Chair

Charles Finny

Charles Finny was Chief Executive of the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce between 2005 and 2010.  Prior to that he worked as a diplomat and trade official, this included postings in China, Taiwan and Singapore.  He is a fluent Mandarin speaker.

Mr Finny is a member of the Board of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the New Zealand Film Commission and Kawarau Estate Limited. He is also a member of the Victoria University of Wellington Council and a former Chair of the Local Government Forum.

Board Members

Jenny Alford

Jenny was until recently General Manager for contract education at Auckland Uniservices Ltd. She was appointed to the role in 2004 as part of a new initiative to grow international business in education. Prior to this she held other senior positions at Auckland UniServices, and at the University of Waikato, supporting growth in research and development as well as education business.  Ms Alford has wide experience in the management of major education contracts and international relationships.  She also had responsibility for the University of Auckland’s English Language Academy as a major high quality ESOL provider.

Dr Neil Barns

Dr Neil Barns has extensive experience in the tertiary education sector having previously served as the Chief Executive of Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) and the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT). Dr Barns is a trustee of the current industry body, Education New Zealand Trust, and also serves on the councils of the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and the Waiariki Institute of Technology.

Jill Tattersall

Jill Tattersall was Chief Executive of Les Mills International Ltd from 2001 to 2010, during which time the company was twice recognised as NZTE Services Exporter of the Year.  A Business Advisor to the recently launched Global Executive Leadership program developed by the University of Auckland Business School, the ICEHOUSE and NZTE, Ms Tattersall was named one of the country's outstanding business managers by the National Business Review in 2004.

Elizabeth Valintine

Elizabeth has been involved in developing and managing businesses for over 40 years, of which 20 have been in the tertiary education sector. Ms Valintine is the founder of Media Design School (MDS), a private school specialising in the creative technologies.  Over the years Media Design School built a highly credible international reputation, each year winning numerous awards and recognitions. The school was recently acquired by the American owned Laureate Universities , the world's largest education group with over 650,000 students.

Ms Valintine has provided advice regarding the use of creative technologies to government agencies such as the Ministry of Economic Development and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. She has also been a member of various working parties involving the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Tertiary Education Commission. She is currently a Board member of Abilities Incorporated, a not-for-profit organization employing about 120 disabled people in Auckland as well as being a director of two other companies.