Te Arawa appoints financial expert as new CEO

FILE

Te Arawa Group Holdings (TAGH) has appointed Colleen Neville to be its new chief executive officer.

TAGH is the commercial arm of Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Trust (TPT), and is charged with creating inter-generational wealth for the benefit of its shareholders.

Ms Neville has held the role of chief financial officer for TAGH since 2011, and was the acting chief executive for six months prior to the appointment of Ian Boyd in October 2013. Prior to this, she has held key financial roles with a range of organisations connected with TAGH's priority investment sectors.

Ms Neville has a strong governance background.

She has recently been appointed to directorships on NZ Forest Research Institute (Scion) and Te Kakano Whakatipu Ltd.

She is newly appointed as an independent director to the audit & risk committee for Te Ohu Kaimoana, and as an independent director on Te Ohu Kaimoana Portfolio Management Services.

Andrew West has recently been appointed as TAGH's chairman, after being reappointed as an independent director in 2014.

Dr West said the board was pleased to have appointed a skilled candidate who brought significant commercial experience and extensive operational knowledge of TAGH to the role.

"Colleen has been instrumental in TAGH's growth throughout its founding years. After completing a thorough and robust recruitment process, the TAGH board is confident that Colleen is the best person to lead the organisation and continue to maintain TAGH's significant growth throughout the coming years." Dr West replaces retiring chairman Wallace Haumaha. Mr Haumaha was TAGH's inaugural chairman from 2007 to 2015.

Retiring alongside Mr Haumaha is Fred Cookson, independent director and chairman of TAGH's audit, risk & remuneration committee from 2007-2015.

Mr Cookson has worked with clients in the primary and commercial sectors as director and partner of Cookson Forbes & Associates in Opotiki.

Mr Cookson represented Ngati Uenukukopako throughout settlement negotiations until 2010.

Dr West acknowledged Mr Haumaha and Mr Cookson as inaugural members of the TAGH board, and thanked them for their impressive and substantial contributions during the past eight years.