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Todd McClay was first elected to Parliament as representative for Rotorua in 2008 and has been re-elected in 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2020. In the fifth National government, Hon McClay held the portfolios of Minister of Trade, of State-Owned Enterprises, and of Revenue. He has also been the Associate Minister of Health, of Tourism, of Trade, and of Foreign Affairs.

Hon McClay has previously been a diplomat and was the Cook Islands and Niue Ambassador to the European Union. He has worked in business in Europe as well as government and public relations internationally.
Hon McClay lives in Rotorua.

The Minister for Trade and Investment, Hon Todd McClay

Rob has extensive experience in finance and corporate governance. He became Chairman of H.R.L. Morrison & Co in 2012 and served as Chairman of Kiwibank from 2009 to 2017. 

He held the dual role of CEO and Chair of CLSA Asia Pacific Markets from 2002 to 2008. Before CLSA, he was Executive Vice President and Head of Equities at Bankers Trust Australia and CEO of Bankers Trust New Zealand.

Rob Morrison

Carmel’s involvement in the New Zealand investment market spans more than 40 years. She was seen as a trailblazer when starting Fisher Funds Management Ltd in 1998, one of New Zealand’s first independent retail fund management companies, and is now widely recognised as a leading investment professional. Under her leadership as Managing Director, the company became one of New Zealand’s largest investment management and KiwiSaver providers. 

Carmel was a business commentator, advocate and mentor, championing women’s financial independence and financial literacy. Carmel has served as a director of NZX listed investment companies Kingfish Limited, Barramundi Limited and Marlin Global Limited; of Crown entity New Zealand Trade and Enterprise; and continues as a director of menswear specialist Rembrandt Suits Limited.

In 2019, Carmel was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business. In 2025 Carmel was named the Visionary Leader in the Deloitte Top 200 awards.

Carmel Fisher

David’s career spans commercial law, Māori economic development, negotiation and corporate leadership. He has held senior governance and advisory positions across public and private sectors including as Deputy Chair of Lotto NZ and Chair of the Fast Track Ministerial Advisory Group.  

One of David’s key priorities now is to advance development projects (principally retail and tourism) generating significant economic growth and creating employment across his governance roles including as Chair of the Pukeroa Oruawhata Group. 

David has been engaged by the Crown as Lead Negotiator to resolve a range of complex issues for nearly a decade, the most recent being the Nelson Tenths litigation in December 2025, resulting in the largest out of Court settlement in New Zealand history to date. David (Ngati Whakaue) lives in Rotorua and has two adult sons. He enjoys golf, skiing and mountain biking.

David Tapsell

Mary MacLeod has over 30 years of experience in building, restructuring and managing businesses globally, with a particular focus on Asia.  She has a unique breadth of experience across Strategy, Risk, Transformation, M&A, Finance and Sustainability with a demonstrable ability to work across cultures and markets.

Based in Hong Kong, Mary has recently retired as Global Head of Strategy, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Sustainability for HSBC’s Global Banking and Markets business.  Her career has spanned banking and consulting across Hong Kong, London, Australia and New Zealand with organisations Including HSBC, McKinsey, ANZ Deutsche Bank and ICBC where she was the first and only senior foreign employee of the largest Chinese SOE.  

Mary is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors and a commerce graduate of Victoria University.  She is a KEA World Class New Zealander.


Mary MacLeod 

Richard Hedley is an experienced international investment professional with over 25 years experience in global financial markets including working in Sydney, London and New Zealand and is currently a senior member of the investment team at Australian Retirement Trust (ART) where he has primarily  been responsible for the origination, execution and management of large-scale infrastructure investments.

Prior to joining ART in 2019, Richard held a number of senior investment roles in both superannuation and investment management, including as Chief Investment Officer of New South Wales State Super and as Head of Portfolio and Asset Management at Deutsche Bank’s RREEF Infrastructure Asia Pacific. 

