Kea New Zealand has announced the appointment of Mitchell Pham ONZM and Linda Jenkinson as co-chairs of the Kea Global Board.
The Co-Chair appointments represent a change in structure for the Kea Global Board, with current Board Chairperson Phil Veal stepping down following three terms in the role.
Global CEO Toni Truslove says the new structure, which will see Mitchell based in New Zealand and Linda largely operating offshore, is a great step to ensure Kea remains a valuable global organisation supporting both the offshore Kiwi community and Kiwi export businesses and individuals to thrive globally.
“I would like to offer our very special thanks to outgoing Chairperson Phil Veal for his 10 years of service and dedication to Kea, and for his continued ongoing support of the organisation. I would also like to thank outgoing Board members Craig Donaldson, Young Ly and Peter Gillingwater. The work of our current board, and the vision they have shared for the future of Kea, has been instrumental in building the Kea of today and ensuring the organisation has a strong future.”
New Co-Chairs Mitchell Pham and Linda Jenkinson are both Kea World Class New Zealanders and long-time supporters of Kea. They both have a strong history of mentoring and supporting Kiwi businesses and fostering global relationships.
Mitchell was recently awarded an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s first-ever New Year’s Honours list, 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 chairs the NZ Asia Institute. Mitchell says accepting the Kea Co-Chair position gives him an opportunity to work more on the vehicle which connects offshore Kiwis back to New Zealand for the future of the country.
“It’s not just about connecting and serving the thousands of Kiwis who are offshore today but the many more thousands who are yet to leave our shores to gain global knowledge, skills, experience and networks. I see taking on this role as a real opportunity to grow the capacity, capability and maturity of Kea so that it will continue to benefit both our onshore and offshore communities well into the future."
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 1 of 2 Ltd, Jaxsta, Guild Trustee Services and Gold Cross Products & Services. In New Zealand she was Chair of Unicef NZ and 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.
“I see the importance of Kea and the work the organisation is doing on multiple levels. I see the Co-Chair position as an opportunity to form a bridge between Kiwis offshore and Kiwis in New Zealand. I feel Kea’s work is more important now than ever with the state of disruption and change in the world. Our people are such a huge resource and Kea is so important to maintaining the identity for Kiwis offshore.”
Kea looks forward to the benefits this new governance structure will bring and to continuing to support our offshore Kiwi community and Kiwi export businesses for the good of all New Zealand.
Photo above: Kea CEO Toni Truslove (centre) with co-chairs Mitchell Pham and Linda Jenkinson.