irrigation with a mate kickstarted his career. Fast forward to today and he’s bringing that same enthusiasm (and a little humour) to Girri Birrang.
For Nathan, building a strong, dynamic team is the most rewarding part of his job. He thrives on helping people solve problems and making life easier. But as anyone in operations knows, things don’t always go to plan. His secret? A solid plan, clear communication – and a little patience.
One of Nathan's most memorable on-site moments involved labourers trying to install star pickets with a claw hammer – not exactly the safest or quickest approach. After showing them how to use a proper star picket driver, Nathan got the team back on track.
When he’s not on-site, you’ll find Nathan cheering on his favourite sports – tennis, footy, skiing, or cycling. His advice for newcomers to the industry? “Work hard with a ‘can do’ attitude, and stay safe. Learn how to spot hazards and avoid them while being productive.”
For Nathan, 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗶 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱: 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰. It’s all about teamwork, and getting to know the strengths and limits of your team is how you achieve the best results. His motto – ‘𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺’ – guides everything he does.
One team, one dream – that’s how we get it done.
