"With the shipping company, we're just an extension of all the New Zealand exporters that we represent," said Mr Evans. "I've got the experience at the other end of the supply chain, so I understand the importance of getting it right."
Port of Tauranga commercial manager Leonard Sampson said the port had enjoyed a close relationship with Seatrade.
"From my perspective, Tim's been fantastic to deal with," he said. "He's always been very open and willing to look at new ideas."
Mr Evans was born in Tauranga and went to Matua primary School until the family relocated to Auckland. He finished high school at Rangitoto College where he was deputy head boy, then did a BCom in marketing and information science at Otago University.
His first job after graduating was as a management trainee at home decorating retailer Levine and Co in Auckland.
"It was a fantastic business, but I only lasted a year because as a young guy I couldn't handle working every weekend and having Monday and Tuesday off."
Mr Evans then spent two years with apple and pear marketing organisation Enza. It was a first taste of the fresh produce business he would re-encounter in Tauranga, where Seatrade's major clients include kiwifruit marketer Zespri as well as apple, wine, meat and onion exporters.
Lion Nathan headhunted him and during his time there he rose through the sales ranks, ending up as world-class selling manager, a role that involved training senior sales managers.
"But after five years with Lion I really wanted to get some international experience," he said.
He was approached by a company called London International to run its Australasian business. He had never heard of the company, but he knew they had a number of strong brands.
Through a series of mergers, London International in 2000 became part of SSL International, with brands including Durex, Dr Scholl sandals, Sauber and Mister Baby.
"I got the job of heading up the New Zealand business as general manager, which involved pulling three consumer goods businesses into one, then they asked me to go up and do the same in Asia," he said.
He began in Kuala Lumpur as regional general manager for Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, then became regional managing director Southeast Asia, based in Bangkok for five years.
"I loved it and learnt a lot," said Mr Evans. "But it was very challenging, particularly when you've got a business that's listed on the London Stock Exchange and Asia was far away."
A key factor for running a fast-moving consumer goods business in Asia was the astonishing rate of growth, he said, noting that Dr Scholl was a bigger footwear brand in Thailand than Nike, selling more than one million pairs of shoes annually.
"You've got to manage the business to be able to handle the growth in a sustainable way, not do it overnight," he said.
Mr Evans credited SSL chief executive Gary Watts for useful advice that had helped him throughout his career at the company. He is also an admirer of Sir Richard Branson's approach to business.
He returned to Melbourne in 2010 as regional managing director Australasia, but SSL was sold at the end of the year to Reckitt Benckiser, which wanted Mr Evans to return to a Singapore-based role.
"I had been away for eight years and I was slowly working my way back to New Zealand and so I declined that role."
About the same time his father was looking to take a less active role in Seatrade, so after an interview with Seatrade's global general manager in Belgium, Mr Evans and his family relocated to Tauranga.
"I never looked back."
