Board of Directors

Mark Skelly, President

Owner, Red Hot Business Coaching

Mark passionately believes that the Hutt Valley is an amazing place to grow a thriving business and raise a family. He co-founded Red Hot Business Coaching here in the valley 10 years ago and has had the privilege of helping many individual owners remove the barriers to growth in their businesses over that time. Mark’s career has included a number of senior management roles with nation-wide responsibilities.
Mark and his wife Megan have two children, and he has been on the board of Wa Ora Montessori School for the past 7 years. He is known for making things happen.

Dave Morgan, Vice President

Principal of LINK Business Broking - Wellington

Dave has had a successful career as a business investor, spotting businesses in need of professional management and robust operating systems. He has bought and sold businesses in the tourism sector, retail sector and the service industry and has extensive experience operating multiple franchise outlets.

With considerable experience as a ‘hands off’ operator, Dave focuses more on the importance of strong business systems and quality training. This experience has helped him identify opportunities to develop the maximum return from his operations and extract the best price for his businesses.

As the Principal of the Wellington office of LINK Business Broking, Dave and his team of brokers are at the forefront of helping the baby boomers exit their businesses and extract their capital from their enterprises.

June Ranson

Managing Director of Licensed Immigration Advisors, Woburn International

June has lived and worked in a number of overseas countries in a variety of Industries. June established Woburn International Ltd in 1991, which is based in Lower Hutt.

June’s role in Woburn International as well as Managing director, is primarily immigration but June also plays a major role in the cultural awareness side and over the years has enjoyed helping many families to adjust to their new life and their changed circumstances. June has been appointed Board Vice Chairman to NZ Association for Migration and Investment. With more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, June has worked with hundreds of other career professionals to help them develop and refine their skills, knowledge and expertise across a wide range of disciplines essential for success in our industry.

June is married to Steve and they have a teenage daughter, Zara. June is an early riser and enjoys heading out most mornings for a walk with her lovely dog Mimi. In June’s spare time she enjoys being the pillion passenger on Steve’s Harley Davidson Motor Bike.

Sarah Wilson

Director, Sarah Wilson Recruitment

Since 2000 Sarah has worked as a recruitment consultant, specialising in the manufacturing and trades sectors. Six years ago, she took the brave step of establishing her own business, helping mid-sized, New Zealand-owned businesses to attract, employ and retain the people they need to succeed.

Rather than following the traditional recruitment model, Sarah works closely with business owners to provide recruitment services at every level of their organisations. This has given her a unique perspective on the challenges and rewards that come with business ownership – and highlighted her clients’ needs for practical, meaningful support.

It was Sarah’s commitment to service excellence and her interest in helping others that led to her involvement with Youth Inspire and the Hutt Valley Education to Employment Coordination Service. She’s now a passionate advocate for young people in the Hutt Valley area and thrives on using her professional skills to support them in their search for employment.

Having grown up in the Hutt Valley, Sarah’s determined to help the area to thrive. She’s proud to be associated with the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce – an organisation that supports local businesses with practical and meaningful support.

 

Tony McKone

Owner of Employee Relations Company, McKone Consultancy

As the owner of a successful small business, I look forward to having the opportunity to connect businesses, people and the truth as a member of the Board for the Chamber.  I bring nine years of governance experience to the Board, as well as knowledge, skills and experience built up over the last 40 years as a business owner, former senior manager in the public sector and as a senior HR practitioner.  I am a Chartered Fellow of the HR Institute, a Certificate Holder of the Association of Workplace Investigators and hold a Graduate Diploma in Business Studies.

Dene Cable

Group Broking Manager, Gallagher.

Brought up in Palmerston North, Dene moved to Wellington in 2009 to get into the world of business. After two years in the Banking Sector, he shifted over to start a career in insurance. Dene worked in multiple roles including Claims Handler, Broker Support, Domestic Insurance Broker and now the Group Broking Manager at Gallagher, in the Lower Hutt region. Dene has a passion to help all business in the Hutt region and bases himself on Market Gove to be easily accessible to those he can assist.

Michael Markham

Director and CEO, Kendons

A Chartered Accountant (CAANZ) with a Public Practice Certificate, and a Registered Qualified Auditor, Michael has been actively involved in the audit and accounting environment for over 15 years.

In addition to his role at accounting and advisory business Kendons, Michael is also a Trustee of the Laura Fergusson Trust Wellington, Christine Taylor Foundation for Mental Health, Vice-President of Barbershop Harmony NZ and Chairman of Young Singers in Harmony Trust NZ. Outside of his governance and professional roles, Michael keeps himself busy heavily involved with his young family and in the barbershop community, both as a singer and performance judge.

Mike_Hines BW (002)

Mike Hines

Director, Ohnyx IT Solutions

Mike has been living, working and employing in the Hutt Valley since relocating from the mighty Crusaders region in 2015 (but don’t hold that against him).
He’s been a business owner for more than 15 years across industries as diverse as retail, IT, event management and hospitality and recently completed an MBA through Massey University. He is currently a director of Ohnyx IT Solutions with a team of 17 spread throughout greater Wellington.
Mike brings a broad range of expertise, with an emphasis on technology and building people and organisational culture.

Co-opted Members

Jo Miller

Hutt City Council CEO

Jo Miller came to New Zealand in July 2019 to join Hutt City Council as Tumu Whakarae Chief Executive.

Jo works with the Mayor and Council, staff, Iwi, partners and the community to ensure Lower Hutt is the very best it can be for all its people.

She has been the President at Taituarā – Local Government Professionals New Zealand since October 2023.

With an LLB Hons from the University of Southampton, Jo’s local government career spans 30 years at a local, regional and national level.

Prior to living in Aotearoa, Jo held one of the most high-profile government jobs in the UK, with an outstanding record of motivating people, creating solutions and brokering agreements in major housing, economic regeneration and capital investment schemes.

As Chief Executive of Doncaster Council, Jo was recognised for exceptional organisational turnaround, city growth and a return to optimism, putting the city in the top 10 for UK growth. Jo was elected President of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives in 2017, consequently named as the third most influential person in local government by UK Local Government Press.

Malcolm Galloway, Partner at Gibson Sheat Lawyers

Malcolm Galloway

Partner, Gibson Sheat Lawyers

Before joining Gibson Sheat Malcolm spent 21 years in a well-established Wellington general practice where he progressed from the after-school office boy to a partner.

Malcolm was admitted to the bar in 2005 and since then has enjoyed the variety of a broad general practice. He finds satisfaction in helping people at all stages of their lives – whether it be helping them with advice on commercial contracts or devising a succession plan so that they can retire from a long-held family business.

Malcolm is a member of the New Zealand Law Society property law section. He is also president of the Wellington Pipers’ Club Inc. and a member of St. Margaret’s church, in Silverstream.