Board

Hon David Cunliffe QSO (Chair)

(BA (Hons), MPA., Dip. Soc. Sci., M.Inst.D, HFIITPNZ, HFCSNZ)

Appointed as Chair early 2020, David has significant expertise in strategic development and in building the capability of organisations to deliver sustainable growth. He has extensive consulting and leadership experience across a wide range of industry sectors, with his skills and networks uniquely spanning central and local government in addition to the business and commerce arenas. David has considerable policy and governance expertise and has held governance roles with The Asia New Zealand Foundation, the New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust, and the Anglican Church.  He was a former Minister of the Crown (Health, Immigration, ICT, Assoc Finance, Assoc SOEs) and Leader of the Opposition and Opposition Finance Spokesperson.  David is a partner in a leading NZ management consulting firm and was previously at The Boston Consulting Group, a Fulbright Scholar at Harvard University, and a NZ diplomat.

Dr Sue Watson

(PhD, M Ed (dist.), BA, Dip Tchng)

Sue Watson has extensive experience in for-purpose governance and executive leadership. She was formerly the Global CEO of Kea New Zealand and her expertise includes strategic planning, partnerships and capability and organisational development. In recent years, Sue has governed a number of large-scale community housing developments in Tāmaki Makaurau. She has been Chair of CORT Community Housing for the past nine years and is a Board member of Community Housing Provider Haumaru Housing and a director of Puhinui Park General Partnership. Sue has a doctorate in Education and is a director and independent consultant. She provides leadership development and strategy and works to increase the number and diversity of women leading for Aotearoa.

The Right Reverend Te Kītohi Wiremu Pikaahu

(ONZM, LTh, MTh (Oxon))

The Right Reverend Te Kītohi Pikaahu is the Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau and the faith leader to Mihingare (Māori Anglicans) in Northland and Auckland. He has served as a priest within Te Tai Tokerau for more than three decades and as a bishop for over twenty years.

As one of the highest ranking and longest serving indigenous bishops in the global Anglican community, Bishop Kito has advocated for the wellbeing of Māori and indigenous communities and as Chair of the Anglican Indigenous Network of the worldwide Anglican Communion. He has also held senior governance, chaplaincy and advisory roles with kaupapa Māori-based social service providers and with the New Zealand Defence Force and New Zealand Police.

Bishop Kito’s vast knowledge and experience contribute to our greater understanding of Te Ao Maori, as the Foundation deepens its work amongst tangata whenua across Tamaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau.

Reverend Dr Helen Jacobi 

(MNZM, BA, Dip Soc Wk, BD, DMin, MInstD)

Helen is an Anglican priest and the vicar of St Matthew-in-the-City, Auckland. She was the first woman to be dean of a NZ cathedral (Waiapu) and also served parishes in Wellington. The focus of Helen’s work has always been supporting practical inner city ministry and the engagement of church in society.

Helen previously served on the Board and as Chair of the Touch Compass Dance Trust, a professional company of disabled and non disabled dancers.

Jennifer Gill ONZM

(BA Dip Tchg)

Jenny has been involved in the philanthropic sector in Aotearoa since 1985 when sir Roy McKenzie employed her to manage his personal foundation. She has had extensive experience as a trustee and chair of a number of national philanthropic trusts including Philanthropy New Zealand and the J R McKenzie Trust. In 2019 she completed 15 years as the CEO of Foundation North where she was responsible for a NZ1.3billion investment portfolio and managed the distribution of grants to community projects in the Auckland and Northland regions valued at more than NZ$40 million annually.

Jenny is currently Chair of the MAS Foundation, Deputy Chair of the Prince’s Trust New Zealand and a Director of Te Rourou One Aotearoa Foundation. She is regarded as a champion of effective philanthropy, playing a leading role in the development of the sector.

Jenny has completed executive leadership programmes at Stanford and Oxford Universities and was named a Kiwibank local Hero in 2016 and was a Westpac Women of Influence finalist the same year. In 2017 Jenny was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to philanthropy and was the inaugural winner of the Philanthropy NZ - Perpetual Guardian Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy Award. In 2018 she received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Auckland.

Stephen Titter (Deputy Chair)

(MInstD, BCom, CA)

Stephen has a background in property, finance, accounting, business transactions & structuring, and taxation. He was a senior partner with EY (formerly Ernst & Young), practicing in New Zealand, Singapore and Australia. He advised clients’ management and Boards, helped develop EY’s senior personnel & partners, and was engaged in both management & governance roles for the firm, including risk & quality management. Stephen is now an independent director and business & strategy adviser to not-for-profit and corporate organisations currently including Foundation North, Haumaru Housing, BRANZ Inc, Jennian Group Limited, The Woolstore Group, and The American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand. He chairs the Personnel Group Committee and is a member of the Finance and Investment Committee.

Ben Green

(MCom (Hons), MInstD)

Ben Green has spent 25+ years working in the technology sector in New Zealand, Asia and Europe. He has held a variety of leadership roles through his career in the IT and Telecommunications sector with companies such IBM, Microsoft and Vodafone. Ben is highly experienced in the application of technology to business and leading complex businesses. He currently serves as Managing Director of Triton Hearing and he brings to The Selwyn Foundation his passion for business, faith and family, as well as the practical experience of starting and growing businesses. He holds a Master of Commerce Degree and is also a Provisional Chartered Accountant with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and he is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. Ben is married to Jo, a Marketing professional, and they have three boys aged 8, 14 and 16.

Eru Lyndon

(LLB, MBA (dist.))

Eru Lyndon is of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Whatua, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Kahu and Ngati Toa descent. As an executive, Eru was the Regional Commissioner for Social Development, Northland, at the Ministry of Social Development, and the inaugural Public Service Commissioner for Northland on behalf of the Public Service Commission. Eru holds a portfolio of governance roles spanning tourism, health, and sport, and has also held governance roles in the tertiary education sector including as a current member of the University of Auckland Business School’s advisory board.

Eru has experience in pre and post-settlement hapu and iwi contexts, and is proud of the extensive work he has led in relation to the Crown-Maori relationship most recently leading, in partnership with iwi Maori and local government leaders, two regional responses to COVID related lockdowns.

Eru holds a Bachelor of Laws, an MBA (dist. and valedictorian), and has completed executive programmes at IMD (Lausanne, Switzerland), Stanford and MIT (Boston, USA).

Hamish Bell

(CMInstD)

Hamish is an experienced independent director and chair with a wide range of governance experience across a range of industries. He has worked in banking, corporate finance, private equity, investor relations, public relations and stockbroking both at home and overseas. A former Partner at PwC and executive at ANZ National Bank, Hamish continues to serve on the boards of various high-profile and successful organisations throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.