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Our board of directors sets our strategy and monitors our performance. The board has extensive knowledge in business, investment, exporting and public policy, helping to ensure that NZTE provides the right support for its customers.

Jennifer has extensive governance experience, both in New Zealand and overseas. Her current positions include Deputy Chair of Callaghan Innovation, a director of Eke Panuku Development Auckland, and Waipa Networks, and Board Advisor to Mediaworks. Former governance roles include director of New Zealand Rugby.

Previously, Jennifer has been general manager of customers, people and environment at Transpower, former group director of human resources and health and safety at Fonterra, and group manager of human resources for Mobil Oil for all of Europe. She has run her own consultancy and has strong experience in organisational strategy, chief executive recruitment and succession, executive remuneration and stakeholder relationships.

Jennifer is a member of Global Women and has degrees in arts and social sciences from the University of Waikato. She is of Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama descent.

Jennifer Kerr

Mike is a professional director, writer and business advisor with a focus on digital, media and growth companies. He is Chair of the online booking company Timely and craft brewing company Garage Project. 

He is also Chair of NZ G2G, a government-to-government organisation, online global music company Serato, Kiwi Wealth, Tourism NZ, Realestate.co.nz and Radio New Zealand. 

Mike is the Saturday business columnist for Stuff Media and host of the television series Start Up.

Mike “MOD” O’Donnell

Carl Carrington is a professional director and former Chief Executive with extensive experience in the food and beverage sector. He was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Aotearoa Fisheries/Moana New Zealand for six years. Prior to this, he held roles with DB Breweries, Sheppard Industries Avanti Bicycles, Heineken-Lion Australia, Lion Nathan Australia, Vietnam Breweries.

Carl is an independent director of the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA), Mt Cook Alpine Salmon, Reefton Distilling Company, the Cawthron Institute, Good Spirits Hospitality, McCashin's Brewery and Hop Revolution. He is also Chair of Pure Pac.

Carl has an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management, and he has completed professional development training through Stanford Business School.

Carl Carrington

For the past 20 years Deb has been an active owner, investor, advisor, and facilitator in all facets of the small business ecosystem. She holds a part-time role in the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The University of Auckland, is a co-owner of the family biotechnology business Biocell Corporation and a partner at Coalspud providing advisory and delivery services to SMEs.

Deb currently sits on several advisory boards and Boards of Directors including Biocell, Onguard Group, Resero Group/Furnware, Forrest Estate Wines and Soul Capital. She is an investor with ICEHOUSE Ventures and Soul Capital and was previously an investor and chair of Pet Doctors Ltd. She is also the co-author of two books focussed on SMES.

Deb was part of the original team that designed and developed the Owner Manager Programme in 2001 (Icehouse's business growth offerings) and remains a facilitator. From 2014-2020 Deb was a member of the NZTE Better By Design Advisory board. She is the industry representative on the government appointed Australia and New Zealand Electronic Invoicing Board (ANZEIB) and a Small Business Advisor to MBIE and Minster Nash.

Deb has degrees in psychology from the Universities of Otago and Auckland and a Ph.D. in Organisational Culture also from The University of Auckland.

Deborah Shepherd

Sarah Paterson is Director of Blue Circle Consulting Ltd, providing advice on strategy development, trade and primary sector policy, and facilitating strategic cooperation. She is also a partner in Global Trade Insights, providing trade policy training and capacity building. 

Sarah has worked on trade and primary sector issues for almost 20 years, including roles with Fonterra, the then Meat and Wool New Zealand, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She is a director of Kiwifruit New Zealand, the New Zealand Meat Board, and a member of the Army Leadership Board. She studied at the University of Otago, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political Science.

Sarah Paterson

Traci Houpapa is an award-winning company director and a recognised industry leader. She is a trusted advisor to Māori, Government, public and private sector entities on strategic and economic development, and is known for her strong and inclusive leadership and her clear focus on building the wealth and prosperity of Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Traci is a chartered fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and recognised as a role model for other directors and business leaders. She has been named as one of the top ten most influential women in New Zealand agribusiness and the Listener's top 10 influencers in New Zealand.

Traci won the Westpac Fairfax Media Women of Influence Board and Management award and has been named on Westpac's New Zealand Women Powerbrokers list. Traci has been awarded the Massey University Distinguished Alumni Service Award for services to New Zealand agribusiness and Māori, and named amongst the BBC's 100 Most Influential Women in the World. 

