Source: Business Central
Business Central is delighted to announce the appointment of four new members to its Council.
The four new board members are:
– Nic Smith, Victoria University of Wellington Vice-Chancellor
– Jenna Raeburn, Wellington Airport GM Corporate Affairs
– Jonno Tulitt, Snorkel New Zealand Managing Director
– Greg Pollock, Agite Consulting – Partner
Mark Oldershaw was elected Business Central Chair and Siah Hwee Ang appointed President of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Current board member Chad Johnston was also reappointed for a two-year term.
Business Central Chair Mark Oldershaw says the new board members bring a wealth of skills and experience:
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Nic, Jenna, Jonno and Greg to our existing Business Central board.
“They represent some of the most important industries and employers in our region, and they bring with them a unique range of expertise in governance, infrastructure, education, tourism, commerce, policy and manufacturing – to name but a few of their contributions.
“Attracting governors of this quality and calibre is a reflection of the work of the organisation to deliver for members in recent years,” says Oldershaw.
Chief Executive Simon Arcus says: “The new board will assist in our mission to assist businesses big and small, transforming urban and rural economies to enhance prosperity for all.
“The new Council has the skills, insights and experience to give powerful support to the region’s business community. I look forward to working with them in the year ahead,” Arcus says.
About Business Central
Business Central is the largest business membership organisation in Central New Zealand, representing more than 3500 businesses across the lower North Island and Nelson and providing a voice to many thousands of stakeholders in business. It is part of the BusinessNZ Network, alongside the EMA, Business Canterbury and Business South.
The organisation supports a number of regional business membership groups – Business Central, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Porirua Chamber of Commerce and ExportNZ (Central, Hawke’s Bay, and Wellington).
As per the organisation’s constitution, composition of the board is equally split between members of Business Central and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.
More information on the new board members is available below
New Council Member Profiles
Nic Smith (Wellington Chamber)
Professor Nic Smith is Vice-Chancellor at Victoria University of Wellington. He joined VUW in January 2023 after holding professorial appointments as the Provost at Queensland University of Technology, Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland, Head of Biomedical Engineering at King’s College London, and Professor of Computational Physiology at the University of Oxford.
In addition to these academic leadership roles, Nic has been a director for Auckland Univservices Limited and Chaired the Business Development and Commercialisation Board for Queensland University of Technology. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Directors and a fellow of the New Zealand Royal Society and Engineering New Zealand.
Jenna Raeburn (Wellington Chamber)
Jenna Raeburn is GM Corporate Affairs at Wellington Airport. Jenna joined the Wellington Airport team in 2019 and is primarily responsible for regulatory and legal compliance, government and community relations, communications and sustainability.
Her background is in politics with a foundation in law and economics. She also has extensive government relations experience across a range of sectors including transport, technology, e-commerce and infrastructure.
Jonathan (Jonno) Tulitt (Business Central)
Jonno Tulitt is Managing Director of Snorkel New Zealand, which was up until recently manufacturing elevated work platforms, but has transitioned to solely distributing and supporting Snorkel products within New Zealand. Jonno currently serves on the Snorkel Board and is a Board Member of the Elevated Work Platform Association (EWPA) of New Zealand.
Jonno started his career in the Royal New Zealand Airforce as a teenager, training and qualifying as an Armament Technician. Following the RNZAF, Jonno moved into the rail sector, first in London as an Operations and Depot Manager, then returning to New Zealand to manage rail operations in Auckland and Wellington. Jonno is excited to share his knowledge of operations and business strategy with the Business Central Council and further complement the great work that is already being undertaken.
Greg Pollock (Wellington Chamber)
Greg Pollock has 30 years’ experience in business and leadership roles. He currently runs Agite Consulting in Wellington, a consulting business which specialises in transport, infrastructure and public policy practice and advises clients on how to deliver critical urban development and infrastructure projects.
Greg has had several CEO and C-suite roles in large organisations over the last 12 years, including in professional services and public transport operations. He lives in Wellington and is keen to see a revival in the economic fortunes of the lower North Island and believes the business community has a critical role in leading that revival.
