Te Arawa Fisheries has appointed two new independent directors to its commercial board, alongside two internal directors.

Chris Karamea Insley, Chief Executive Officer of Te Arawa Fisheries says the new appointments strengthen the board’s connection to its kaupapa, which is to grow Te Arawa and Māori development, in order to make a real difference to its beneficiaries.

The two new independent directors are Joe Kouwenhoven and Peter Rice.

Kouwenhoven, the son of Dutch immigrants, grew up working in his family’s retail business, and started his own company aged 16. His successful Greenshell mussels and seafood products are now sold throughout New Zealand and the world, through partnerships with Iwi in New Zealand and joint ventures in Norway, China and Australia.

Rice is an executive member of the Te Arawa Federation of Māori Authorities and has worked in international law and finance for 25 years. He founded a regulatory, financial services and economics advisory firm in London and advises a number of blue chip multi-national companies. He was an advisor to the UK Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2017 until earlier this year, and has co-authored a number of reports on financing investment, covering climate change, sustainability, wealth creation and equality.

Tangihaere Macfarlane and Dr Kenneth Kennedy have been appointed as the board’s new internal directors.

Macfarlane has extensive business experience, including being a business owner, manager, tutor and consultant, while she was also the inaugural coordinator for the Rotorua Māori Business Network. She currently holds several governance roles with the Ministry of Health and Lakes District Health Board.

Dr Kennedy is a Ngāti Rangiteaorere and Te Arawa kaumatua who is a trustee on the Ngāti Rangiteaorere Koromatua Council and Tatau o Te Arawa. He brings many years’ experience in governance and senior management to the board, having recently completed ten years on the Waiariki Institute of Technology Senior Management Team.

Insley says each of the directors personally wants to make a contribution to the people of Te Arawa.

“We are in unprecedented times – Covid is changing everything ­– so we need a world class board that understands the issues and risks and how to navigate those in a completely unpredictable climate,” Insley says.