New Zealand Committee
Ian Kennedy
Chair
Ian Kennedy is Chair of the Japan New Zealand Business Council and a former diplomat. He was posted three times to Japan, including as New Zealand Ambassador from 2007-2012. A Japanese speaker and published writer, he was awarded one of Japan’s top decorations - the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star - in the Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals announced by the Japanese Government on 29 April 2024.
He is also a Board member of the New Zealand Asia Institute at Auckland University, International Advisor to the New Zealand Open golf championship, and Honorary Chair of 'Support our Kids', a non-profit established in 2011 to support children following the Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Sarah McLauchlan
Executive Director
Sarah brings much valuable experience to the position through her various roles over the years with the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and NZTE. She also spent a number of years living and working in Japan, including two postings with Tourism New Zealand, and thus has a sound understanding of both the business and cultural aspects of the New Zealand/Japan relationship.
Mia Evans
Vice Chair
Mia started with Bancorp in August 2007, and has over 30 years’ experience in banking with senior roles at HSBC, BNZ and Westpac. Bancorp’s core services include Private Banking, Wealth Management, Corporate Finance, Specialist Property Finance and Services, Private Equity Investments, Treasury Advisory and Compliance management services. Mia is an honorary member of “Support our Kids” and works alongside this NPO to help children who have been orphaned or displaced in the 2011 Disaster in Japan. Mia works in New Zealand alongside Ian Kennedy and facilitates the School programmes, homestay families, activities, sponsorship & media. http://support-our-kids.org/about-en/
BRANDON JACKSON
Vice Chair
Brandon has a broad commercial skill set and deep leadership experience derived from 18 years of commercial / corporate banking, post graduate research in English literature, Management studies and high level sport, and 21 years as an amateur and professional rugby coach and administrator. His interests and skills lie in leadership and team development, strategy development, sales leadership, culture development, business growth, coaching and developing people, effective communication, and service to the community. His role now is in helping grow the high revenue smart business sectors that will help NZ Inc provide greater living standards for New Zealanders, and helping connect a diverse range of New Zealand businesses and New Zealanders to the world where bigger markets are.
Annette Azuma
Vice Chair and Treasurer
Annette Azuma is a Director of Baker Tilly Staples Rodway Ltd, a nationwide certified public accountancy and comprehensive business advisory firm with a strong reputation for providing quality advice to privately owned, corporate and public organisations for over 70 years. Annette is a chartered accountant specialising in international business and dealing with a number of listed and unlisted corporates and high net worth individuals assisting with all aspects of taxation, compliance, M & A and immigration. Fluent in Japanese , she has particular expertise and experience assisting many Japanese clients doing business and investing in NZ, as well as representing NZ companies expanding their business to Japan. Annette has been with Baker Tilly Staples Rodway since 1996 and is also a board member of Drive Electric and member of Global Women (New Zealand).
Tony Boot
Vice Chair
Tony Boot established BTM in 1994. BTM provides assistance with marketing and translation services in 15 languages to a range of public sector and private sector organisations in New Zealand, Japan, USA, etc. Tony is a graduate of the University of Waikato Business Management Studies department's International Management programme, specialising in Japanese & Marketing. Tony is a shareholder and director of New Zealand's largest farmstay company, Rural Tours Ltd. He is fluent in Japanese, and is actively involved with the development of New Zealand/Japan business relations. Tony was the JNZBC Executive Director from 2007 - 2013.
Hans Nagahara
Vice Chair
Hans joined Air New Zealand Japan in 1990 and was with the airline for 19 years before he took up the opportunity to join Finnair in 2009. At Finnair Hans led the airline through a period of extraordinary growth, going from 14 flights a week to 34 flights a week, while also securing Finnair precious daytime Haneda slots. With Air New Zealand and New Zealand as part of his DNA Hans has been enticed to return to Air New Zealand Japan, taking over the reins on 1 January 2024.
NEILLE BONNER
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER
Neille is Chief Executive Officer of netQ a New Zealand owned and operated Information Technology Services Provider. Neille previously worked as Managing Director of NEC New Zealand, a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan tech giant NEC Corporation. He has enjoyed several working trips to Japan and across Asia and shares a passion for the growth of business between New Zealand and Japan.
LAURA BUNTING
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER
Laura is Programme Manager at the North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (NA CAPE). The NA CAPE seeks to develop New Zealander’s long-term capacity to engage with Japan, leveraging academic expertise as appropriate. Operating across the business and education sectors Laura has worked to develop new programmes and initiatives to promote NZ-Japanese engagement and foster people-to-people connections. Laura graduated from the University of Melbourne having majored in Economics and History. She completed her thesis on Chinese Offshore Foreign Direct Investment at the University of Auckland, and has contributed to a book on Chinese Economic Statecraft. She has a long affection for Japan, first visiting as part of a sister-cities delegation at the age of 14.