Richard is currently a non-Executive Director of ElectraNet (South Australia’s electricity transmission network) and an Alternate Director of Heathrow Airport in the UK. He has previously served on the board of directors of a number of significant infrastructure and timberland companies including Australia Pacific Airports Corporation (Melbourne and Launceston Airports), the Port of Geelong, Allgas Energy, Matariki Forestry Group and Hancock Victorian Plantations.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago and a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University, Sydney. He has been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.


Richard Hedley

Mr George is a seasoned private equity professional and the Founder and Executive Chair of
Direct Capital, New Zealand’s leading private equity fund manager. With over three decades
of experience in private equity, Mr George has led Direct Capital to become one of New
Zealand’s most experienced private company investors, backing nearly 70 businesses and
managing investments on behalf of sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, iwi, and other
institutional investors.

Mr George has been active in the private company industry since 1985, with experience
spanning New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the United States.

Ross George

Robert Wall joined Invest New Zealand as Chief Executive in February 2026. He is an experienced investor with more than twenty years working in global financial markets.

Before joining Invest New Zealand, Robert was a Managing Director at Lazard Asset Management in London and co-head of the Quantitative and Alternative Investment Management committee. He was previously a partner at Federated Hermes Infrastructure and spent nearly a decade with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Robert has also served as a Non-Executive Director for various companies in the UK, Europe, and Australia.


Robert Wall

Based both in Singapore and New Zealand, Benny has responsibility of leading the Invest New Zealand team.

He was formerly NZTE's Regional Director and Investment Director for East Asia and Greater China for both Trade and Investment, where he led a trade team across East Asia and a team of investment specialists helping investors to identify high-performing businesses and investment opportunities in New Zealand.

Benny has lived and worked in Asia for more than 30 years. He has worked in Australia, the United Kingdom and Singapore for several large global European and United States banking institutions including as a director at Deutsche Bank Singapore, with responsibility for the sale of structured equity products and solutions to an East Asian institutional client base. He was also previously with BNP and JP Morgan.

Benny's areas of specialty are debt origination, liability management and capital sourcing. He holds a BCA from Victoria University of Wellington.

Benny Goodman

Fiona is the Director of the People and Partnerships team with responsibility for communications and media, legal, government relations, people, ministerial and government relations. 

She also provides support for the Invest New Zealand Board. Fiona has held a range of senior leadership positions in New Zealand and internationally, including as NZTE’s Regional Director China leading a team of 70 working with New Zealand exporters into China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and NZTE’s Head of Food, Beverage and Consumer Goods working with approximately 400 exporters.  

She has previously been on the leadership team of NZTE Investment and led NZTE’s Board and Ministerial and Communications teams.  She has also been the Trade Commissioner to Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, and the Trade Commissioner to Guangzhou.

Fiona Acheson

Simon is the Director of the Deals team at Invest NZ, helping NZ companies and projects access capital. Simon and his teams at Invest NZ / NZTE have helped more than 500 New Zealand entities successfully raise capital.

Prior to joining the Invest NZ / NZTE, Simon was a corporate and commercial lawyer in Auckland and London. He was primarily involved in cross-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions and capital-raising transactions.

Simon has developed a deep interest in technology and renewable energy and how these sectors may shape the future New Zealand economy.


Simon Ansley

Simone Robbers 

Anthony is the Director of North American Investment, with specialised background working with New Zealand's investor migrant programme. He is also New Zealand Honorary Consul for San Francisco.

He was previously Treasurer and Vice President of Corporate Finance for Virgin America, where he was a member of the executive team that IPO'ed the company and ultimately sold it for US$4 billion. His responsibilities included acquisitions, financing, insurance, hedging, cash and investment management. Prior to Virgin, Anthony was with Babcock & Brown's advisory and principal investment groups and was with Air New Zealand as Commercial Alliances Manager. Prior to his professional career, Anthony was a competitive swimmer, winning medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Anthony gained his BA (Hons) and his MBA from Stanford University.

Anthony Mosse

Laura specialises in raising capital for early-stage startups and is based in the NZTE Wellington office. She is passionate about working with companies to realise and reach their full potential.

