Introducing the Board

Daniel Fleming

CHAIR

Co-owner and General Manager - King and Queen Hotel Suites

Daniel is the Chair of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce and has been on the board for nearly 10 years.

He is the co-owner and general manager of luxury boutique hotel King & Queen Hotel Suites. Daniel is also a board member for the New Zealand Chambers’ of Commence, chair of the West End Precinct and trustee for the Philanthropic Charitable Trust.  

Previously he was a director for WITT and spent his earlier career working for hotel companies Intercontinental, Sheraton and Millennium.

He believes the most valuable aspect of the Chamber is the networking opportunities and exposure to such a wide range of businesses.

Hayden Wano

Deputy Chair

Board Member - WISE Charitable Trust

Hayden is affiliated to Taranaki, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Awa Iwi.

Hayden has extensive experience in senior management and over 40 years health sector experience including, mental health, community services and medical services.

He is currently Chair Te Hiringa Mahana (Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission), a Board member of WISE Trust and Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

Hayden recently retired after 25 years service, as Chief Executive of Tui Ora Limited, a Taranaki-based Māori development organisation and provider of social and health services.

Hayden has also held an extensive range of governance roles, which include: Chair Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Acting Chair of the National Health Board, Chair of Taranaki District Health Board, Chair of the Health Sponsorship Council, Chair of TSB Community Trust and Chair of TSB Group Ltd.

Julie Beck

Business Manager – Auld Brewer Mazengarb & McEwen

Julie is commencing her second term on the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce Board.

Born in Opunake, raised in Eltham and now farming with my husband outside of Inglewood, Taranaki is my home and I am very proud to call it that. I am the Business Manager for Auld Brewer Mazengarb & McEwen, Lawyers and Notary Public and have been for 9 years.

Having spent a number of years on the local Institute of Directors Committee, chaired a not for profit community board and involvement in various other board situations,  I have the skills and experience to make a valuable contribution to the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce (TCC) Board.

With my background in business management and my passion for people and our community, I welcome the opportunity of working with the TCC Board in guiding the future direction of the Chamber in its endeavours to help our businesses meet the challenges of working in our current climate and into the future.

Julie is on the Finance Sub-Committee and is enjoying working with the group of passionate people at the Chamber.

Beatrice Chamberlain

Senior Associate – Govett Quilliam

Bea is a Senior Associate at Govett Quilliam currently based in the firm’s New Plymouth office in the Corporate and Commercial Team.

Bea grew up in Wellington where she graduated from Victoria University before moving to New Plymouth in January 2017 to join GQ as a graduate lawyer.

Bea is in the seventh year of her legal career. The bulk of her current legal practice is advising trustees of family trusts, charitable trusts, and complex estate planning. Bea’s experience working as a commercial and corporate lawyer for the first three years of her career provides a broad lens on legal issues.

Bea is passionate about different cultures including food and travel and has an affinity for fashion and design. In 2020, she established a vintage clothing e-commerce store, which provided hands-on experience operating a small business from the Taranaki region.

Bea is looking forward to working with and supporting the Chamber Board, Staff and members.

James Cunningham

Business Development Manager - Novotel New Plymouth Taranaki 

James is commencing his first term on the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce Board

After attending New Plymouth Boys' High School, James went on to study at the Pacific International Hotel Management School (PIHMS). Post studies, he found himself working for several hotel groups around New Zealand. In 2013, James returned to Taranaki, working at the King and Queen Hotel Suites and now the Novotel Ngamotu in the role of Business Development Manager.

James is a dedicated advocate for Taranaki – passionate about the sustainable growth of the region. The reason for joining the Chamber Board is to advocate for local likeminded businesses to connect and work together to better Taranaki. James is a well-connected Hospitality Professional both within the region and around the country with a drive to grow tourism in Taranaki.

"It is a privilege to be working with such an experienced Board and I look forward to serving the Taranaki business community".

Shane Devlin

Owner - GRAPHIX

Shane has been on the board for 9 years – he just started his fourth term.

He believes the most valuable asset to the Chamber is the networking opportunities and the business relationships that have been formed from 25 years of Chamber membership and proactive networking has definitely been one of the keys to our businesses success and longevity.

What I can offer the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce:

My wife and I started Graphix from our home over 27 years ago. Over the years we have also purchased five other businesses. Through these experiences I have learnt a great deal about what is needed to grow a successful business. I believe this perspective is a valuable asset to the Board in their support of local businesses.

A strong believer in building relationships in business, I attend as many Business Connections events as possible (including BizLink Hawera events).

Both networking and Chamber membership have played key roles in the success of our company.  This led me to be a founding member of the Taranaki Network of Trades (NOTs) and also the first Chapter of BNI (Business Networking International) in New Plymouth.

