Ākina welcomes new Trustees Cheryl Reynolds and Wayne Vargis

New Ākina trustees, Cheryl Reynolds and Wayne Vargis

Ākina are welcoming two new faces to the whānau this month, with new Trustees – Cheryl Reynolds and Wayne Vargis – joining the Ākina Board.

Cheryl is an entrepreneur, innovator and a proud Sir Edmund Hillary Fellow who has previously been CEO of the Endangered Species Foundation and Director for Xtreme Zero Waste.

Wayne is the General Manager of the Regional Investment Fund for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu since 2011, and has extensive experience in working with Māori businesses and communities. He has studied at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

“We’re thrilled to welcome new Trustees Cheryl and Wayne to the Ākina Board.” says CEO Nicola Nation “They each have incredible depth of experience. It’s already clear that they will have so much to contribute to the Ākina kaupapa.”

Ākina Board Chair Ben Kepes, who led the search for the new trustees, says that Wayne and Cheryl brought the right mix of skills to the wider Board.

“It’s important we have people on the Board with commercial nous who can also influence the wider Ākina mission – which is to shape the future of business in Aotearoa to one where more organisations are delivering positive social and environmental outcomes,” he said.