Sir Chris has been a regular visitor to the Bay of Islands for 60 years; initially as a yachtsman and for the last 20 years as a property owner.

Sir Chris has enjoyed a successful career as an Auckland-based businessman and company director. In 2016, he was awarded a knighthood for services to science and education. He is a founding trustee and remains a life member of the Blake Trust; established to continue the legacy of Sir Peter Blake focusing on youth, conservation, the environment, and leadership.

Chris Jenkins has had a career dedicated to conservation and has been involved in a wide range of projects through out New Zealand. He lives in Whangarei having retired as the Department of Conservation’s Director for the Northern North Island.

Chris regularly advises and assists with conservation projects in Northland with a focus on problem solving and helping to turn good ideas into reality.

Robert Willoughby is of Ngāti Kuta descent. Robert has a career background in operational marketing of consumer products. More recently, Robert has worked with his Hapu Ngāti Kuta ki Te Rawhiti in building their social capital. These included;

• Assisting in acquiring the ex-HMNZS Canterbury for the Te Rawhiti Community as an artificial reef for marine bio-diversity enhancement and underwater classroom for education in the Bay of Islands.

• The project management of work contracts for biodiversity restoration and cultural tourism. Contributing to Hapu Management plans for the development of coastal land and fishery resources.

• Conducting archaeological research on Moturua Island to verify stories of early migration, arrival, settlement, and adaption in the Bay of Islands.

Chris has family in the Bay of Islands and has been a regular visitor to the area, both by land and sea since the 1970’s. Chris is a keen sailor, passionate about the outdoors and continues to visit the Bay of Islands with his young family as regularly as possible.

Chris completed a training voyage on the Spirit of New Zealand, crossing the Tasman post the Australian bicentenary in 1988 and completed a semester at the National Outdoor Leadership School (N.O.L.S) in Wyoming, while completing his Bachelor of Science (BSc) at the University of New Hampshire in the United States.

Chris is Country Manager for Qatar Airways in New Zealand, Chair of the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust, sits on the executive board of the New Zealand Middle East Business Council (NZMEBC), Board of Aviation Representatives New Zealand (BARNZ) and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

Sam Ricketts is currently Co-Head of Jarden NZ, New Zealand’s largest Investment Bank. Sam has extensive experience advising clients across a broad range of strategic advisory, cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions, and equity capital market transactions. He has expertise across the agriculture, infrastructure, aged-care and private equity sectors.

Sam is a member of the Jarden Senior Leadership Team, sits on the Board of Jarden Group and Pearlfisher Capital (Jarden’s non-bank property lending business).

Sam is married to Mia and has three children, Sebastian, Jack and Lily. Growing up on the water and with a family property in the Bay of Islands, Sam is an avid hunter, fishing and diving enthusiast, and loves the beauty and environment of Northland.

Sam has a BCom (Finance) and a PGDip Finance from the University of Otago.

George is of Ngāti Kuta descent and also belongs to the Ngāti Rahiri hapu of Ngapuhi. His whanau have additional ties to the iwi of Ngāti Wai and Te Rarawa. Born and raised in Russell, he often stayed with his grandmother, uncles, aunties and cousins at Tangatapu with excursions to Rawhiti, Whangamumu and Te Akau [Elliots] commonplace. Many hikes to Whangamumu included culling goats and the occasional wallaby.

George has a professional background in Teaching Science and Mathematics, Fisheries Compliance, the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Deed of Settlement Implementation Programme and Maori Economic Development at Northland Inc.  Current employment is as Chief Executive Officer for Te Runanga o Te Rarawa and following stints in Hapu Development, Policy Development and Matauranga/Research he was previously employed in the same role at Te Runanga a Iwi O Ngapuhi.

At present he is Chair of the Te Tii [Waitangi] B3 Ahu Whenua Trust and joins the Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust as a representative of the Rawhiti 3B2 Ahu Whenua Trust. A 2009 Alumni at Leadership New Zealand, George also spent two terms as a Trustee of that organisation.

George regards the opportunity to contribute to the Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust as an extension of all previous roles including participation in the Report of the Options Development Group for Te Papa Atawhai.