Patron
Sir Noel Robinson KNZM
Sir Noel Robinson KNZM is the Founding Chairman of Waka Pacific Trust and stepped down from the Board of Trustees in June 2020 to enjoy his retirement. Sir Noel’s vision to provide South Auckland with a place of learning, challenge and success has been well achieved through the establishment of the Due Drop Events Centre, the Vector Wero Whitewater Park and the Momentum Hub.
He relentlessly pursued national and local government approvals, consents and partnerships. His strong relationship with iwi coupled with corporate sponsorships has resulted in a world class facility that continues to grow in commercial excellence and to invest in programmes that benefit youth and community.
Sir Noel’s past involvements in the business and enterprise sectors were Founder of Robinson Industries, Founding Director of South Auckland Health and Deputy Chairman when Middlemore Hospital became a Crown Health Enterprise, Chairman of Sir Woolf Fisher Educational Trust and Chairman of a business group that worked with the Manukau City Council to develop their economic strategy for the city. He was also involved in property developments projects at Highbrook Industrial Estate in Auckland and Paraparaumu Airport in Wellington.
He is the Patron of the Manukau Symphony Orchestra, and a Trustee of John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams and the NZ Business & Parliament Trust.
Sir Noel was appointed as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) in 2006 for services to the community and business.
Trustees
John Bongard ONZM CRSNZ
Chairman
John Bongard is the Chairman of the Waka Pacific Trust. He is passionate about the South Auckland community where he was raised and is also Chairman of The Rising Foundation, a programme created to assist youth in Otara, Manurewa, Papakura and Pukekohe.
John served almost 36 years with Fisher & Paykel Appliances, most recently as CEO and Managing Director, prior to his retirement in 2009.
Since retirement, John has continued his involvement in the business and enterprise sectors as Chairman of Netball New Zealand, Chairman of BNZ Partners Highbrook, Deputy Chairman of The Totara Foundation, Chairman of Sky City Auckland Community Trust, Chairman of Science for Technological Innovation and Chairman of PSCTH Thailand, HJ Asmuss & Co Limited, NARTA Australia and WilliamsWarn NZ Limited.
John Bongard was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2010 for services to business.
Sky Cai
Director, Kvest Investment Partners Group Ltd
Sky is the director of Kvest Investment Partners Group Ltd. He is an experienced development professional with proven success in subdivisions, apartment developments, residential and commercial construction, and assets and equity management.
Sky has an affable personality which enables him to build an excellent rapport with stakeholders. He very much enjoys networking which he undertakes with great skill and he is passionate about charity work.
Martin Cooper
Trustee, Manurewa Marae
Martin is a leadership support specialist and Kaumatua for Alfriston College. He is a Board of Trustee of the Manurewa Marae Trust, Kaumatua and Trustee of The Polyfest Trust, Convener of Te Kooti Rangatahi (Marae Youth Courts) and former Chair of Te Hao Tapu Trust.
Martin joined Second Waka Pacific Trust as Trustee in August 2017.
Jeremy Hay
Director, RCP
Jeremy was appointed as Trustee of the Waka Pacific Trust in August 2017.
Jeremy is the Managing Director of RCP and has been involved in New Zealand’s property industry for 25 years. RCP provided project management services for construction of the Vector Wero Whitewater Park.
Jeremy is a Trustee of the Keystone Property Education Trust.
Chelsea Herbert
Director, Debt Advisory, Colliers International
Chelsea has 20 years’ experience in the banking industry with ANZ and BNZ, largely with property development, investment and cash flow lending.
She has a Business Degree with a double major in Finance and Economics with First Class Honours from the University of Waikato and briefly worked at the university as an associate finance lecturer. She currently works at Colliers as Director of Debt Advisory.
Chelsea lives in South Auckland with her two kids and spends her spare time taking her kids to swimming events. She has a passion for the south Auckland community and swimming.
Emma Lewisham
CEO, Emma Lewisham Ltd
Emma has over a decade of experience in large corporates across diverse product categories and business portfolios. Prior to joining the Waka Pacific Trust, Emma was a senior executive in a Japanese technology multinational and had worked for private think tank, the New Zealand Business Roundtable.
In 2019, she founded her eponymous natural, scientifically proven skincare brand Emma Lewisham which she leads as CEO. An advocate and thought leader in sustainability, Emma thrives on problem solving the impossible and challenging the status quo for the better and credits this mindset for her corporate successes.
She has also been involved in women’s advocacy organisation Zonta International for more than a decade. Emma completed an honours degree in business from Otago University and leading European business school ESADE.
Mark Robinson
Director, Private Investor and Consultant
Mark is the founder of Avery Robinson Ltd, the exclusive distributor for Dyson in NZ, a business which he managed for 21 years until it ceased operation in 2018.
Mark is a current Trustee for The Woolf Fisher Trust and has been so for the past 7 years. He is actively involved with local sporting clubs and works as a private investor and consultant. He lives in Whitford, Auckland with his wife and two children.
Andrew Scott
Andrew Scott Joined the Trust as our newest Trustee during 2023. He has had a very successful career in advertising and marketing having been General Manager, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of a number of high-profile advertising agencies such as Saatchi and Saatchi, Whybin/TBWA Group Australia, Publicis London and FCB Melbourne.
Andrew is active within a small number of charitable organisations and their funders and brings a wealth of experience in business administration, marketing and funding to Waka Pacific Trust complementing the skills of our existing Trustees.
Other experience includes:
Middlemore Foundation 2005-2007
Kids Cancer Melbourne 2008-2016
Kootuitui ki Papakura 2019-2020
Dr Jacoba Matapo
Associate Professor, Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific, Auckland University of Technology
Jacoba Matapo draws inspiration from her Pacific heritage, blending her Samoan/Dutch roots while striving to uplift Pacific communities she serves. As a first-generation doctorate recipient from Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Jacoba is AUT's first Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific. Additionally, she plays a role as the pioneer Associate Professor in Pacific early childhood education, endeavouring to amplify the voices of young tamaiti (children) and ensure the representation of Pacific communities in early learning,
Outside academia, Jacoba participates in Pacific early childhood education development across the nation. Her diligent efforts have enriched the culturally attuned teaching methods in New Zealand schools. With a collaborative spirit, she offers guidance to MoE (Pacific) and Tw Whatu Ora (Pacific) and co-leads the North Harbour Pacific Hauora Collective, emphasising Pacific youth sports and wellbing,