Phil grew up in a small and predominantly Māori community in the East Coast region of New Zealand's north island, where more traditional ways of living were the norm. He learnt about growing plants and developed a sense of awe for the bush and our native plants at an early age.

Phil is the founder and former research and development director of Phytomed Medicinal Herbs Ltd, an Auckland company which manufactures herbal extracts for practitioners in New Zealand and Australia, and the Kiwiherb range of herbal products.

Throughout his career, Phil has written and presented extensively on a wide range of herbal subjects for practitioner, consumer and industry audiences. He is an advocate for the statutory regulation of medical herbalists, and the establishment of a robust herbal medicine manufacturing industry that incorporates both native and other plants grown in Aotearoa New Zealand. He is a founding director of the New Zealand national industry body Natural Health Products New Zealand, and is a former President of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists (NZAMH).