Trade for all
advisory board

In 2017 he chaired the Advisory Group to select New Zealand's Centres of Asia Pacific Excellence, a $34.5 million investment by the Government. For 21 years, from 1992, David was a diplomat. He was High Commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam from March 2011 until leaving the public service in December 2014. He had previously served in New York, Canberra, Kuala Lumpur and as Ambassador to the Philippines. In Wellington, he held a number of policy roles, including as the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Economic Division.
In the 1980s, David lived in Dunedin where he was a member of the Flying Nun band, Sneaky Feelings.

The group’s goal is New Zealand’s prosperity through successful business. Catherine works with government and other key decision makers on issues of concern to exporters and manufacturers. Catherine has spent the last 20 years as a lobbyist and advocate for a wide range of industries on a wide range of issues, including on climate change issues for the energy intensive sector, all aspects of the fire and general insurance sector and the agricultural sector (dairy focus). Catherine has participated in Prime Minister led trade missions to Indonesia and China and represents BusinessNZ on the NZ US Council and the Board of GS1.
Catherine was also a co-founder of a start-up business designing and manufacturing children’s nursery furniture, for which two products won national design awards.



Barry was CEO of Oxfam New Zealand 2003-14, and a member of the Trade Advisory Board under Minister Phil Goff. He represented Oxfam’s global ‘Make Trade Fair’ campaign at Ministerial meetings, and supported Pacific Islands governments and civil society in trade negotiations, including PACER Plus. In 2015-16, he coordinated ‘It’s Our Future’ - the New Zealand campaign against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPPA). Barry has been a Board member of fair trade in the UK and a founding Board member of fair trade in Australia and New Zealand. He was recently a Green Party MP in 2016-17, and held the portfolios for Trade and Investment and Commerce. Barry Coates is currently establishing Mindful Money, a new charity to promote responsible investment.

She is a passionate kiwi and a member of NZ Global Women. She has strong customer focus, and a track record of leading and implementing strategy, and building organisational culture. Vic was previously the Managing Director of Xero, NZ and New Markets, following executive roles at Chorus and Telecom New Zealand.
She has been an Independent Director on the Boards of a number of companies and organisations in the technology sector, including Contact Energy, RedShield, Figure.NZ, Creative HQ and the Hi-Tech Trust.

Recognised for her three decades of leadership in sustainable development, Molly has convened, driven and contributed to numerous boards, business leadership and sustainability initiatives. She speaks widely to senior business, government and civic leadership groups, sharing her expertise in sustainability, economic redesign, green building innovation, fair trade and development issues.
Among Molly's achievements, in 1995 - at the age of 35, Molly was selected as a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Leaders for Tomorrow, a list of recognised influencers in the world community. She was named a ‘Woman to Watch into 2000’ by Business Class magazine and in 2014 she won the Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence Award, recognised in the ‘global influence’ category for her contribution to international development and sustainability.

Sam’s role at the NZCTU weaves together and drives many of the strands of NZCTU priority areas such as union growth, just transition/climate change and the current campaign to strengthen rights at work. He is the organisation’s spokesperson on trade and international commerce agreements.

Today, Lain is involved in a range of investment projects in Tourism and Agribusiness, serves as a Director on several Boards, acts as a strategic advisor to a small number of companies, and is Chairman of the Primary Sector Council.

Christchurch Airport has an estimated market value of circa $2 billion, passenger numbers of circa 7m p.a. and handles 85% all South Island parcel air freight volumes.

She has published many articles in these fields, and is a frequent speaker at international law and dispute resolution events in New Zealand and overseas. Amokura was appointed by the Waitangi Tribunal in 2016 as its independent expert for the Tribunal’s inquiry into the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. As the leading academic in New Zealand writing on arbitration law, she contributes regular reviews on dispute settlement for the New Zealand Law Review and co-authored the principal text on New Zealand arbitration law with Sir David Williams QC, Williams & Kawharu on Arbitration (recently published in its second edition, LexisNexis, 2017). Amokura is an active member of the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law and a Fellow of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand.

Raf spent 11 years trading global markets for investment banks in London. In 2002, he moved to New Zealand and has since been actively involved in governance and social enterprise. He has degrees in Economics and Political Science, and a Masters in International Law and Politics from the University of Canterbury.
He has spent many years examining the friction between the public and private space, and is especially interested in the reform of our monetary, welfare and tax systems, as well our political and constitutional arrangements.

