Nelson’s Wakatū Incorporation Appoints General Counsel as Group CEO

This is a supplied media release. 

The Nelson based and whanau owned, multinational commercial enterprise, Wakatū Incorporation, has appointed its current General Counsel, Kerensa Johnston (Ngāti Tama, Ngāruahine and Ngāti Whāwhakia), as its new CEO.

Ms Johnston’s appointment follows a yearlong programme to strengthen the organisations infrastructure and capability requirements and take advantage of future opportunities in domestic and overseas markets.

“Wakatū Incorporation has a 500-year vision for the wellbeing and prosperity of our people that builds on the solid foundations our tupuna put in place,” Ms Johnston says.

“Caring for the whenua on which our assets depend, and nurturing the talents of our people have been, and will always be, critical to our success. We focus on developing  ethical leaders in business, politics, science and technology, the arts and culture who will have a direct input into the success of our organisation, our families and our community.”

Wakatū Incorporation was established by its Maori owners in 1977.  Today, it owns and operates several subsidiary and associated companies, including Kono NZ LP, its export food and beverage arm and Whenua, which manages residential and commercial property development in the Nelson and Marlborough region.  

With an annual turnover of close to $100 million, Wakatū is one of the largest employers in the region.  It exports its products to 40 countries around the world and has offices in Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington, Auckland and Shanghai.

“Good succession planning that is consistent with our tikanga has always been a priority for Wakatū. We aim to create an organisation where the best people want to work, while ensuring that we always have a place for our kaumātua in governance roles within our organisation.”

Ms Johnston’s appointment to the role, which has been vacant since the last CEO, Keith Palmer retired in 2012, is an example of Wakatū Incorporations succession planning strategy in action.

She is a graduate of the two-year long Wakatū Associate Director programme which places experienced professionals who whakapapa to the family of owners into management and governance roles within the Incorporation, alongside experienced board members to learn all aspects of the business.

Before joining Wakatū, Ms Johnston worked as a lawyer in public agencies and private practice, both here and in the United Kingdom.  She has a background in corporate law, environmental and land law and the law relating to public law and constitutional issues, including Treaty issues and international law affecting indigenous peoples’ rights.

She worked for the Court of Appeal in Wellington and Wellington law firm, Buddle Findlay before moving to London where she acted as in-house counsel for Westminster City, the largest local authority in the UK.  Returning to Aotearoa, Kerensa joined the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland before establishing a private legal practice in the Bay of Plenty and Nelson.  She joined Wakatū Incorporation as its General Counsel in 2012.

” It’s a privilege and a huge responsibility to come home and work with my own people and be part of an organisation that is enabling the wellbeing of our people and our land, as well as the economic and cultural development of the Nelson and Marlborough community.”

Wakatū Incorporation is a family owned business with approximately 4,000 owners who descend from the original customary Māori landowners of the Nelson, Tasman and Golden Bay Regions – Te Tau Ihu.