Hutt Valley Chamber CEO Helen Down is Heading to New Pastures

Helen’s longstanding commitment to the local community and to the Hutt Valley Chamber has been driven by her genuine passion for business.

Helen first became involved with the Hutt Valley Chamber in 2001 when she joined as a member. In 2004 she joined the Board of Directors, became President from 2010-2016, and was appointed Hutt Valley Chamber CEO in 2018. Throughout this time she ran her own successful businesses and in her role at the Chamber, advocated loudly for the needs of the business community.

In 2020 Helen led the Chamber team through the uncertainty of COVID-19. Working with local councils, she spearheaded the Hutt Valley COVID-19 Business Support Group to help all businesses understand the new environment, adapt to rapid changes and get the help they needed to continue to operate. After the immediate crisis, Helen ensured a portion of the Government’s recovery funding went directly to Hutt Valley businesses, by engaging with WellingtonNZ.

Helen leaves the Chamber in a far stronger position than when she joined as CEO, having led the Chamber through a period of financial uncertainty to the robust financial position it is in today.

With tenders won from Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social Development, Helen developed the Chamber’s Education to Employment Programme, working with local employers and youth, to raise the profile of vocational education careers and trades. She developed and implemented the new strategy and business plan for the Hutt Valley Chamber for the next three years (2021-2023), at the same time, bringing the Hutt Valley Chamber into the digital age with a brand refresh and update of online service offerings.

The Hutt Valley Chamber Board of Directors and President would like to thank Helen for her hard work and dedication and acknowledge her strong contribution to the Chamber and business community.

The Chamber Board will begin recruitment shortly for a CEO to take the reins from Helen, as she swaps these ones for those of her horse and farm. After many years of hard work, running her own businesses and advocating loudly in the media and to government on behalf of the business community, Helen is taking a well-deserved break from business to enjoy a quieter pace of life for a while.