I am passionate about the Taranaki province and see this as an opportunity to give back.

Rebecca Johnson

Marketing & Communication Manager - Centre City

Rebecca has pursued a career that allows her to work with organisations that support and promote New Plymouth, Taranaki, and all the region's exceptional experiences. Over the years, through roles in commerce and creative-driven businesses, she has earned respect for her industry insight, work ethic, connections to the business community, and advocacy for the region.

Rebecca began her current role as the Marketing Manager for Centre City Shopping Centre in December 2022.

Centre City is the region's only shopping mall, and since being purchased by Prime Property Group in April 2022, the Centre has started to undergo upgrades and improvements.

Rebecca is looking forward to bringing her experience, creativity, and fresh perspective to contribute to the success of the Centre's revitalisation and repositioning as the premier shopping destination in Taranaki.

Before her current role, she was the Marketing Communications Manager at Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) for nearly four years, contributing to the region's cultural and economic well-being through marketing TAFT's world-class festivals and events throughout the year.

Earlier in her career, Rebecca worked as the Membership Development Manager at the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce and is honoured to re-join the Chamber as a Board member.

Her previous governance roles include; The Most FM Taranaki FM Trust, Friends of the Govett-Brewster Arts Gallery, and Taranaki Young Professionals, and she has supported the Taranaki Women's Refuge for the last few years in promoting their Pop-Up Shop annual event.

Rebecca brings a natural ability to lead, motivate and enhance organisational culture through collaboration and connectivity.

Jessica Parker

Taranaki Garden Festival Manager - Taranaki Arst Festival Trust

With extensive experience in both international and local events and marketing, I have had the opportunity to work with large corporations such as Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch. Following my return to New Zealand, I served as the Event Manager for the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce for almost seven years before recently transitioning to my current role as the Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival Manager for the Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT), a valued Partner of the Chamber.

During my time with the Chamber, I was fortunate to work alongside Arun and the team and I am immensely proud of the accomplishments we have achieved.

Additionally, I have gained valuable governance experience as a Trustee for the Taranaki Air Ambulance Trust and as the Co-Chair of the Taranaki Culinary Advisory Trust, which oversees the Feastival events throughout Taranaki. Leveraging my experience with these organisations, my strong connections and understanding of local businesses and the Taranaki region, I am honoured to serve as an active Board member AND continue my journey with the Chamber.

My personal life is rooted in New Plymouth, where I live with my husband Mike and our sons Jasper and Theo.

Campbell Third

Head of Lending – Centre of Excellence – TSB 

I have proudly worked for TSB for the last 30 years and held many roles in this time. My current role is that of Head of Lending – Centre of Excellence, this role has me working with key stakeholders and building advocacy for TSB throughout Taranaki and New Zealand alike.

I’m incredibly passionate about Taranaki and believe wholeheartedly that a strong, vibrant business sector is the lifeblood in keeping our province the envy of other regions around the country.

I have been fortunate to be part of the Chamber Board for the past 6 years and in this time I have gained a strong understanding of what the Chamber is about and what is required to be a successful board member.  It’s an absolute pleasure to work with a dedicated team of likeminded people who genuinely care about our province and the business’s within it.

I continue to believe that developing and growing strong relationships is the key to success and is where my focus lies. I bring a strong work ethic and can do attitude to the Board and am someone that will give 100% dedication to all I'm involved in.

Grace Wesolowska

Managing Director - GW Consulting

Grace joined the Board in 2019 and is looking forward to contributing to its further success in supporting Taranaki businesses.

Grace currently runs her own business consultancy supporting both New Zealand and overseas clients to transform and build capabilities that will help their organisations and people thrive in an ever-changing climate. She also holds governance and mentoring roles, which include: Chair of Taranaki Retreat Trust, Chair of TOPEC Trust, a project K mentor at Foundation for Youth Development and a former Chair of the Certification Board for Inspection Personnel.

She is widely recognised as a successful business leader having worked in senior executive roles both within large multinational listed companies and smaller privately-owned businesses. Her focus over her career has spanned a variety of sectors from construction to manufacturing, retail, import and export, property development and recently a move into the not-for-profit sector.

My expertise in leading successful businesses, together with a great passion and understanding of the needs of the Taranaki community align perfectly with the spirit of the Chamber. I am excited to work with the Chamber to help businesses navigate through many challenges and opportunities faced by the region in the challenging Covid-19 climate. I thoroughly enjoy working with a great team of Board Members and excellent Chamber staff.

I am also focused on making a lasting difference to the wellbeing of our community and I feel very privileged to work with the Chamber and other not for profit organisations on programmes and initiatives supporting many community groups and people in need.

I am proud to call Taranaki home, having moved here with my family several years ago and I look forward to serving and supporting a thriving business community in my work with the Chamber.