Bayden Barber.
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated (NKII) is pleased to announce the appointment of three additional directors and one appointed by the NKII Board on
to the Kahungunu Asset Holding Company (KAHC) Board.
Ratahi Cross, Mike Devonshire and Alex Guilleux along with newly elected iwi chairman, Bayden Barber will be joining the KAHC directors, chairman, Trevor Moeke, Heather Skipworth and Barry Wilson.
Ratahi Cross is of Ngāti Pahauwera and Rongomaiwahine descent and is involved with a number of companies that have large investments in the Kahungunu rohe, including his family business that has about $150 million invested in the horticultural industry from Havelock North across the plains to Fernhill.
Ratahi holds a number of positions on various governance boards with horticulture as his main area of focus. Ratahi has a background in natural science specialising in Native flora and fauna and lectures in Māori history.
Mike Devonshire is an experienced leader, mentor and governance professional and has a background in institutional banking, corporate finance, infrastructure, property, and business leadership. Mike, a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors, has detailed governance experience working with capital-intensive industries, more particularly the construction, geotechnical, property, port and wine processing sectors.
Following an early career in rural property management and investment banking, Mike established his own business consultancy in 2002 and has since worked with a wide range of clients providing transactional, strategic and governance advice.
Alex Guilleux is a globally-experienced business leader and adviser with a proven track record of delivering transformational change. He has experience with global market-leading businesses, driving performance through innovation, strategic growth, operation model and digital transformation.
Managing Partner of Corporate Value Associates (CVA) New Zealand, previously he rose through the ranks at PwC Consulting, moving from associate in 2004 in Paris to partner in 2016 in Auckland.
He left in 2019 to become managing director foods and markets of one of the largest vertically integrated horticulture businesses in NZ. Alex brings 20 years of strategy and execution consulting experience; he also led the development of the world's first digital business platform for fresh produce and became the chief executive of this company shortly thereafter.
Newly elected iwi chairman Bayden Barber was appointed by the NKII Board to join the KAHC directorship. Recently Barber became a chartered member of the NZ Institute of Directors.
A retired Hastings district councillor, Bayden was the former chairman of the Hastings District Council's strategy and policy committee, he is an independent director of Beef + Lamb NZ, a director and former chair of Health Hawke's Bay and a board member of Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission).
Bayden feels his extensive governance and council relationships will support in the areas of housing developments and commercial activities of KAHC. He has a desire to improve Ngāti Kahungunu's financial performance and says that our fisheries treaty settlement and assets need to be growing exponentially to increase the benefits offered to members.
Together the Kahungunu Asset Holding Company Board of Directors will provide leadership in a whole range of commercial developments from whenua to fishing, employment to investment and property acquisition to aquaculture.
The Kahungunu Asset Holding Company is the entity that was established in 2005 under the Māori Fisheries Act 2004, to receive and manage the Treaty Fisheries Settlement Assets.