Prior to joining NZTE Laura was at Callaghan Innovation where she headed up the accelerator and incubator programme. Before that she was Head of Acceleration at Creative HQ, and ran the successful accelerator programme Techstars in Boulder, CO (its flagship location). 

Laura has studied law, political science, international relations, diplomacy and has previously held positions as an HR manager and a lawyer.

Laura Reitel

Chris supports scalable companies to raise growth capital in order to help realise their export objectives. Chris is based in Auckland and works across all sectors, but is particularly passionate about cleantech.

Chris has an entrepreneurial background and holds a Master's Degree in Business Studies which focussed on 'intrapreneurship' as a means of cultivating innovation. His interest in international business was fostered during his time as a competitive sailor in his twenties, when he travelled extensively through Europe, America, and Asia.

Chris started his journey with NZTE in 2012 where he supported leveraging events during the America's Cup in San Francisco. Since this time, he has held multiple roles within NZTE which has given him exposure to over 400 companies within NZTE's Customer teams.

Chris is passionate about supporting earlier stage companies, being a 'dot connector', and fostering disruptive business models which are internationally competitive.

Chris Burgess

Kenny's key focus is developing greenfield opportunities in the South Island by working closely with regional economic development agencies and local and central government stakeholders. He covers a range of different sectors including primary industries, food and beverage and tourism.

Kenny previously looked after the investor markets of Hong Kong and Taiwan in his role as an international Investment Manager based in Hong Kong. 

Before joining NZTE, Kenny worked in the investment banking industry and has more than ten years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity fundraising and cross-border transactions. 

Kenny holds a Bachelors Degree in Civil and Structural Engineering and a Master Degree in Business Administration from the University of Hong Kong. He also holds a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of London.

Kenny Lau

Hayden focuses on the attraction and acceleration of investment into renewable energy and industrial projects in New Zealand. 

Hayden supports New Zealand businesses in their investment preparation, ensuring they are investment ready. He works closely with investors and developers from around the world to smooth their entry to New Zealand. 

In his career prior to joining Invest NZ, Hayden worked as a geologist in New Zealand, Indonesia, and Canada before transitioning into consulting and venture capital in an industrial decarbonisation fund. 

Hayden holds a BSc in Geology and MSc in Engineering Geology from the University of Canterbury, Master of Legal Studies from the University of Auckland, and an MBA from the University of British Columbia. 

Hayden Mackenzie

Anna has led the tourism and film sectors for NZTE Investment as well as other ad-hoc projects. She works closely with project sponsors, regional development agencies, local and central government stakeholders to attract and accelerate investment into greenfield tourism attractions across New Zealand. Anna also works across other greenfield projects where her specific expertise can add value.

Anna has over 15 years of experience in corporate finance, having worked in investment banking, professional services and within corporates before joining NZTE. Through her career in both private and public sector advisory she has experience from a diverse range of projects across a wide range of sectors. She is experienced in strategy, capital raising, M&A, project management and large scale transformation programmes. Following her investment banking career she lived in Vancouver, Canada, for 4 years advising government on large infrastructure projects before returning to NZ corporates in 2015.

Anna holds a BCom in Finance and International Business and a BArts in German and Mathematics from the University of Otago.

Anna Wellingham

Nicola’s industry focus is aquaculture and the wider blue economy, supporting greenfield projects in this sector to attract and accelerate investment.

Prior to joining NZTE, Nicola led the Ministry for Primary Industries aquaculture development team with a focus on supporting the Government’s aquaculture strategy. Before that she spent a number of years at New Zealand King Salmon leading key domestic and export projects.  

Nicola holds a BCom in Marketing from the University of Otago. 

Nicola Hattersley-Marshall

Tim Armitage is Investment Manager – Greenfields for the Advanced Transportation portfolio. Based in Auckland and originally from Taranaki, Tim brings a unique perspective, combining a background in strategic consulting, business development, and government operations. 

Prior to joining NZTE, Tim held strategy leadership roles at Corporate Value Associates and SLC Group Limited, specialising in agribusiness, advanced food manufacturing, product development, and corporate cost optimisation. At Sanford Limited, he led the commercialisation of nutraceutical products, delivering market entry and research strategies.