Traci holds an MBA from Massey University and is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, a Justice of the Peace, and a Marriage Celebrant.

Traci Houpapa

Victoria Spackman ONZM is an independent director based in Wellington. Her governance roles include Chair of high-growth trans-Tasman technology company Ackama Group, director of Acumen NZ, MetService and CDC Pharmaceuticals and Co-Chair of the Toi Mai Workforce Development Council. She is also an owner-director of visitor experience design and screen production company Gibson Group and serves on the board of the Katherine Mansfield House and Garden. She is Chair of the advisory board of creative companies Uno Loco and Hula.

Victoria was Chief Executive of the Gibson Group both before and after she led a management buyout of that business and was the first executive director of the Te Auaha School of Creativity in Wellington. She is a previous board member of Manapou ki te Ao Education New Zealand.

In 2012 she was awarded the prestigious Private Sector In-House Lawyer of the Year Award by the New Zealand Law Society to recognise her contribution to the profession and to Gibson Group. Victoria won the Arts and Culture category at the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards in 2015 and is an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to theatre, film and television. She also has qualifications across theatre, film, television, languages, law, and management.

Victoria Spackman

Two ministers of the crown also share responsibility for NZTE's performance.

The ministers responsible for NZTE are the Minister for Economic Development and the Minister for Trade and Export Growth. Ministers drive the government's economic agenda, making decisions and allocating government finances to enable NZTE's customers to do business around the world.

Before becoming an MP in 1993, Damien O'Connor worked in farming and tourism. During a five-year stint in Australia, he worked as a machinery operator and in sales. On his return to New Zealand, he established Buller Adventure Tours, which he owned and operated in a partnership. An active sportsman, he has represented Buller in athletics and plays rugby for the New Zealand parliamentary team. He is the Labour MP for West Coast-Tasman.

The Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Hon Damien O'Connor

Hon Stuart Nash first entered politics in 2008 as a list MP, and was elected Labour MP for Napier in 2014. Prior to entering politics, he worked in senior management in small and large organisations in both the private and public sectors. His wide-ranging career has included roles in IT, sales and marketing, business strategy, resource planning, strategic planning and general management.

Stuart Nash completed a Bachelor of Arts (History) at Victoria University before moving to Canterbury University where he gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry and a Master's in Forestry Science. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma and Master's Degree in Business Management and a Master of Law.

The Minister for Economic and Regional Development, Hon Stuart Nash

The Lead team is NZTE's executive management group. The Lead team has a broad range of experience, particularly in the private sector, and their leadership has a direct impact on the services we provide to our customers.

Based in Auckland, Clare leads the international team made up of 39 offices across seven regions. She was formerly NZTE's Regional Director of East Asia and prior to that Regional Director for Australia Pacific. Clare joined NZTE as New Zealand's Trade Commissioner/Consul General to Italy with responsibility for the offices in Milan and Istanbul.

Before joining NZTE, Clare held a number of senior marketing and leadership roles at St John Ambulance, Tourism Holdings, Auckland Rugby and Carter Holt Harvey. She co-founded and exited two start-ups - Philadelphia Consulting and Redi Cuts.

Clare has a BA, BCom, Postgraduate Diploma in Business, and an MBA from the University of Auckland, and a Postgraduate Diploma of Packaging Technology from Massey University. She has also studied at Harvard Business School and INSEAD.

Clare Wilson

Daniel leads NZTE's Customer portfolio, which helps thousands of New Zealand exporters succeed overseas. He also leads our Manufacturing Export Customers Team, with team members based around New Zealand. 

Dan has held a number of leadership roles across NZTE, including Trade Commissioner for the United Kingdom and Ireland, Trade Commissioner and Consul-General in Melbourne, and NZTE private secretary to the Minister for Economic Development.

Before joining NZTE, Daniel was involved in exporting fresh produce, with operations role at ENZA and Global Fruits.

Based in the beautiful Hawke's Bay, Dan and his wife Pip are the proud parents to two wonderful daughters. He's an avid follower of almost any sport, with a particular passion for cricket and football and an appreciation for Aussie Rules Football that only comes from having lived in Melbourne.

Daniel Taylor

*Ko Tainui te waka 
Ko Tararua te pae maunga 
Ko Waikawa, ko Manakau, ko Waikanae nga awa 
Ko Kāpiti te motu 
Ko Ngāti Raukawa-ki-te-Tonga, Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toarangatira nga Iwi 
Ko Dylan Lawrence ahau*

Dylan is the current General Manager for the Investment team, responsible for leadership of all investment promotion and attraction activities on behalf of the New Zealand Government. Dylan is a leader experienced in capital markets, venture capital, investment, and international trade.

