David has enjoyed a career in the hotel industry qualifying in New Zealand and the United States.  Having managed hotels around the country, he and his family ventured to the Pacific Islands and Africa before settling back in Auckland. Prior to taking up the reins at the Waka Pacific Trust, he was Chief Executive of the Mount Wellington Licensing Trust which owns pubs, commercial premises, and the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre. 

 

A keen golfer who plans eventually to shoot a score less than his age, David hopes to live well into his nineties!

Originally from Wales, Angharad arrived in Auckland in 2011. She has worked her way through almost every operational role in hospitality and has held diverse conference, sales and event management roles in the hotel industry before joining the Trust in 2018. 

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Her party trick is to pronounce the village name which is close to her hometown: Lllanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Angharad is obsessed with dachshund dogs (sausage dogs) and hopes to call one her own in 2021.

Morgan studied Marketing, Advertising and Education and has worked in Marketing and Education for commercial and not for profit sectors before joining the Trust in 2022. She wanted to be part of an organisation that made a difference which led her to Waka Pacific Trust and being apart of their commitment to reaching 100,000 students with their schools programme. 

 

When she's not at work, she spends her time running after her busy two year old!

Peni has extensive experience in the conference and events industry across sales, operations and events management. He joined the Trust in 2008 as part of the events centre team and took on the role responsible for facility management and health and safety when the white water park opened in 2016.

 

An avid Chiefs supporter who has the shirt to prove it, he is a regular visitor to the weekend Clevedon Market.

Petra has been with the Trust for over 16 years and is the longest-serving senior executive in the team.  She has seen the construction of both the Due Drop Events Centre and Vector Wero Whitewater Park and their completion to the iconic facilities that they are today. 

 

A South Aucklander through and through, she enjoys road cycling in her spare time and branched out into MTB activities where she is discovering there is much to learn!  

Tania has 20 years of experience in the hotel and hospitality industry, mainly managing corporate and conference accounts. She has worked for SkyCity Hotel Auckland, Rendezvous (now Grand Millennium) Hotel, and the Waipuna Hotel before joining Due Drop Events Centre in 2019. 

It was her first time to work in a venue but loves working for the Trust and telling our story --- being part of an organisation that professionally runs a venue and gives back its profits to the community.

Growing up in Hokitika on the wild West Coast and surrounded by amazing mountain rivers set Tom on a career pathway to white water rafting.

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He studied and trained at the Tai Poutini Polytechnic Outdoor Leadership and Guiding Programme in Greymouth, and became a rafting guide in Queenstown in 2002. This led to overseas rafting seasons in Far North Queensland, Northern Italy, Zambia, and California before returning to Queenstown.

 

In 2016, he took on  a new challenge and moved to Auckland to join Vector Wero Whitewater Park.