Earlier, at the Ministry for Primary Industries, Tim led sector strategy, market insights, and trade policy development. He began his career as a Political Advisor at the European Parliament, where he focused on space policy, food safety, industrial policy and international trade. Tim holds a Master’s degree in International Relations.


Timothy Armitage

Whanik connects Korean investors to New Zealand opportunities, attracting them to greenfield investment and supporting capital raising to New Zealand companies.

Whanik has a 30-year career in corporate and investment banking in global banks. Most recently, he was Country Head at Scotia Bank Korea and Head of Corporate Banking Coverage at Standard Chartered Bank Korea. Before that, he worked in corporate banking, M&A advisory and capital markets for BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, and SK Securities.

Whanik holds a Master of Business Administration from Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota in the US and a Bachelor of English Literature from Korea University.

Whanik Kim

Iris is responsible for bringing New Zealand investment opportunities to Chinese investors where strategic synergies and values can be created. In her role, Iris also works to foster investment relations between New Zealand and China, with a regional focus on northern and south-west China.

Before joining NZTE, Iris spent over ten years at various financial institutions in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and China, including HSBC, Forsyth Barr and ZTE Corporation. Her responsibilities included investment analysis, funds management and equity investments.

Iris holds a Bachelor Degree from the Jilin University of China and a Postgraduate Degree from the University of Otago where she majored in finance. She is a CFA charterholder.

Iris Zhang

Angela Traill is an Investment Manager in NZTE's Sydney office, connecting Australian investors to New Zealand opportunities.

Angela focusses on greenfield opportunities, in particular international companies looking to establish or expand operations in New Zealand. She also assists New Zealand companies seeking capital from Australia, with a focus on the food, agribusiness and biotechnology sectors.

Prior to joining NZTE Angela worked at global dairy firm Fonterra. She holds a Bachelors degree in Science from the University of Auckland.

Angela Traill

Cyn Li focusses on fundraising for high-growth technology companies and attracting investment into greenfield projects in sectors such as tourism, housing, consumer and primary industries in New Zealand. She covers investors from the Southeast Asia region including VCs, CVCs, PE funds and institutional investors.

Cyn Li's areas of specialty include venture capital, mergers and acquisition, strategic expansion and financial modelling.

Prior to joining Invest New Zealand, Cyn Li worked with advisory teams at Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. She advised clients in Southeast Asia and Japan on strategic acquisitions, divestments, valuations, management buyout and providing general corporate finance advice.

Cyn Li has a Bachelor with Honors in Accountancy from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.


Cyn Li Lee

Koji specializes in identifying appropriate target investors in Japan and reaching out to them to assist New Zealand companies with capital raising needs and greenfield investment opportunities across all sectors.

Prior to joining NZTE in 2014, Koji previously worked with Goldman Sachs (Japan), in Citibank's global relationship banking division, and in equity sales at Credit Suisse. His extensive banking background with Japanese institutional and corporate investors spans over 25 years, and his areas of specialty include corporate sales and capital sourcing.

Koji has a Master of Business Administration in Finance from MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Keio University. He is a CFA charterholder.


Koji Hikosaka

Germaine supports the Investment Team (Greenfield, Companies and Māori) with value-add research, financial modelling, collateral building, and analysis.

Prior to joining NZTE, Germaine interned at BP, where she was part of a team promoting partnerships around Australia. She also interned in the Pacific Development Group at MFAT, where she was able to conduct research and provide advice to Micronesian and Melanesian countries.

Germaine holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance) from Otago University.

Germaine Pike-Tavai

Danielle supports the Investment team (Companies, Greenfield and Māori) with value-add market analysis, collateral building and financial modelling.

Danielle gained experience as a research specialist within the Market Research team at NZTE, prior to joining full-time as an investment analyst within the Investment team.
Danielle has collaborated across multiple teams at NZTE and was involved in the Made with Care campaign NZ. 

Danielle holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Management, Marketing), from The University of Otago. 


