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Greg Cross
Chair
Greg is an experienced executive and company director who works with companies focused on maximising their international potential.
Greg was introduced to international business very early in his career as a member of the executive teams at Trigon Packaging and Fact International. Greg has built a track record in New Zealand as an entrepreneurial CEO responsible for driving significant growth in revenues and market share for Microsoft and Advantage Group.
He is the Executive Chairman of PowerbyProxi, which he co-founded in 2007, a Director of investment/advisory services group Cross Ventures, and is the Chairman of The ICEHOUSE and SLI Systems.
Greg spent 10 years based in North America, Europe and Asia managing market entry, raising capital and completing mergers and acquisitions transactions.
Read Q&As with Greg Cross
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Mark Bowman
Mark Bowman has an outstanding career in developing, growing and leading some of New Zealand’s foremost technology businesses. Throughout his 25-year career Mark has gained a valuable blend of leadership, governance, and commercial experience in the technology sector.
Mark has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Australia and as a result has gained considerable international experience.
He is an investor in a number of companies and holds numerous directorships.
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David Boyd
David is an experienced executive and company director with a background in specialised manufacturing, medical devices, and consumer products - all focused on international markets. He has particular expertise in international branding and European markets.
David is a director of a number of New Zealand-based companies, as well as Orthopaedic Synergy Inc, a United States-based orthopaedic company which has two subsidiaries – Christchurch-based Enztec Ltd and Omni Life Science Inc. of Raynham, Massachusetts, USA. He is also a founding shareholder of Foot Science International, the producers of Formthotics, and is still actively involved as the director of exports sales.
Based in Canterbury, David has been involved since its inception with the CDC Hi Tech Launch programme and numerous community organisations.
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Trevor Burt
Trevor Burt is a company director based in Christchurch. He has recently returned to New Zealand after a career as a senior executive with global industrial company BOC Group PLC, during which he spent time in Asia, the United States and Europe.
His roles with BOC included Managing Director in China; President of the BOC Group in the United States and Executive Director of Linde based in Munich following Linde’s acquisition of the BOC Group.
He is a director of Mainpower New Zealand and Lyttelton Port Company, and is a member of the Institute of Directors.
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Steven Carden
Steven is the Group Manager Business Development at PGG Wrightson. Responsible for the company’s major growth initiatives such as business unit strategy, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, he is involved with many of PGG Wrightson's investments in New Zealand, Australia, South America and the United States.
Prior to joining PGG Wrightson, he was a manager at McKinsey & Company in New York, where he worked on strategy issues for some of North America’s largest financial services, media, logistics and telecommunication companies. From 2000 to 2001, he was General Manager of Flying Pig, New Zealand’s then largest internet retailer.
Steven is the author of New Zealand Unleashed published by Random House in 2007, and has extensive experience in New Zealand’s non-profit sector, including establishing the First Foundation.
He has an LLB/BA from the University of Auckland and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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Erica Crawford
South African-born Erica Crawford has an extensive marketing background, particularly in pharmaceutical marketing. With winemaker husband Kim she set up the label Kim Crawford Wines, administering the company, exploring new markets and developing its unique brand identity.
They subsequently became the first New Zealand company to use screw cap bottles and are not afraid to take an in-your-face approach to building the business.
Erica and Kim have two children and enjoy being part of the urban scene that their wine label targets.
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Mike Devonshire
Mike has had an extensive career in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, in management and leadership roles across a broad range of sectors including agri business, property, wholesale banking, energy and infrastructure. He has specific experience in the development, implementation and governance of strategic plans in international markets.
Mike returned to New Zealand in 2002 and established Strategic Advisory Services Limited, an advisory business focused on business strategy, restructuring, acquisitions and divestments, and private equity investment. He holds a number of directorships and is a certificated member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.
Mike is a graduate of the University of Canterbury, has a Diploma in Export Management (Institute of Export, United Kingdom) and is a finance alumnus of Insead Business School (Fontainbleau, France).
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Scott Gilmour
Scott is an angel investor and mentor/director with a small number of New Zealand technology companies, including Right Hemisphere, Nextspace and Jade.
His 30-plus years of IT experience in both the United States and New Zealand includes 12 years with Intel, and co-founding a software company in the United States in 1989 (ABC Technologies Inc.), which was sold to SAS in 2002.
He serves on the Advisory Board for the ICE Angels angel investor network, and is the Project Sponsor for the first 'I Have a Dream' programme to be implemented outside the United States.
He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago and an MBA from the University of Oregon.
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Keith Jackson
Keith has an extensive background in management and governance with particular emphasis on the food industry. He was CEO of Tegel Foods from 1980 to 1996, and was the founding Chairman of the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand.
Keith was Deputy Chairman of Ernest Adams prior to its acquisition by Goodman Fielder. Keith currently has a number of directorships and is the Chairman of Dairy Farm Investments Ltd, Cooks Food Group, Tasman Capital, TRS Investments Ltd, Sportstec Ltd, Adaptable Solutions and Unique Food Group. He is also a director of Innovair Group.
