Meet the Team

As the Managing Director of 1st Move International, Mike Harvey brings more than two decades of logistics expertise and three years of specialised experience in international relocations to his role. His comprehensive knowledge spans the intricacies of overseas shipping, secondary yet crucial areas such as visa application processes and immigration requirements, and the wider topic of moving abroad including topics such as comparative analyses of cost of living, healthcare and educational systems worldwide. This expertise allows 1st Move International to equip people with the information they need to not just move overseas, but to make informed decisions about whether, and where, to relocate.

With over 30 years of experience, Dave Griffiths is a veteran of the removals industry and specialist in international relocations. Before joining 1st Move 20 years ago, his extensive background includes working at Denholm Shipping and Geo Logistics where he headed up their export teams in handling the shipping and export for some of the UK’s major manufacturers and exporters. Dave's unparalleled expertise across air/sea logistics, import/export protocols, and global supply chains makes him a trusted advisor for customers navigating international relocations.

With over 20 years of experience, Tom White brings substantial expertise to 1st Move International. Tom's background includes: 14 years at 1st Move International developing their overseas agent network, negotiating shipping contracts, and sales/estimating for removals. Tom previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry focused on sales, fulfilment, and supply chain management of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Tom's extensive experience in global logistics, international negotiations and the fluctuations of worldwide shipping rates ensure that 1st Move continue to provide our customers with the most competitive international moving rates on the market. Tom is also responsible for optimising and fine tuning our shipping services and negotiating rates and service levels with the world’s premier shipping lines. Our competitive pricing and fast weekly shipping services is thanks to Tom’ s strong negotiation skills with shipping lines and keeps us at the forefront of the International Moving business in the UK.

Tessa has been with 1st Move for over 15 years and has previously worked within customer service, logistics, shipping, and the removals industry for 25 years for some of the biggest names within the freight industry. Her depth of knowledge spans all aspects of international relocations, from coordinating logistics to managing complex overseas moves. Tessa brings invaluable expertise to her role as International Removals Coordinator and Specialist Move Manager at 1st Move and brings invaluable expertise to assist our customers in the complexities of an overseas house move.

With 18 years at 1st Move International, Ricci is one of our most tenured and experienced team members. For over a decade, Riccy worked on the road as a one of our removal’s driver and packers. He joined the operations desk and is established as a fully experienced move co-ordinator and customs specialist. Having conducted hundreds of household moves first-hand, Riccy understands the importance of great customer service on moving day and throughout the moving process from your door to your home overseas. Riccy is also the go to guy for customs and export documentation and is responsible for ensuring a smooth transition of your goods through customs and up to arrival. We're proud to have him representing 1st Move…. for over 18 years and counting.

Sam has been with 1st Move for 5 years and has extensive experience at global freight leaders like Kuehne + Nagel, DSV, and DHL. Sam brings world-class logistics expertise to her role at 1st Move International. Having handled complex exports and imports for over a decade, Sam understands first-hand how to coordinate international removals seamlessly and efficiently. Whether navigating overseas shipping lanes or answering client questions, Sam's dynamic background ensures shipments are expertly facilitated from door to door. Her global outlook and passion for service makes her an invaluable partner for our international removals business.

Gerri has been with 1st Move for over 3 years. She brings with her over 15 years’ experience in handling shipping and customs for some of the UK’s major retailers including Comet and Ikea, so understands first-hand the intricacies of navigating door to door shipping and customs formalities worldwide. Her passion and wealth of experience and competency makes Gerri a trusted advisor both in coordinating worldwide removals and facilitating a stress-free customer experience.

Originally from South Africa and with over 25 years across international removals, freight forwarding, shipping and logistics, Mark leverages substantial industry knowledge from his 14 years at Kuehne & Nagel and 11 years at 1st Move International. With his extensive background managing customer service teams for global logistics companies, Mark has the experience to ensure clients receive an exemplary overseas relocations experience. His customer service expertise combined with over a decade in international shipping enables Mark to provide customers with optimal guidance and support throughout their international move. Mark also heads up our car shipping services and is the go to guy if you want to ship your car overseas.

It's Dave's job to ensure your moving day goes without a hitch! Dave doesn’t want to retire. With over 50 years of hands-on removals experience, Dave works tirelessly to ensure your moving day with 1st Move International is smooth and stress-free. Having driven removals trucks and managed driver teams himself, Dave understands the intricacies of overseas household relocations and the importance of punctuality and professionalism on your most important day.

Now at 1st Move for 15 years, he uses his expertise in logistics planning, loading, and customer service to guarantee a seamless door-to-door moving experience. On your big day, Dave's diligence means our crews arrive on time and your items are packed and loaded with the utmost care. With Dave's oversight, you can trust our team has the knowledge and dedication to make your moving day hassle-free.

Let’s not forget our 16 person strong packing and driving crew who form the backbone of our international removals services. With over 150 combined years providing household moves, this experienced team focuses on safely and efficiently packing, loading, and smoothly transporting your belongings from your home to our packing facilities. Their ongoing training on packing techniques, container loading, and road safety means each crew member adheres to the highest standards for the collection and packing of your treasured possessions. This dedicated crew understands home moves are emotional, and work hard to pack cherished possessions with care and deliver impeccable service throughout every move.