Air New Zealand's Christopher Luxon joins board of Christian aid group Tearfund

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon is joining the Tearfund board. Photo / Dean Purcell

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon has joined the board of Christian aid group Tearfund.

Its chairman, Gary Agnew, said Luxon had joined in his personal capacity.

"Christopher and his family have a passion for Tearfund's mission and have actively been involved in raising funds and awareness around Tearfund's anti-human trafficking and exploitation work,'' said Agnew.

He said the orgainisation was delighted to have Luxon lend his expertise to Tearfund as the organisation positions itself as one of New Zealand's leading international aid and development NGOs.

Tearfund NZ was started in 1975 by the Evangelical Fellowship of New Zealand which wanted a humanitarian arm of local churches. With a $10,000 grant from Tearfund UK, Tearfund NZ was started, raising $2000 to build a village well in Guinea Bissau, West Africa.

Tearfund now raises around $14 million a year to support around 29 partners in 24 countries.

Luxon said he had been attracted to the incredible team and work of Tearfund.

"The protection work Tearfund does around anti-trafficking and exploitation alongside the child sponsorship and disaster recovery programmes, and the empowerment of people through community-based enterprises and helping them access the basics of clean water, health and education is very impressive."

Luxon has been chief executive at the airline since January 2013, having previously held the role of group general manager international airlines for almost two years.

Before joining Air New Zealand, he was president and chief executive at Unilever Canada.

He had other senior leadership roles during an 18-year career at Unilever and worked in Europe, North America and Asia/Pacific.

Last month he said he had been approached about the top job at Fonterra but was committed to Air New Zealand.