Invest New Zealand – Members

About Invest New Zealand

Invest New Zealand (Invest NZ) is the country’s new investment promotion agency, focussed on attracting Foreign Direct Investment that will help drive innovation, productivity, and economic growth. It works with multi-national corporations and foreign investors to attract people, businesses, and capital to New Zealand. Invest NZ also engages with experienced, skilled investors through the Active Investor Plus Visa.

For more information about Invest NZ, please see their website.

Invest New Zealand(external link)

Invest NZ is a Crown entity

Invest NZ is an Autonomous Crown Entity (ACE) under the Crown Entities Act 2004. The Crown Entities Act provides a framework for Crown entity governance and accountability, including responsibilities of board members, disclosure of interests, and the roles of Ministers. As an ACE, Invest NZ can be directed to give regard to government policy that relates to the entity’s functions and objectives.

The Minister for Trade and Investment is the responsible Minister for Invest NZ.

Person specifications – Member roles

We are seeking expressions of interest from experienced governors, motivated to contribute to building a more prosperous and sustainable economic future for New Zealanders with the following:

Skillset One: International Investment Experience

• Brings an extensive understanding of international markets, including expertise in raising capital from overseas investors and channelling investments into global opportunities, and a strong understanding of cross-border regulatory environments.
• Proven international governance experience with a focus on attracting and managing foreign investment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and grow businesses internationally by identifying and leveraging global strategic opportunities, fostering innovation, and driving sustainable growth.
• Strong network of domestic and international industry contacts, enabling access to high-value partnerships, market intelligence, and investment opportunities across varied sectors.

Skillset Two: Business Development & Growth

• Proven governance expertise with a successful track record of supporting business expansion.
• Experience in scaling businesses internationally or supporting New Zealand enterprises in attracting foreign direct investment, with a focus on market entry and growth.
• Brings valuable insights from working within or alongside multinational corporations, including leading or contributing to large-scale business transformation and change management initiatives.
• Adept at navigating international business environments, fostering relationships, and aligning development strategies with global market dynamics.

Skillset Three: Strategic Financial Leadership & Risk Management

• Proven experience in providing strategic oversight and governance to high-performing organisations, ensuring accountability, transparency, and long-term resiliency.
• Extensive experience leading financial strategy within complex and dynamic business environments, including those with international operations, ensuring financial sustainability.
• Skilled in interrogating financial statements, assessing capital allocation, and evaluating investment opportunities to support sound decision-making.
• Proven capability in identifying, assessing, and mitigating financial and operational risks, particularly in the context of international investment.
• Brings a strong commercial lens to financial leadership, balancing innovation and growth with fiscal management and long-term value creation.

Skillset Four: Venture Capital & Innovation

• Brings a comprehensive understanding of New Zealand’s venture capital landscape, including key sectors, and emerging opportunities.
• Proven governance capability across startups including oversight of venture capital initiatives.
• Skilled in evaluating venture opportunities, managing risk, and aligning venture capital strategies with long-term economic and commercial objectives.
• Well-connected within the venture capital and startup ecosystems, enabling access to potential deals, co-investment opportunities, and strategic partnerships.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.

Board membership

The Invest NZ Board has a strategic management function and is not expected to conduct the day-to-day affairs of Invest NZ. The Board’s role is to focus on the critical strategic and operational issues by which the overall success of Invest NZ in achieving its objectives will be measured.

Invest NZ Board responsibilities

• setting and monitoring the strategic direction of Invest NZ
• setting the culture and tone of Invest NZ as an organisation
• taking decisions that it has reserved for itself under the delegations policy
• appointing a Chief Executive
• monitoring the performance of Invest NZ and its Chief Executive
• maintaining appropriate relationships with the Ministers, Parliament, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the public
• ensuring the entity has financial sustainability and manages risk appropriately
• complying with the Invest New Zealand 2025 Act, the Crown Entities Act, and other relevant legislation.
• the Chair is required to advise the Minister via MBIE of any interests that they have, or are likely to have, in matters relating to the entity, and of any new interests which may arise during their term.

Collective and individual duties of Board members

The collective duties of Board members are to ensure the Board’s functions are performed efficiently, effectively and consistently in the spirit of the public service, and in a financially responsible manner.

The individual duties of Board members are:

• to act with honesty and integrity
• to act in good faith and not at the expense of the entity’s interests
• to act with reasonable care, due diligence and skill
• not to disclose, or make use of information that would otherwise not be available to them
• to disclose any interests that they have, or are likely to have, in matters relating to the entity.

Further information on the relationships between Crown entities, Ministers, and departments can be found at the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission website.

It Takes Three: Operating Expectations Framework for Statutory Crown Entities(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission

Members are appointed for terms of up to three years. Board members continue in office despite the expiry of their term until they are reappointed, their successor is appointed, or the member is informed that they are not to be reappointed and that no successor is to be appointed at that time.

Members of the Invest NZ Board may resign by written notice to the responsible Ministers. The responsible Ministers may, at any time and entirely at their discretion, remove any members of the Board. This removal must be made by written notice.

Time commitment and remuneration

The current remuneration for an Invest NZ Board member is $50,000 per year.

The Board member roles are part-time. Full Board meetings are held bimonthly, or as otherwise required, including at least one annual strategic planning meeting. In addition, Board members will also have committee responsibilities and attend additional meetings for those purposes. The expected time commitment is approximately 25 days a year.

Additional information

For further enquiries about the position, email: boardappointments@mbie.govt.nz