Keith has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago.
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Stuart McKenzie
Stuart McKenzie is a General Partner with Endeavour Capital, a leading New Zealand venture capital company that focuses on developing globally competitive companies based on science and technology innovations.
Stuart’s responsibilities include early-stage venture capital investments in the South Island. During the 1990s Stuart worked in the consulting engineering sector, where he was involved in the management of large multi-disciplinary teams for the design and construction of major projects.
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Tony McNeil
Tony is a 35-year veteran of the Australasian supermarket and liquor sectors and has been Managing Director of Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Ltd since 1998. Foodstuffs more successful brands include New World, Pak'nSave and icon brand Four Square.
Tony began his career with Coles Myer in management and buying roles, and went on to hold senior management positions with publicly-listed Australian company David Holdings Limited (now Metcash).
His current directorships within Wellington and across the wider Foodstuffs group span a number of related industries including retail, food manufacturing, property development, transportation and distribution, and include The Bell Tea and Coffee Company, AF Logistics Limited and Liquorland Limited
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Howard Moore
Howard Moore is one of a handful of New Zealanders who has achieved success as a biotechnology entrepreneur. He has been Executive Director of biotech venture capital fund Bio Pacific-Ventures since early 2004.
Prior to that he was Executive Vice President of Tercica Inc., a United States-based corporation he co-founded and which was only the second New Zealand founded company to achieve a listing on the NASDAQ, the world’s leading technology stock market. Howard is also an experienced dairy industry executive, serving 25 years in that industry.
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Phil Norman
Phil Norman is Managing Director of Nortek Management Services Limited, a boutique business advisory firm providing mergers and acquisitions and business development services for growth companies.
He has over 30 years experience in the IT and telecommunications sector, having been an owner, manager, director and investor in a number of local and international companies.
Phil is the current Chairman of Xero, an online accounting system. He also has considerable venture capital and investment banking experience and was Chairman of the New Zealand Venture Capital Association during 2002 and 2003. He is also a Board member of Connect New Zealand, a national business development group established to enable the international growth of New Zealand-based technology firms.
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Wayne Norrie
Wayne Norrie has more than 20 years IT experience across a variety of industries and markets, and in roles spanning technical and development to sales and management.
Working offshore for eight years across a diverse mix of companies including General Electric, Accenture and Prudential, has provided Wayne with a unique perspective on forming and managing successful teams. This culminated in a management buy-out of Hitachi Data Systems New Zealand along with business partner Roger Cockayne to form IT infrastructure firm Revera.
Wayne is the Chairman of Fronde, Team BLM, and the Hi-Tech Association, a director of Revera, and investor in two start-ups. He is a member of the Institute of Directors, a member of the Ministry of Economic Development’s Digital Technologies expert Panel, and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management.
Wayne is a widely renowned speaker on his pet subject of changing and managing organisational culture, and its impact on the bottom line.
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Stefan Preston
Originally a structural engineer, Stefan Preston has an extensive management background in the retail, fashion design, technology and construction engineering sectors.
During his tenure as Chief Executive of New Zealand-based lingerie company Bendon Group Ltd from 2002 to 2007, he led the successful establishment of export markets in Europe, North America, Australasia and the Middle East. Stefan has also held a number of other chief executive turn-around roles, including with retailers Pacific Retail Group and Whitcoulls.
Stefan is the owner and CEO of Ingenio, which has two operating subsidiaries in the apparel and tourism industries. In addition he consults to businesses operating in retail, export and creative areas.
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Garry Reynolds
Garry is the founder of The Resources Group, a professional services organisation that delivers services based around technology innovation and has expertise in securing government co-investment.
Garry’s experience includes New Zealand Manager and Director for Motorola, CEO of two New Zealand technology exporters and the management of what was then the largest electronics manufacturing project undertaken in New Zealand.
Garry is an experienced and accredited business mentor and a qualified company director. He is the chair of the Manukau Institute of Technology Professional Engineers Advisory Committee, founding chair of the Growmybiz Advisory Board, a member of iMonitor’s Advisory Board, a member of the AUT TechPark Advisory Board, chair of Cubed3’s advisory board, a Young Enterprise Scheme mentor and Bright Sparks judging convenor.
His experience covers many industries including industrial electronics, telecommunications, food processing technologies, forestry, mining and construction.
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Adriana Tong
Adriana is an investment banker with over 30 years experience in the investment sector including equity, capital market, options and futures. She is currently a director of Asia Pacific Partners Limited and an advisor of various companies in North Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Originally from Singapore, Adriana has been in New Zealand for 40 years. She has extensive knowledge of the east and west including the business culture and various market conditions, which have been a benefit to transacting business.
Adriana is also the director and advisor of a number of businesses in the nutraceuticals and beverage industry who export to various markets, including Asia Pacific Partners Ltd, The Nekta Group, Nekta Nutrition Ltd and Mineral Deposits (New Zealand) Ltd.