Rangitāne o Wairau is pleased to announce the appointment of Leighton Evans and Tracy Atkin as Independent Directors of Rangitāne Holdings Limited and Rangitāne Investments Limited.
Leighton is the Chief Executive of the Rātā Foundation. Leighton has experience working with large diversified investment portfolios, has strong stakeholder management skills and has held a range of roles ranging from scientist, engineer, health and safety, chief executive, public service and private market. He has a Bachelor of Science, a Graduate Diploma in Managerial Excellence and a National Diploma in Engineering – Strategic Asset Management. He lives in Ōtautahi.
Of his appointment, Leighton says “It’s an honour to be able to contribute my energy to the aspirations of Rangitāne o Wairau. Working with the current Board members to build on the success of those prior is a real privilege. I’m looking forward to bringing my investment skill and ability to simultaneously deliver non-financial outcomes to help grow and support the work of iwi”.
Tracy is the Chief Executive of Marlborough Capital. Tracy has a business background with a focus on strategic planning, business advisory and sustainability. She also supports businesses through her volunteer role as a business mentor with Business Trust Marlborough, is on the Board of Angel Investors Marlborough, as well as an Independent Director on the Board of two agri-tech start-ups. Tracy is a Chartered Accountant, certified Project Manager and has a Diploma in Grape-growing and Winemaking. She also graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Victoria University. Tracy has a passion for primary industries, and in 2018 relocated to Marlborough to establish the Bragato Grape and Wine Research Institute, and lead the design and build of the Bragato Research Winery. Tracy lives in Blenheim.
Of her appointment, Tracy says “I’m honoured to have this opportunity to make a difference to our amazing region, the Wairau and Te Tauihu. This role will allow me to combine my passion for sustainability and primary industries, with my strengths in business and strategy, and my background in investment management and supporting sustainable business growth. Rangitāne’s strong sense of community and inter-generational strategy attracted me to this role, as this principle of kaitiakitanga aligns strongly to my own values and background.”.
Rangitāne o Wairau Kaiwhakahaere Matua (General Manager) Corey Hebberd says that both Leighton and Tracy join Rangitāne at an exciting time, with the Group experiencing strong asset growth and increased profitability as a result of a deliberate diversification strategy that has seen the Group invest in exciting new ventures, such as Te Pūia Tāpapa (a collective iwi investment vehicle that invests in large-scale businesses and assets), the Pūainuku whānau (a collective iwi investment vehicle that invests in whenua assets in the agribusiness sector) and the Hāpai whānau (a collective iwi investment vehicle that invests in commercial, residential and development property opportunities). The Rangitāne Group has also continued to build its local investment portfolio, with new commercial property projects beginning in Wairau.
“Rangitāne has a strong track record of making successful and prudent investment decisions which have continued to perform well, despite challenging conditions in recent years brought about by global economic uncertainty and the impact of COVID-19”
“The appointment of Leighton and Tracy as independent Directors of our investment companies will support Rangitāne to continue to pursue our objective of growing sustainable wealth, status and influence through our commercial activities. We warmly welcome Leighton and Tracy to our table, and we know that they’ll bring strong skills and perspectives to Rangitāne”
Notes
- Rangitāne Holdings Limited and Rangitāne Investments Limited are wholly owned subsidiary companies of Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Trust. They have been established to manage and grow the settlement assets of Rangitāne, which ultimately serve to support the delivery of benefits to Rangitāne whānau.
- Since the settlement of Rangitāne’s Treaty claims in 2014, in which the iwi received $24.8m, the Rangitāne o Wairau Group has continued to grow its assets, which now stand in excess of $92m.
- Rangitāne holds commercial assets across Aotearoa and locally in Te Tauihu. These commercial assets include land (which is leased back to the Crown, through the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education), commercial property developments (such as Rangitāne House in the Blenheim CBD), managed funds, fisheries quota, a stake in Te Pūia Tāpapa (a collective iwi investment vehicle that invests in large-scale businesses and assets), the Pūainuku whānau (a collective iwi investment vehicle that invests in whenua assets in the agribusiness sector) and the Hāpai whānau (a collective iwi investment vehicle that invests in commercial, residential and development property opportunities), as well as a vineyard located in the Marlborough region.
- The appointment of Leighton Evans and Tracy Atkins brings the total number of Directors within Rangitāne Holdings Limited and Rangitāne Investments Limited to six. They will work alongside Board Chairperson, Leigh MacDonald, and Directors Haysley MacDonald, Dave Jessep, and Judith MacDonald.