Working extensively across the Pacific, Asia, South Asia and Middle East/GCC markets, Hone has built long-term relationships to drive the delivery of export services and social infrastructure development. Hone’s commitment to the growth and development of Aotearoa/New Zealand is demonstrated by his current appointment as the Executive Council Board Member for the Federation of Māori Authorities, a Board Member on Our Land & Water National Science Challenge and Director for the Volunteer Service Aboard.
As a long-serving Board Member for Wakatū Incorporation, Hone represents the Wakatū Board as a Director of its export food and beverage business, Kono NZ LP, and as a member of its Audit and Risk and HR Committees. Of Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Kere, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Rārua, Rangitane and Ngāti Kuia descent, Hone has a Masters in Education (with Distinction) and lives in Wellington.



Caren was made a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Caren’s service to governance and leadership has been recognised with the awarding of a 2016 New Zealander of the Year Local Hero Award and the Linden Estate Hawke’s Bay Business Leader of the Year 2018. In 2018 she was conferred with an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to governance and the Pacific community.


Simon has also spent considerable time working for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was the Ministry’s Assistant Secretary based in Auckland, and served as New Zealand High Commissioner to Canada and was concurrently High Commissioner to Jamaica. Earlier diplomatic assignments included postings as Counsellor and head of the trade team at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington DC and three years at the NZ Embassy in Tehran. He also spent several years working in Parliament as adviser to the Minister for Trade.
A proud South Islander, Simon now resides in Auckland. He is married to Penny Tucker and they have 3 children.

Since forming Global Metal Solutions in 2011, I have been focussed on growing and developing a sustainable recycling business that now employs a team of 40 in Hamilton and New Plymouth. My Maori heritage contributes to my strong family bonds and I am passionate about fostering a team culture throughout all facets of the GMS business, that is supportive and family oriented. I believe this focus has contributed strongly to the growth trajectory we are now experiencing. I am a father of five children whom work in various roles within the company, and also a grandfather of five.
I consider myself to be at the coalface of international trade and have developed strong customer and trader alliances internationally, which has seen the significant increase in the demand for our exported product. I travel to see my clients regularly to ensure that we thoroughly understand their product requirements. We pack and export from a number of ports throughout NZ, to most metal markets around the world. We also import and trans-ship a wide range of products from around the Pacific.
I have developed a comprehensive understanding of banks responsibilities to clients, due to some complex issues encountered over the years in interesting countries with diverse cultures and issues. This helps GMS shape our contracts to meet specific client and country requirements.
I consider myself to be leading a service provider to the recycling industry, and will look at any project given the opportunity/scope /support and skills to complete.

Since becoming CEO of NZ Māori Tourism Pania has focused on highlighting the unique opportunity that a Māori experience offers manuhiri (visitors) domestically and internationally.
Having grown up in business with her parents in the Hawke’s Bay and then owning businesses, Pania understands intimately both the pains and passion of a 24-hour personal and financial commitment. Fast forward to the mid 90’s she moved on to local and central government where she gained an appreciation of the important role that policy plays in our everyday lives.
Pania has used all that she has learned over the years (and continues to learn) to position NZ Māori Tourism as a key contributor, participant and influencer within the tourism industry today.
Married to Evan (Te Roroa), between them they have 8 children and live in Wellington splitting their downtime between Mahia and Northland.

Leeann led the restructuring of The Chamber to respond to the changing business environment post-earthquakes, and regularly reviews core services to ensure they continue to meet members’ needs. More recently she led the rebuild project for the new Chamber offices in Kilmore Street and is working on the future direction of The Chamber as part of a five-year project.
Leeann is a Government appointee to the Small Business Council, is a Director of the Westpac Champion Business Awards which recognise business excellence, a Director of Canterbury Regional Business Partners Ltd, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Christchurch Boys High School and a Board member of the Canterbury Cricket Association. Leeann interfaces with the business community at all levels and across all sectors and has many years’ experience in working in partnership with both Local and Central Government.

He co-founded and grew an international software company (wherescape.com) and a data and analytics consulting company (nowconsulting.co.nz). While CEO of WhereScape the company won numerous export awards including the Judge’s Supreme Award for International Business at the 2016 New Zealand International Business Awards.
Michael has also founded Tap In Ventures, a business advisory company that assists export focused high growth companies to scale and expand.