In addition, Dylan also leads Te Pora Māori, a specialised team within NZTE responsible for supporting the growth of Māori exporters and investors, and delivery of it's Māori strategy.

Prior to joining NZTE, Dylan was a Director at Cameron Partners, one of New Zealand's leading investment banks. During his time there he advised on and successfully executed a large number of mergers and acquisitions and capital market transactions across a broad range of industries for publicly-listed corporations, private equity firms and privately owned organisations.

Dylan is of Ngāti Raukawa-ki-te-Tonga, Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai and Ngāti Toarangatira descent. He holds Law (LLB) and Commerce (BMS) degrees from the University of Waikato, has completed the Harvard Business School Business Administration and Management Program, and is admitted as a legal practitioner in New Zealand.

Dylan Lawrence

Jess supports and advises the chief executive. Prior to joining the Lead team in April 2019, she worked in the New Zealand Government Partnerships Office as supply side manager. She has been a business development advisor at NZTE, a private secretary to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Murray McCully, and an events coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She has sports medicine and political studies degrees from the University of Auckland and a biology degree from Hartwick College in the United States, and she is also an experienced water polo coach.

Jess Dorman

*__He aha te mea nui o te ao?__ What is the most important thing in the world? __He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.__ It is the people, it is the people, it is the people - Māori proverb.*

People are at the heart of NZTE and Rachel leads our People and Kōrako Team. The team guides and supports all culture and people-related activities across the world. They help attract talented individuals and provide care, knowledge, and resources so our global team can grow companies, grow New Zealand, and grow themselves.

People and Kōrako are also responsible for overseeing the implementation of our organisation improvement programme – Kōrako – ensuring that NZTE scales for greater customer impact.

In her time at NZTE, Rachel has led both strategy and customer teams. Before joining NZTE, she worked in management consulting, government policy and Ministerial advisory roles. Rachel holds an Honours degree in Applied Economics from Massey University and a Master's of Public Policy from Victoria University.

Rachel Baxter

Sanchia leads a team that serves NZTE's customers indirectly. Prior roles at NZTE include customer director, Mumbai trade commissioner and general manager of Internal Partners & People. Prior to joining NZTE, she was managing director for IBM's Kenexa NZ, leading the Best Workplaces programme and launching their Smarter Workforce solution across Australia and New Zealand. During a decade in the United States, she was on the Great Place to Work® Institute's lead team. She has arts and business degrees from the University of Auckland and a diploma in financial markets from the Securities Institute of Australia.

Sanchia Yonge

Tim oversees NZTE's strategy development, internal and external stakeholder relationships, corporate services and people functions, and Māori capability and relationships.

He joined NZTE in 2005, and has been general manager of Customers, general manager of International, director for China and regional director for Australia Pacific. In 2019, he completed a secondment at Landcorp, developing a growth and investment strategy for Pāmu Foods, Landcorp's value-added foods business.

His previous roles include industry initiatives manager at the New Zealand Racing Board, corporate finance advisor at Communications Equity Associates and management consultant at Hatch Beddows, where he specialised in mining and metal products. He has a business studies degree from Massey University, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Tim Green

Pete has been chief executive of NZTE since 2011. He has a passion for New Zealand, which drives his commitment to NZTE. He believes he works for a cause, not an institution. Pete sees his role as leading strategy and culture, to deliver for both exporters and investors. He works closely with his other government agency partners, for the good of New Zealand.

Prior to joining NZTE, Pete spent 23 years in the engineering, manufacturing, and pulp and paper industries, covering business in New Zealand, Australia, South America, Asia, Middle East and Europe, including roles in human resources, operations, logistics, supply chain, business improvement and general management. He has a social sciences master's degree from Massey University, and post graduate studies in business.

Pete Chrisp

Regional directors lead our activity in seven international regions and have a range of international experience across public and private sector. 

Based in Los Angeles, Amanda is responsible for key relationships and operations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC and Vancouver. Prior to this role, she was customer director for the Central North Island's Customers team, having joined as a customer manager in 2013.

Prior to this, she worked for UK Trade & Investment in London as an international trade advisor, where her work included responsibility for the national fashion sector strategy. She has also worked on economic development projects at the Canterbury Development Corporation. Her private sector experience includes financial management, people management and export development. She has a commerce degree from the University of Otago.

