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Our People

Tia Hitchon

Manager
Corporate Development

Tia settled in New Zealand after a 10-year career in international investment banking and finance in London. Her management and organisational skills transferred well into the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority where she continued to provide strategic and operational advice to the Deputy Chief Executive of Communications. Her role extended to include detailed reporting and project management to a National Government level.

Phone. +64 21 207 3518

Email. [email protected]

Anya Hornsey

Christchurch Regional General Manager

Anya has a background as a co-inventor in a corporate spin-out which developed a significant patent portfolio sold to a multi-national company. Anya’s key focus is developing IP strategies for the Powerhouse portfolio and conducting due diligence on potential investment opportunities, checking freedom-to-operate and the strength of any existing IP position. Anya is responsible for deploying Powerhouse Seed Funds into pre-revenue early stage ventures, including IP negotiation and investment deal processing.

 

Phone. +64 27 205 8404

Email. [email protected]

Louis Mann

Investment Analyst

Louis has recently graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a conjoint Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts majoring in Commercial Law and International Relations. Working within the investment team, Louis’ role is to assist the regional manager in a range of valuation analysis tasks, pre-incubation due diligence and general business support work.

Phone. +64 21 751 541

Email. [email protected]

Matthew Turnbull

Financial Controller

Matthew is an accounting professional and brings to Powerhouse his skills in financial reporting and data analysis. Matthew qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Northern Ireland in 2012 and worked as an auditor for Grant Thornton in the UK and New Zealand for seven years before joining Powerhouse.

 

Phone. +64 22 064 7709

Email. [email protected]

Russell Yardley

Executive Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer

Russell has been a professional Non-Executive Director and Chairman for the past decade following a career in the informational technology and communications sector. He is Chairman of ASX listed Tesserent Limited, on the boards of two WPP companies Wunderman and Bienalto, Chairman of the Australian Federal Government funded National eResearch Collaboration Resources and Tools project, a member of the Victorian Government Purchasing Board as well as being an honorary member of the board of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. After spending more than 7 years at IBM he founded his first company Decision Engineers that was merged with ASI to form Applied Learning that was then listed on the ASX in 1993. Russell was the Victorian State Chair 2010-2011 and the National Treasurer 2011-2014 of the Australian Information Industry Association, was made an Honorary Member of the Australian Computer Society in 2010 and made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2012.

Appointed to the Board on 28/2/2017.

Rick Christie

Non-executive Independent Director

Rick is a professional Director and Chairman with extensive experience in the private and public sectors in New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere. He is Chairman of the New Zealand supercomputer network NeSI, ikeGPS Ltd and Service IQ and a director of Southport and Solnet Solutions. He also had extensive experience as a senior/ Chief Executive, including with BP Oil Limited, in Australia and the UK, Cable Price Downer - involved in the ANZAC Frigate Project - and the diversified New Zealand investment company Rangatira Ltd. He was Chief Executive of the NZ Trade Development Board, Chairman of the Crown Research Institute AgResearch, past Chairman of ASX and NZX listed Ebos Group Ltd.  He was a member of the Prime Minister’s Enterprise Council, Chairman of the Technological Innovation Working Group, the Science and Innovation Advisory Council and the Growth and Innovation Advisory Board. In 2010 he was made a Companion of the Royal Society of NZ.

Rick is a member of the Powerhouse Audit & Risk Committee and Corporate Governance & Nomination Committee.

Appointed to the Board on 10/12/2014.

 

Geoff Gander

Non-executive Independent Director

Mr Gander is an experienced professional  with a strong corporate background across a range of industry sectors, including Technology and Oil and Gas.  He is currently Chairman/CEO of an ASX listed oil and gas company and has held a range of Executive and Non-Executive Director roles with several listed companies over the past 14 years.

Appointed to the Board on 15/09/2018.

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