Source: Asia New Zealand Foundation
The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono welcomes the appointment of three new trustees to help guide its work equipping New Zealanders to thrive in Asia.
Established by the New Zealand Government in 1994, the Asia New Zealand Foundation is New Zealand’s leading authority on Asia. It provides experiences and resources to help New Zealanders build their knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive in Asia.
The Government has appointed the following to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees:
Hongyu (Carol) Cheng
Carol is an experienced business adviser and chartered accountant with more than 20 years of accounting, auditing and advisory experience in New Zealand, Hong Kong and China. Before founding Hong Consulting, Carol held leadership roles in New Zealand and China including Executive Director of PwC New Zealand and Partner at Grant Thornton in China. Carol is an independent director and the Chair of the Risk Committee of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and is on the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Khoa Dang (Mitchell) Pham, ONZM
Khoa Dang (Mitchell) Pham is a Vietnamese-Kiwi technology business and social entrepreneur. He is a cofounder and director of the Augen Software Group (aka CodeHQ) in New Zealand and in Vietnam, and the Kiwi Connection Tech Hub – a platform for technology businesses to accelerate presence & engagement in the ASEAN region. Mitchell was one of the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Honorary Advisers from 2017 until his appointment to the Board. He was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2023, in recognition of his services to the technology sector and New Zealand-Asia relations.
Tina Porou (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri), MNZM. Tina is the founder of Poipoia and works as an environmental planner and a tangata whenua advocate in the natural resource management space. Tina was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her service to Māori and the Environment in 2016; won a Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award in 2015; and was a semi-finalist in the New Zealand Environmental Hero of the Year Awards in 2023. She holds governance positions on several Māori companies that export extensively to India, Japan, Korea and China and has worked in the primary sector with a focus on strengthening these relationships and others in the Asia-Pacific.
Asia New Zealand Foundation Chair Dame Fran Wilde says the three new trustees bring expertise and connections that will help the Foundation maximise the opportunities Asia presents to New Zealanders.
“Asia will increasingly be the centre of key decisions that impact New Zealand. Now that borders have opened again, the Asia New Zealand Foundation has a busy programme of activity planned to help deepen connections into Asia and grow New Zealanders’ knowledge and confidence about the region.
“Carol, Mitchell and Tina will bring in diverse perspectives on this work, as well as strong governance experiences.”
Dame Fran acknowledged the work of outgoing trustees Danny Chan, Lyn Lim and Simon Watt. “Danny, Lyn and Simon have all been dedicated to growing the impact of the Asia New Zealand Foundation over the seven years they have served on the board of trustees.”
Board appointments for Dame Fran and Chris Seed (Secretary of Foreign Affairs) have also been renewed.
The Asia New Zealand Foundation’s activities cover more than 20 countries in Asia and are delivered through a range of core programmes: arts, business, education, entrepreneurship, leadership, media, research, Track II diplomacy and sports. The Foundation is guided by its board of trustees and is supported by a network of Honorary Advisers in New Zealand and Asia.