Tony Spelman
Executive Committee Member
Tony is Corporate Development Manager for Swire Shipping in New Zealand, the deep sea shipping arm of Swire group. His role primarily encompasses export business development with a focus on Asia markets and works a large number of New Zealand’s leading commodity exporters and importers. He is also involved with strategic trade development projects across the company’s other divisions activities in New Zealand. Tony previously worked as General Manager Sales & Marketing for a DHL, New Zealand Post joint venture and has particular experience and expertise across supply chain and logistics functions.
Derek Hopkins
Executive Committee Member
Derek Hopkins is Managing Director of Franklin Group, which began life in 1982 as Franklin Rural Management Ltd, an agricultural consulting company. This is now the main operating company of the Group and its focus is entirely on investment project work in the rural sector. Derek completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (B.Agr.Sc) degree at Massey University in 1968. Since graduating his professional career has been in the rural sector with a range of experience in consultancy, practical farming and investment promotion and management. As well as having experience in many of the farming regions in New Zealand he has worked in Australia, the South Pacific, United Kingdom and Asia. Derek has been a member of the JNZBC since 1998 and on the Executive committee since 2001.
Yoshi Kawamura
Executive Committee Member
Yoshihiro Kawamura is Managing Director of TJK NZ Ltd. Yoshihiro has been engaged in asset management of The George Hotel Christchurch, and Clarendon Tower in Christchurch. Yoshihiro graduated from Gakushuin University Tokyo, having majored in Economics and specialized in Business Strategy. After graduating, he entered Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting Company and worked as a consultant until 2003.
Mark Crawford
Executive Committee Member
Mark is a Partner with KPMG based in Auckland. Mark has worked in various businesses in New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom and Japan over the past 20 years. His experience includes three years working in a Senior Finance role for a US public company based in Washington DC. Prior to returning to New Zealand in 2009, he spent eight years as a Partner working in Tokyo with KPMG, specialising in Audit and Advisory Services. In this capacity Mark worked with many multinational companies including General Electric, Fonterra and SAP and was a member of the Tokyo American Club.
Since returning to New Zealand Mark now heads up the Japanese Practice for KPMG. His clients include Konica Minolta, Shiseido, Makita and Mazda.
TĀTAKI AUCKLAND UNLIMITED (REPRESENTED BY FIONA HAIKO)
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER
Fiona is Manager - International Partnerships at Auckland Council’s Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. Working alongside international and investment specialists, Fiona facilitates international trade, investment, and business-attraction linkages for Auckland. Fluent in Japanese, Fiona has more than 10 years’ experience in international relations and trade and economic development for New Zealand organisations and agencies. Prior to joining Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Fiona headed up Education New Zealand in Japan, re-establishing the government agency’s presence and establishing key projects. She holds an MA in international relations from Waseda University and has spent over ten years working and studying in Japan.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (represented by richard griffith)
Executive Committee Member
Richard Griffith is Unit Manager (Japan/Koreas) in the North Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He took up this role in 2022 following an assignment as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Nauru and two years as Unit Manager PNG Solomon Islands North Pacific and Nauru in the Ministry’s Pacific Melanesia and Micronesia Division. Prior to this Richard lead the Fiji Kiribati and Vanuatu Unit after heading up the Fisheries and Environment Unit from 2016 onwards. This followed two years in the MFAT Americas division leading on political and security policy. He has had postings in Solomon Islands and Canberra. Prior to joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Richard worked for the New Zealand Defence Force from 2001-2013 and spent time living in the UK working in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in London.
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (represented by rachael mCgucKian)
Executive Committee Member
Rachael McGuckian is currently a member of the East Asia Lead Team, at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). In this role she provides connectivity between the NZTE teams in the region and New Zealand, linking exporter needs to in market strategy and activation and managing New Zealand based stakeholder relationships for the region. Generally being the New Zealand anchor for the regional team; the East Asia ‘go to person’. She has a diverse range of experiences from across NZTE, transitioning from the IMEA region to East Asia as Market Manager. And previous experience including leading a digital transformation program, two international assignments as New Zealand Trade Commissioner (Milan and Turkey, then in Hong Kong) and has many years export customer experience across a range of sectors.
Brian Martin
life Member
Brian first visited Japan in 1962. He was strongly influenced as a young man, by Kaichiro Omiya, Managing director of Toya Menka Kaisha, now Tomen, who were amongst the pioneers of the log trade between Japan and New Zealand.Brian returned to live in Japan in 1972, as President of Levi's Japan, and later as their Chief Executive of Asia.Having lived in Asia and Japan for many years, he has remained active in his relationship with Japanese businesses. He has been a member of the JNZBC for 25 years – being one of its longest serving members, and former Chairman.The Japanese Foreign Minister awarded a commendation to the Japan New Zealand business Council, during his period as Chairman. Brian was the first non- Japanese to be awarded by the Japan New Zealand Society the JSA award. He is currently Executive Advisor for the Japan Society’s “Japan Day” which attracted 50,000 during this year’s event.He is a published author, and has been married to his Japanese wife Keiko for 40 years.