Regional Recovery Agency Oversight Board Bios

Blair O’Keeffe - Independent Chair

Blair is a Hawke’s Bay based company director and board advisor, with governance experience in central and local government, NZX-listed companies, and private entities.

He is a former Chair of a Crown Entity, and is a former Chief Executive, with more than 25 years of local and international senior executive experience, including infrastructure, energy, retail, property, transport and local government.

He is currently Chair of Napier Port and the Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust, and is a board member of Unison Networks, Central Air Ambulance Rescue and Z Energy. He also operates a board/commercial advisory business.

Blair is a member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand and holds a BBS (Hons).

Billy Brough

Billy has 25-years experience working in environmental and natural resource management fields. He has previously worked for district and regional councils and the Ministry of Fisheries, before moving into private practice and establishing Brough Resource Management. Billy specialises in managing complex resource management projects, developing policy, providing strategic advice to boards and working alongside iwi and hapū to navigate Resource Management Act and Local Government Act processes. Billy has a strong understanding of public policy as it pertains to planning and environmental issues, with this expertise highly relevant to this new appointment.

Born and bred in rural Central Hawkes Bay and having resided in urban Havelock North for the past 18-years, Billy also has a good understanding of our diverse communities and is proud to call Hawke’s Bay home. Billy is a keen surfer in his free time.

Caren Rangi

Caren is a proud, Canterbury born, Hawke’s Bay raised, Cook Islander who started her career as a chartered accountant and auditor with the Office of the Auditor-General. She chose a career in governance, combined with facilitation and leadership work, so she can contribute to decision-making in areas for which she has passion. Her current governance roles include Chair of the Arts Council of New Zealand and Chair of NGO Pacific Homecare.

Caren is also a member of the Boards of Radio New Zealand, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Pacific Co-operation Broadcasting Ltd (Pasifika TV) and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Economic Development Agency.

Caren describes her leadership and governance style as pragmatic, collaborative and relational, and attributes her strengths to her combined interpersonal skills, professional experience and cultural capital.

John Loughlin

John Loughlin is Chair of Rockit Global Limited, Powerco Limited, EastPack Limited, Coda GP Limited and Bluelab Group Holdings Limited.

In his governance career John has served as Chairman of ZESPRI Group Limited, Tru-Test Corporation Limited, FirstLight Foods Limited, Allied Farmers Limited, Prism Group Holdings Limited, Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers and Meat Industry Association of NZ Inc. He has also served as a director of Port of Napier Limited, Toll NZ Limited, Augusta Capital Limited, Metlifecare Limited, and AgResearch Limited. He represented the Meat Industry Association on the International Business Forum, the New Zealand China Council and the Food & Fibre Leaders Group.

In his executive career, John was CEO, and before that, CFO, of listed meat company, Richmond Limited. Prior to that he was General Manager of Westpac Investment Management – NZ – Ltd.

John has BCA and MBA degrees from Victoria University of Wellington. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand, a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

John and his wife Kathryn established and own Askerne Estate Winery near Havelock North. They live on the vineyard at Askerne.

Renata Hakiwai

Renata has over a decade of experience in leadership, executive and advisory positions within numerous organisations. Currently the Managing Director of HTK Group Ltd, Renata has a wealth of experience advising and managing both commercial and public organisations on Maori and indigenous relations. His familiarity with Crown, commercial, investment, Iwi, not-for-profit, startup and post settlement entities mean that Renata brings a range of skills and experience to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Agency.

Renata sits on a number of boards which include both commercial and government, where he is a director, trustee and chairperson. He has a passion for supporting economic development, with particular focus on SMEs, enterprise, workforce development and employment, and is a part of the Ministerial Advisory group for the future of work. Renata’s time spent within both public and private sector organisations, as well as start-ups has allowed him to develop a highly diverse range of skills. Renata see’s himself as an enabler, an accelerator for getting things done, and a servant for Maori and Indigenous peoples development.

His Hapu within the Hawkes Bay to which he affiliates are Ngai Te Upokoiri, Ngati Hinemanu and Ngati Hinepare, and was brought up in the small country settlement of Omahu. Renata is of Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Porou, Waikato-Tainui and Ngāti Tūwharetoa.

Tania Eden

Tania has over 30 years experience working in central government and has extensive Governance, Executive and senior management experience both nationally and regionally throughout government and the private sector. She holds a number of Governance roles including Chair of Mana Ahuriri , Co-Chair of the Hawkes Bay Regional Skills Leadership Group, Member of the National Iwi Chairs Forum and Matariki Governance Group. She also chairs Te Muriwai o Te Whanga and the Ahuriri Regional Park which have a key focus on biodiversity and environmental sustainability outcomes.

Operationally, she has managed and led teams in complex service-driven environments to design and implement strategic and operational policy, emergency plans, communication strategies, along with engagement and management plans, all aimed at achieving key economic and social outcomes.

Tania has extensive experience as a Commissioned Officer in the New Zealand Police and has worked in both strategic and operational positions as a Police Inspector and National Strategic Advisor Māori for the NZ Police before working as a Regional Manager for the Ministry of Social Development and Kainga Ora in Auckland.

Tania has a wealth of experience as a Treaty and Cultural Competency Consultant and has undertaken Environmental Cultural Impact Assessments both regionally and nationally. She is currently the CEO for the Taiwhenua based in Napier. Tania holds a Masters of Public Management and was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for Services to the Community. Tania is of Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Hinepare, Ngāti Maahu, Ngai Tawhao and Ngāti Porou descent.

Wendie Harvey

Wendie has over twenty-five years experience as a lawyer, executive manager, business consultant and professional director. Currently, Wendie is a chairperson for the Hawke’s Bay Airport, along with being the Director of Aurora Energy, Eastland Group Ltd, TAB NZ, EBS limited, and most recently, Port Taranaki. Other notable past directorships include the Port of Napier and Fire and Emergency NZ.

Such a plentiful history of directorship demonstrates the skill that Wendie possesses in successfully running, managing and advising large organisations, particularly those with a public-service element.

With legal specialisations in employment law and human resource management, as well as other professional interests in strategy development, infrastructure management, change management and the creation of safer workplaces, Wendie is comfortable working on and engaging with a wide variety of projects. Wendie’s decades of experience in and around the Hawke’s Bay ensure her understanding of the issues faced by the people and businesses of the region.