Amanda Martin

Based in Shanghai, Andrew White leads NZTE's operations and stakeholder relationships across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He was appointed immediately following service as New Zealand's Trade Commissioner in Beijing. 

Andrew earlier served as Trade Commissioner Shanghai and Director China between 2004 and 2008, when he oversaw business leveraging for the landmark New Zealand China Free Trade Agreement and built up NZTE's in-market team and resources to support rapid growth in New Zealand exporters doing business with China. 

Following a return to New Zealand in 2009, Andrew held a range of leadership roles including Customer Director (Auckland) and Regional Director for Europe, before his posting to Beijing as Trade Commissioner in early 2019. 

In addition to English, Andrew is fluent in Japanese and worked in marketing roles at Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan before joining NZTE. He holds a conjoint arts and commerce degree from the University of Auckland, and has carried out further study at the University of Hiroshima in Japan.

Andrew White

Based in the NZTE East Asia regional hub, Singapore, Benny oversees NZTE's offices and relationships across East Asia as regional director for both Trade and Investment.

He was formerly NZTE's investment director for Greater China and East Asia, where he led 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 nearly 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

Glen oversees NZTE's work and relationships in Australia and the Pacific. Prior to this role, he was NZTE's investment director for North America, and he has also been a regional director for Greater China and a Beachhead advisor for NZTE.

Before joining NZTE, Glen held a number of senior roles with The Nielsen Company, including managing director for China and managing director for Australia and New Zealand. The Nielsen Company provides information and advisory services to consumer marketing and retailing companies. He is the founder of consultancy and training company CXX, and also founded Research Review Hong Kong, an online medical publishing business. He was an independent director on the board of Mud House Wine Group.

He has a business degree from the University of Waikato and also completed courses of study through Duke University, the University of Oxford's Said Business School, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Glen Murphy

Based in Dubai, Rachael oversees NZTE's activity in India, the Middle East and Africa. Her previous role was as Trade Commissioner to Singapore, where she led NZTE's trade team supporting New Zealand businesses to grow their export presence in-market.

Rachael joined NZTE's Singapore team from Facebook where she was responsible for privacy policy communications for the Asia-Pacific region. She also brings New Zealand commercial governance experience as the Associate Director for Wakatū Incorporation based in Te Tau Ihu.

Rachael had previously worked in IMEA with roles in both Dubai and Bahrain before joining NZTE in 2014. She has a background in government relations and political engagement in New Zealand, having worked as a press secretary to the Minister of Commerce, Minister for Small Business, and as a political journalist for Mediaworks in the press gallery at Parliament.

Rachael is a qualified lawyer with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Victoria University of Wellington. She also holds a Masters in Broadcast Journalism (MA) from the University of Westminster in London.

Rachael Kerr

Based in São Paulo, Steve looks after operations across Latin America, where NZTE has offices in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. He is focussed on expanding New Zealand's commercial engagement in the region, particularly in agritechnology, food processing, security technology, software and specialised manufacturing.

He has previously been acting trade commissioner and commercial consul in Southern China, consul general in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and trade commissioner in Middle East, Africa and Pakistan. He has also co-led NZTE's strategies for international education and for high-growth technology companies, and was NZTE's private sector liaison officer to the World Bank Group. He speaks Arabic, English and French.

Steve Jones

Based in London, Vanessa O'Neill oversees NZTE's offices and relationships across Europe as Regional Director. She was appointed to the role in late 2021, having previously served as New Zealand Trade Commissioner and Consul-General based in Melbourne. 

Before joining NZTE, Vanessa was an enterprise consulting director with KPMG in Auckland, following their acquisition of her consulting business Estute+ in 2016. She was responsible for coaching businesses on their growth and export strategies, with additional responsibility as KPMG sector lead for food and beverage. 

Vanessa's previous industry experience spans technology, telecommunications, seed and venture capital, fast-moving consumer goods, large-format retailing, foodservice and packaging. She has held senior national and trans-Tasman marketing roles with a range of Australian corporates, as well as various strategy and marketing roles with UK businesses including The Body Shop UK, Marks and Spencer, and Debenhams.

