Debbie Birch is a chartered member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors with a particular focus on financial markets and investment, and Māori economic development.
She was one of the founders of a private equity fund model for Māori/Iwi which co-invests alongside institutional investors over a 15-year timeframe, and has raised $115 million from 26 individual Māori /Iwi investor entities.
Debbie is currently chair of Raukawa ki te Tonga AHC, Taupō Moana Investments Ltd and a non-executive director of Tourism Holdings, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings Ltd, Te Pūia Tāpapa GP, Tūwharetoa Hau Rau GP. She is a trustee of Wellington Free Ambulance Trust and Manu Rere Charitable Trust and is a member of the Treasury’s Capital Markets Advisory Committee and MPI’s Te Puna Whakaaronui Thought Leaders Group.
Hamish Bell is an independent director and chair with extensive governance experience across a range of industries. Over the last 30 years, he has worked in NZ and across Asia in banking, corporate finance, private equity, investor relations and stockbroking.
A former partner at PwC and executive at ANZ National Bank, Hamish currently serves on a range of company boards including Ritchies Transport, Te Waka, Livingston Building, Boffa Miskell and Millennium Corporation. He has previously served on the boards of GJ Gardner Franklin, Greenstone Group, Pedersen Group, East Care, Southern Hospitality, Sutherland Produce, Martin Aircraft and Te Arawa Group Holdings.
Hamish said he was drawn to Eastland Group given his strong passion for regional business.
“I’m looking forward to drawing on my industry, corporate finance and stakeholder engagement experience to contribute to the Eastland Group board and to getting to know community and business stakeholders in Tairāwhiti.”
