network manager
Peter Ramsay
Peter’s interests lie within startups, having studied the Masters of Entrepreneurship at the University of Otago.
For the past 3 years, Peter has embarked on his own venture, creating a reusable dispensing unit, tailed to the personal drink bottle and beverage industry. After experiencing the difficulties first hand of trying to raise capital in the lower South Island, Peter was drawn to MAI, in an effort to help pave a better path to investment.
Peter is experienced in project management, account management and sales. He is passionate about innovation and excels in the ideation and validation phases of product development.
peter.ramsay@mainlandangels.nz
027 422 7301
NETWORK MANAGER - canterbury
Camille Hunt
Camille is the network manager for Canterbury and has been angel investing since 2020. She has also been an entrepreneur and understands the founder journey having lived through this twice with her two startups, First Course Foods and Cleo.
Camille was born and raised in Christchurch and has gained experience overseas in Canada and Australia. She attended the University of Otago (physiotherapy) and the University of British Columbia (MBA - Innovation and Entreprenuership).
027 470 7501
The board
Chairperson
Brad Hurndell
Brad began his career in the Royal NZ Air Force, and then transitioned into product design after earning his honours degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was instrumental in growing SHOTOVER Systems to be the global leader in motion picture camera stabilisation, working with blockbuster movies and TV and sports broadcast companies as well as global brands like Red Bull, MotoGP and ABC.
He recently founded IMMORTAL Camera Systems, a company focussed on the bespoke design and manufacture of camera systems and equipment for the motion picture and TV industry.
Brad has proven success building and leading diverse cross-functional teams to design, produce, market and sell world leading products. He is a Chartered Director, the recipient of a Technical Academy® Award, and is the Chair of Film Otago Southland.
Director
Prue Halstead
Prue is Executive Officer of Invest South, a local regional growth capital fund owned by Community Trust South. With access to established networks, experience and hands on management support, she assists growth companies at all stages of their life cycle to ultimately increase and realise the value of those businesses. Having established a valuable regional and national network, her focus is to enable outcomes required for commercial success.
Prue has an extensive background of business development, marketing and general management experience across a diverse range of industries, working in New Zealand and overseas. In 2019, Prue was involved in establishing COIN South, an innovation network for Southland start-ups looking to scale beyond the region. Recognising the importance of a fully formed investment ecosystem to the growth of the Southern region, Prue is also a strong advocate of early stage businesses in the South, is a founding Board member of Mainland Angels, as well as member of the Executive Committee of the Angel Association of New Zealand.
DIRECTOR
David Wallace
David Wallace has a background in asset management, investment banking, equities research and corporate treasury, with 30 years of experience working in the capital markets in New Zealand. He has had corporate treasury roles for Winstone Limited, NZ Steel, and Clear Communications and worked for JP Morgan (formerly Ord Minnett).
Throughout his career he has overseen a broad range of transactions including IPO’s, debt raisings, MBO’s, mergers, acquisitions and divestments, and has been a rated equities analyst for the telco and IT sectors. David currently chairs LHD Media, NZ Crane Hire and CLSA Premium. He also has key responsibility for managing the Unlisted Securities Exchange a prescribed exempt financial product market, Crowdsphere a licenced equity crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending platform and Residential Property Ventures LP which invests in residential property developments.
DIRECTOR
Matthew Dwan
Matthew is an Investment & Business Attraction Specialist at ChristchurchNZ, a role which includes developing strategic directives and market intervention plans to stimulate the Christchurch investment and business eco-system, by building propositions for the region and promoting them to the various stakeholders within the investment and business community. In parallel, also building relationships and alignments across a number of connection points in the founder/start-up and investor eco-system to foster growth and deliver high impact economic benefit to Christchurch.
Previously Matthew has founded, established, and developed businesses in various industries within the private sector and has also taken leadership roles in both local and central government departments, in relation to the Christchurch earthquake recovery. He is a strategic long-term thinker and is well versed in planning, leadership, operations, implementation, delivery, and company growth.
A member of the Institute of Directors, and supporter of good governance at every level, Matthew is passionate about organisations that support conscious capitalism mindsets and promote and deliver a strong culture, vision and purpose, to empower their people and communities to do great things.
DIRECTOR
Rei Ishikawa
Rei is the Chief Executive / Kaiwhakahaere at Aotearoa-based digital health company Karo Data Management. Rei is an environmental scientist by background with an M.Sc from the University of Canterbury, but considers himself a ‘generalist’ in delivery, with an extensive track record in project and programme management across the health, IT, engineering, environmental science and retail industries. His goal at Karo is to grow a business and culture that delivers innovation and enabling technologies for a range of users to ultimately make a step change improvement in how healthcare is provided. He has led multi-disciplinary teams to deliver against organisational strategies and enjoys the challenge of managing teams, relationships and keeping up with the changing landscape of health and IT.
Rei is a member of the Institute of Directors and a committee member of the Otago/Southland Branch. He has held several governance and trustee positions, and is expanding in to investing and governance in start ups. Outside of business, Rei is keen on anything outdoors which involves a trail, bike or snow.
DIRECTOR
Paul Claridge
Paul works as the Business Development Director for Design Energy a Robotic Automation company based in Christchurch. Paul has an extensive background working in senior management and executive roles in a wide range of businesses from SME’s to a large multi-national across a variety of sectors including tertiary education, logistics and processing, business and economic development, and in the Tech Sector in software and services delivery and sales.
Areas of expertise and interest include business development, sales, operations and helping to grow tech businesses. In the last 10 years Paul has been actively involved in the Canterbury start-up ecosystem as a mentor, Ministry of Awesome Board member and as an Angel Investor and Board member with Canterbury Angels.
When not at work Paul spends most of his time with his whanau and mokopuna and in the outdoors, frequently on his Mountain Bike enjoying this paradise we call Te Wai Pounamu.