2020 Kāinga Ora Board appointments

Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods has increased the number of Board members from six to eight, reflecting the importance and breadth of the role Kāinga Ora plays in the housing and urban system.

Four new board members have been appointed: Ngarimu Blair, Robin Hapi CNZM, Penelope Hulse and Victoria Kingi. They join inaugural Board members Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman, John Duncan and Dr Nicola Crauford. Inaugural board member Vui Mark Gosche takes up the role of chairperson.

Kāinga Ora Chief Executive Andrew McKenzie said he wanted to acknowledge interim Chair Sir Brian Roche and interim Board member Pat Snedden MNZM, whose terms ended at the end of last year and guided the new entity through its establishment phase. Sir Brian played an important role in helping support HUD’s work to establish the entity and develop its strategic direction.

Mr McKenzie said the Board has a crucial role to play in ensuring that Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, provides whānau with world-class public housing and facilitates large-scale urban development that transforms communities. 

Profiles of Kāinga Ora Board members

Vui Mark Gosche (Board Chair) was a Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2008 and held several Cabinet posts, including Minister of Housing.  Until recently he was the Chief Executive of Vaka Tautua, a Pacifica-based health and social services provider, and Chairperson of Counties Manukau DHB.  He was the Chair of Housing New Zealand until 30 September 2019.

Ngarimu Blair has strong Māori governance experience including leading the restructuring of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Group into a modern post-settlement governance entity in 2012. He is presently a director on Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa Ltd, a large property company responsible for the protection and growth of the tribe's commercial assets.

Dr Nicola (Nicki) Crauford is a professional company director with extensive governance and senior management experience and a background in infrastructure and engineering.  Her governance portfolio spans energy, water and telecommunications utilities, science research and development, fire and emergency management, and environmental protection and regulation.

John Duncan has extensive management experience and experience in global financial markets, including banking and risk management.  He is a director of Public Trust and an advisor to Auckland City Council on funding, risk management, balance sheet and capital issues and the Executive Director for the Auckland Investment Office. He is a former Housing New Zealand Board member and Chair of HLC. 

Robin Hapi CNZM is Chair of the Māori Economic Development Advisory Board and Chair of Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa.  He has significant governance experience across not-for-profit organisations, commercial and tertiary entities.  Robin has expertise in management, financial management, dispute resolution, and strategic planning and maintains a wide national network of Maori and non-Maori individuals and organisations. He was also a Housing New Zealand Branch Manager for Porirua in the late 1980s.

Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman from Otago University Medical School, has a background in public health, with a focus on housing, energy, climate change and sustainable cities. She chaired the WHO Housing and Health Guidelines Group and was a member of the Independent Housing Stocktake Group.  She joined the Housing New Zealand Board in July 2018.

Penelope (Penny) Hulse has significant experience in local government growth and planning including many years involved in developing the Auckland Unitary Plan. Penny has 27 years of governance experience, with much of her last nine years on Auckland Council including the role of Deputy Mayor from 2010 to 2016.

Victoria Kingi (nee Carroll) is the Managing Director of Papakainga Solutions Limited. She has a strong RMA legal background and strategic governance expertise with a good understanding of regulatory frameworks. She has served on several governance boards and provided strategic advice to local, regional and central government on their planning, policy and strategic documents.

See our current appointments on Our Structure