BESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswy
RIDL has a board of 5 directors, supported by an investment manager. The Chair of the board is John Spencer.
John Spencer is a Wellington-based businessman and company director. He has been a director and chairman of a number of companies over the last 10 years and has extensive experience in complex commercial governance environments such as iwi, education institutes and co-operatives. His background includes a period as the chief executive of NZ Dairy Group - one of the two dairy companies that merged to form Fonterra and has held a number of senior management positions in New Zealand and overseas in various industries.
In addition to being the chair of RIDL, John is also the chair of the Tertiary Education Commission, chair of KiwiRail and chair of Waikato Regional Airport Ltd. He serves on the board of Mitre 10 and was previously chair of Tainui Group Holdings, WEL Networks Ltd and of Asure Quality as well as being deputy chairman of NIWA and Solid Energy. He has also served on the boards Tower Limited, Dairy NZ Ltd and Dispute Resolution Services Ltd.
A fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the institute of directors John was a member of the Accounting Standards Review Board for nine years. John was honored with a Fellowship from the Waikato Institute of Technology in November 2010, received the “Valued Contribution to the Profession” award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2002 and was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June 2011 for services to business. In 2011, he undertook an independent review of the Public Prosecution Services for the Government.
John was appointed independent director and chair of RIDL in August 2012
Vanessa Eparaima was elected as the Chair of the Raukawa Settlement Trust in February 2012 and was the inaugural chair of RIDL. Vanessa stood down as chair of RIDL in 2013 to focus her energies on driving the social and cultural focus of Raukawa.
With an extensive background in the tourism and business training/assessment sector, Vanessa brings a wealth of management and governance experience to her roles with Raukawa. A former chief executive in the tourism sector, Vanessa continues to serve as a director or trustee on a range of commercial and not-for-profit groups. With a strong background in investment and leadership, coupled with a lifelong passion for Māori and iwi development, Vanessa is driven by clear expectations around best business and governance practice to achieve the best potential for Raukawa. Vanessa has a background, not only in management and leadership in Māori performing arts, but has been a committed proponent and practitioner for many years.
For the last six years, Vanessa has served as the Mōkai Marae representative on the Raukawa Settlement Trust. During her journey with Raukawa, she has also served as the Raukawa Lead Treaty Negotiator where, along with the Raukawa Treaty Team, wai number claimants, and kaumātua, she took Raukawa to the conclusion of their historical Treaty settlement negotiations – culminating in the June 2nd signing of the Comprehensive Deed of Settlement on 2nd June 2012 and the final accession of the settlement legislation in March 2014.
Jon is Managing Director of Stokes Communications, a company specialising in public relations, communications and strategy advice.
Jon brings a broad experience base to the role of director of RIDL. He has more than a decade’s experience providing strategy and communication advice to a range of entities and individuals including iwi, other Māori organisations, the tertiary education sector, government and businesses.
He has a strong background in sales and marketing management and has had a successful career as an award winning journalist for media organisations including the New Zealand Herald and Waikato Times before starting his own company.
Guided by strong ethics and principles Jon is a person who thinks outside the square, and who can quickly come up to speed on complex issues.
Jon is also an expert in risk assessment and crisis management, focusing on best practice governance in all entities with which he has involvement.
Jon is appointed to the RIDL board as a non-trustee iwi member.
Jon affiliates to Raukawa and Maniapoto. Jon’s marae is Whakamārama.
Debbie Davies is the Pikitu marae representative on the Raukawa Settlement Trust (RST). She has been an elected member of the Raukawa Charitable Trust Board (RCT) for 8 years.
Debbie is the Chair of the RCT Audit Committee. With a diverse background in farming, Forestry, and the timber and energy sector, Debbie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her roles for her Raukawa iwi. Her former roles across financial and operations management, have built a range of skills enabling guidance of the RST and RCT strategy and decision making.
Debbie continues to serve as a director and trustee on a range of residential development, and not-for-profit organisations. These organisations have included the Lake Taupo Coastguards, Taupo Hospital Society, Iwi Maori Council and the Lake Taupo Basketball Association.
Debbie affiliates to Raukawa and Ngati Tuwharetoa.
Nachelle has over 20 years’ experience as a chair and a board member for various sectors.
Nachelle brings with her governance experience in commercial entities, Māori authorities, Post Settlement Governance, Statutory Authorities, and education. Which include overseeing significant commercial investments in geothermal power, Energy services drilling and engineering, agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, telecommunication investment, and previously as the Chair of a Secondary School Board of Trustees. She also has a strong focus on business sustainability and environmental stewardship which is essential in her roles at a Hapū, Land Trust and iwi authority level.