Vanessa has a passion for self-development, having studied and gained a commerce degree and an MBA from the University of Canterbury, a postgraduate diploma in strategy and innovation from the University of Oxford, as well as attending the Global Agribusiness programme at Harvard Business School. In 2020, she completed the Company Directors Course from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 
Vanessa has served as an advisory board member for the Amplifier Programme with the Canterbury Development Corporation, an advisory lead coach with the Icehouse Owner Operator Programme, an advisory board member with UC Executive Education MBA, and as a venture partner (commercialisation) with Powerhouse Ventures.

Vanessa O'Neill

NZTE is committed to growing the Māori economy internationally, and we have specific strategies and a team of specialist advisors with the cultural and commercial competence to support Māori entities. Meet some of the team below.

Ko Ngatokimatawhaorua te waka 
Ko Whangatauatia te maunga 
Ko te oneroa-a-tohe te moana 
Ko Wainui te marae 
Ko Te Rarawa te iwi 

Dale's role as the Director Māori partnership involves working across iwi rangatira, business leaders and government agencies to align best partnership and growth opportunities for Māori to optimise success in the export sector.

Before joining NZTE in 2014, Dale had over 20 years' experience in senior leadership roles to chief executive level in the business world. He has also had senior leadership roles across the public sector in fisheries, primary industries, ACC and Te Puni Kōkiri, including a successful career in the police (to the rank of Inspector) where he specialised in serious crime investigation.

Dale is of Te Rarawa descent, born and raised in Christchurch where he now resides. He holds degrees in policing (Dip Pol), business studies (BBS) , public policy (MPP), Te Reo Māori (Grad Dip Arts) and law (LLM), and is currently working towards a degree in Spanish.

Dale Aotea Stephens

Ko Tongariro te maunga 
Ko Rotoaira te roto 
Ko Te Arawa te waka 
Ko Otūkou me Papakai ngā marae 
Ko Ngati Tūwharetoa te iwi 
Ko Ngati Hikairo te hapū 
Ko Theresa Rongonui ahau.

Theresa is the Director Learning and Organisational Development. Together with her team, she is responsible for identifying and building capability and she is passionate about growing innovative and exciting learning opportunities that grow life long learners at NZTE.

Theresa has enjoyed a career working across the health and education sectors. Most recently, she has been a Principal Consultant with The Skills Consulting Group, working across the education sector to grow learner outcomes, with a particular focus on Māori, Pasifika and neuro-diverse learners.

Theresa is from Ratana Pa and proud mum of four children. She is proudly Ngati Tūwharetoa, Morehu and Dutch. She graduated from Victoria University of Wellington and has also completed the University of Virginia EY Darden Executive Programme, Business Administration in 2020.

Theresa Rongonui

Jeremy leads the Māori customer team, which supports Māori Focus customers. The Māori customer team looks after customers across the country. Jeremy is a recent arrival to NZTE, but has been a customer of NZTE for many years, bringing a unique perspective to the team.

Jeremy's experience includes leadership roles in start-ups, growth and corporates across a range of sectors, including food and beverage, finance, IT and iwi/ Māori.

Jeremy's whakapapa links to Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pikiao, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Te Whakatōhea iwi in the Bay of Plenty.

Jeremy Gardiner

Ko Mauao te Maunga.
Ko Tauranga te Moana.
Ko Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, me Te Arawa ōku Iwi.
Ko Te Rangimarie Ririnui ahau.

Rangi leads the Māori investment team that is responsible for accelerating Māori development through investment. He has significant corporate finance and capital raising experience in both Australia and New Zealand.

Prior to joining NZTE, Rangi was a Senior Manager at KPMG Wellington, where he led their acquisition services offering. Prior to this, Rangi held corporate finance and M&A roles at both PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young. Rangi has also owned several businesses, primarily in the hospitality industry.

Rangi is of Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui and Te Arawa descent and holds a Masters in Applied Finance (with distinction) and a Bachelors of Commerce (Double Major: Economics and International Business) from Victoria University of Wellington.

Te Rangimarie (Rangi) Ririnui

Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa-ki-te-Tonga, Ngāti Tamaterā

Kiwa is a trade commissioner based in Hong Kong. He came to NZTE as a dedicated Māori investment manager, following a career within the banking, professional services and airline industries.

He has held roles in Aotearoa and Northern Europe, with technical expertise spanning the disciplines of operating model design, change management, supply chain, price modelling and wealth management.

Kiwa is a fluent speaker of Te Reo Māori, English and Danish, and holds a Master's in international business from the University of Auckland.

Kiwa Whatarau

Meet the NZTE leadership team. Learn more about our board of directors, CEO and lead team, regional directors and Māori business advisors. 