Where Kiwi explorers connect and
make a difference

Toni was appointed as Chief Executive of Kea in 2020. With a background in digital business across the UK, US and New Zealand, Toni brings experience in both the private and public sector. Alongside an interest in data, technology and innovation, Toni has a true passion for people seeing them as her strongest ingredient for success. In her spare time, Toni enjoys yoga and spending time in the outdoors.

Saya Wahrlich is Kea’s Global Director for Government and Industry. Saya has 20 years experience in both the private and public sector, spanning senior digital, marketing and general management roles in largely B2B businesses. Most recently while at NZTE she developed and launched Digital Clinics, working with over 250 Kiwi exporting businesses through lockdown to help build digital capability and uncover talent and technology gaps.

Sara a graduate of the University of Waikato with broad experience working globally for wineries and wine companies including Constellation New Zealand, Man O’ War Vineyards and Seresin Estate in a variety of sales and marketing positions. For the last nine years based from the UK, with her Kiwi husband Tim, and London born but very Kiwi son Jack, they continue to discover the world and share their love of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Gary has an extensive 30-year career in the NZ music industry, working at record labels across a broad range of promotions, marketing, business networking & international relationships. In 2005, he established the music export initiative called Outward Sound, supporting NZ music & music businesses into international markets. Since 2016, he developed an international music & technology business conference called Mondo.NYC.

Mitchell Pham is an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit recognised for his services to the technology sector and New Zealand-Asia relations. He is the Co-founder and Director of CodeHQ and Kiwi Connection Tech Hub. He has chaired NZTech, FinTechNZ, Digital Council for Aotearoa New Zealand, and currently Co-Chairs the ASEAN Business Alliance and is the Chair for the NZ Asia Institute. Mitchell is experienced in information management, software products & services, digital platforms, sales & marketing, international operations, strategy development, on-shore & off-shore resourcing for scalability, growth & expansion through collaborative partnerships. He’s passionate about both social impact and environmental sustainability and has co-founded and serves on the boards of two not-for-profit organisations to assist refugees and their families in New Zealand.

Linda Jenkinson has 30 years of executive management, strategic consulting and governance experience. She was the Co-founder and CEO of two technology-enabled companies and is the first women CEO/Co-founder to take her company public on the NASDAQ. Previously Linda was a Partner at A.T. Kearney. She is active in governance and is currently Chair of Medadvisor Pty Ltd, Jaxsta, Guild Trustee Services and Gold Cross Products & Services. In New Zealand she was Chair of Unicef NZ and has previously served on the Board of Air New Zealand. She is currently a director of Harbour Asset Management. Linda runs the global mentoring program Levelup enabling Kiwi companies to build $100 mil businesses and has won numerous awards including E&Y Master Entrepreneur of the Year and Westpac NZ Women of Influence Business/Commercial. Based in San Francisco, Linda says being a global Kiwi allows her to bring a unique perspective to the Co-Chair role.

Claire is the Global B2B Leader at Restoration Hardware, a US$2.5B turnover luxury home furnishings retailer based in San Francisco. She’s worked as the CEO of Markor Furniture Retail in Beijing, China, and has over 20 years of business experience across multiple industries and countries. She’s multiple CEO and COO roles and her international career has taken her to the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, NZ and China. She’s also worked in the public sector as a Consul General- Vancouver and Director of trade for the West Americas region for NZTE, where she worked with top NZ C-level executives wanting to grow their businesses in the US, Canadian and Mexican markets.

Juliet is an executive and governance leader with 20+ years of experience, primarily in the legal and regulatory spheres. She is passionate about great leadership, strategic management, transformation and innovation, diversity, equity and inclusion, and radiating purpose for an engaged workforce and healthy and resilient organisation. Juliet is currently leading the transformation of Te Pūtea Matua, NZ’s central bank and is responsible for Transformation, Innovation and Change, People and Capability, DE&I, Well-being and Culture. She initially trained as a dispute resolution lawyer in New Zealand and Australia, then from 2002-2020 worked internationally, most recently in London as a partner of a large firm with responsibility for Business Transformation and as the Chief Compliance Officer for 26 offices spanning Europe, UK, Middle East, Asia and Brazil.

Matthew is the Director of the Office of Suicide Prevention and the Chairman of the Maori Monitoring Group. He is an experienced executive who has led, managed and grown small, medium and multi-national organisations. He is the former Head of Drake International, one of the world’s oldest and largest employment companies and was the founder of Entrehub - a global entrepreneurs’ movement. Matthew’s former roles include Director of the Board of the Australian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Co-founder, CEO and Chief Social Investor for the Sustain Group of Companies, Ex-officio Director of the Board of the United Nations Global Compact. Matthew was born in Upper Hutt and is of Ngai Te Rangi descent and has strong iwi affiliations with Matakana Island.

Reuben is Head of Government & Regional Affairs at Air New Zealand. Prior to joining the company he was Director of Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade and served as New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines and as Ambassador to Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR. He has also worked in international trade negotiations, and as a financial markets advocate in London. Reuben is also the Deputy Chair of the Central Districts Cricket Association and has previously served as one of their Board Directors.

Sir Stephen co-founded Kea in 2001, and remains a prominent entrepreneur and venture capital investor contributing seed and venture capital into Kiwi start-up companies, particularly those focused on the global marketplace.

Dr. David J. Teece is a renowned organizational economist and an authority on matters of technological change, and innovation. He has over thirty years of experience as an active advisor to businesses and governments around the world. He co-founded Kea in 2001 to recognize that New Zealand’s borders are not defined by its geography.