Meet India Thorp

Our new General Manager of Sales has worked in the architectural product and supply industries for many years. Previous positions have seen her seek out and onboard European architectural brands for New Zealand distribution, taking on sales management and collaborating with the architectural community.

“This involved building a strong sales team and also launching a collaboration with Autex Acoustics. In short, we were designing and conceptualising products through to market strategy and launching these from a marketing perspective, with me as the link between Autex and our business,” says India.

With her new position at Abodo, India’s quiver of architectural product knowledge is nearly complete - in fact, timber is one of the only facets missing. She sees this as an asset, providing her with a fresh perspective on the world of timber, and is keen to learn all there is to know about the Abodo product range.

“It’s a steep learning curve,” she says, adding that “becoming a timber nerd is number one on my list of things to achieve in the next 12 months!”

This goal is followed closely by relationship building, both internally and externally, as she works to grow the North American market in particular, with her role covering this area of the globe as well as New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

“We've got a fair bit of a strategy wrapped around North America, and we're getting bites already,” she says. “It helps to be dealing with clients who are quite low to the ground with the architectural community over there. The other side of the coin is the distributors who do high-level importing, and that goes down through a few different layers.”

In 2025, India will travel to Toronto, Canada, and a variety of key locations in the USA to help grow this market. She appreciates the opportunities this will present for extending her skills and engaging with different cultures and businesses offshore.

While she expects to see many exciting new projects in the coming months, the Vulcan-clad Cantilever House in Washington, DC, caught her eye as a current favourite.

“I like the natural finishes and horizontal lines sitting amongst the greenery. It has a warm homely feel to it, which is helped by the cladding,” she says.

Aside from building working relationships, India’s family ties are also very important to her, and she especially adores spending time with her five nieces and nephews. Keeping active is also key. You may spot her on the social netball court or having a dabble with a golf club at a local course. Connecting to the outdoors and spending time with friends is a good way to recharge for India.

With India’s love of nature and passion for human connections, we’re sure she will thrive in this new role within Abodo.