Fund management expert Rebecca Thomas will replace Sir Henry van der Heyden on the board.
Waikato-Tainui has appointed fund management expert Rebecca Thomas as an independent director of Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) the commercial investment arm of the iwi. Thomas will replace Sir Henry van der Heyden as a sitting independent board member, who is due to retire by rotation in April after serving on the board for nine years.
TGH chair van der Heyden said the appointment aligns with an anticipated increased focus on funds management for the Waikato-Tainui iwi, as the business continues to diversify alongside its active management of commercial assets such as property, farms, forestry, hotels and retail.
Thomas brings 35 years’ experience in the funds management sector both in New Zealand and offshore. This includes 15 years as founder and CEO of Mint Asset Management and previous senior investment roles for ING (NZ) Ltd and Johnson Fry, a London-based funds management firm.
Welcoming the appointment van der Heyden said: “Rebecca brings a wealth of experience in growing strong, diverse portfolios in New Zealand, regional and global markets. With her governance experience on the boards of the Financial Markets Authority and KiwiRail she will bring a clear, independent view on best practice in financial governance to the TGH Board.”
Thomas, who holds an LLB (Hons), is a member of the Institute of Directors of both New Zealand and London, as well as a member of the Securities and Investment Institute of London.
Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (the iwi Parliament) chair Parekawhia McLean and Te Arataura (the iwi executive committee) chair Linda Te Aho also welcomed Thomas’s appointment.
“It’s great to see a director of Rebecca’s experience come on to the board to help steer TGH to prudently invest in financial markets at a time that brings enhanced opportunities and risks in the economy,” Te Aho said.
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