Danielle Bertling

Louis supports the Investment team with value-add research, financial modelling, and market analysis. This includes assisting the Greenfield, Companies and Māori teams.

Prior to joining NZTE, Louis gained valuable experience in Corporate Finance, Restructuring, and Private Business, working as a financial modeller.

Louis holds a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Auckland, where he placed as top graduate. Additionally, Louis has passed the Level II examination of the CFA program.

Louis Jackson

Don is a member of the Invest New Zealand Private Capital Team, based in Auckland. As Investor Manager, he supports the delivery of the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa programme. This involves assisting investor migrants as they implement their investment strategies by connecting them to a network of Growth Category AIP-approved investment opportunities and key players in the New Zealand investment ecosystem. Don’s network covers AIP-approved managed funds, founders of New Zealand’s most innovative companies, and advisors supporting AIP investors.

Don has more than 20 years’ experience within the investment industry. He has held senior legal, commercial, and operating roles. He has worked as a corporate lawyer in New Zealand and London, and inhouse to the level of General Counsel. His transactional experience is complemented by management positions with companies operating internationally within a range of sectors including technology, consumer goods, and professional sports.  

Don holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce (University of Otago). He has been a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.


Don Stanway

Ella Zhang is an Investor Manager in the Private Capital team at Invest New Zealand, where she works with high-value global investors through the Active Investor Plus (AIP) programme. She helps investors navigate New Zealand’s investment landscape by connecting them with venture capital and private equity firms, innovative companies, and other key stakeholders.

Her career spans senior roles across both the public and private sectors. She led destination promotion across Asia Pacific at Destination Queenstown before moving into regional economic development at Great South in Southland. Most recently, she led external engagement at the University of Auckland Business School, building partnerships with the business community and philanthropic partners to support research, and innovation.

Ella holds a Bachelor of Tourism Management with Honours from Victoria University of Wellington and an MBA from the University of Auckland.

Passionate about governance, she serves as Deputy Chair of Destination Coromandel, Director of Auckland Golf Inc, and Director of the Auckland Business Chamber — the largest business organisation in Aotearoa. Ella brings a strong focus on diversity, sustainability, and creating long-term value for communities and stakeholders.

Ella Zhang

Holly is the AIP Programme & Team Coordinator; she supports the team processing AIP applications. She helps advise Investors and companies seeking investment, responds to general investment enquires. She also supports the Investor Managers with identifying companies and Investors for on-boarding into Invest NZ.

Holly McCrindle

Theresa is a seasoned strategic advisor and programme leader with over 14 years of experience in public sector policy, major events, investment, and stakeholder engagement. Currently as Programme Manager – Missions at Invest New Zealand, she manages the design and delivery of investment focussed delegations and missions, driving cross-government collaboration and Ministerial engagement. 

Her background includes delivering high-impact government initiatives across tourism and major events, is PRINCE2 certified, a member of multiple professional networks and a passionate advocate for capability building and people-centred leadership. 


Theresa Von Dincklage

Christina specialises in attracting international investment into New Zealand's renewable energy sector. She works with international investors, developers, and industry stakeholders to identify investment opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and support investment into New Zealand.
Prior to joining Invest New Zealand, Christina worked in utility-scale solar project development, with hands-on experience across project development, stakeholder engagement, commercial negotiations, and project delivery. Her broader background spans banking, investment, and government engagement, giving her a strong understanding of both commercial drivers and the public sector environment.

Christina enjoys connecting international investors with high-quality renewable energy opportunities and helping them establish long-term partnerships in New Zealand.


Christina Yin

For more information about how we can help you uncover your next investment opportunity, send us a message and one of our team will be in touch with you shortly.


NZTE is the global team in your corner, here so you don’t have to go it alone. We offer independent export advice, global networks and tailored solutions to accelerate your international growth.

Meet the Invest New Zealand team. Our investment managers support investors and growth-stage companies with international aspirations, generate new investment opportunities in New Zealand and connect Māori entities with strong investment partners.

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Te haumi, te tipu tahi rānei me mātau.

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