Board & Advisors
BOARD
Chris de Boer — Chairman
Chris has extensive experience in investment banking, regulation, private equity, venture capital and consulting: in London, Hong Kong and Australasia. He is a past adviser to Cable and Wireless plc, Director of Optus Communications, Chairman of the Hong Kong Takeovers Panel, Investment Committee Member of GEMS Oriental & General Fund and Chairman of New Zealand Venture Investment Fund Limited.
Chris is currently a Director of Southern Cross Media Group, and a Director of Mobilis Networks Limited.
Meet Chris de Boer and learn more about his role and ensuring Pingar meets its high standards.
Peter Wren-Hilton — Founder and Chief Executive Officer
For over 20 years, Peter has owned and managed multiple software development companies in the UK, India and New Zealand. In 1999-2000, HB Internet was BT ‘E-Business Solution Provider of the Year’ in the UK. HB Internet’s global clients included BT, the United Nations and Canon Europe.
In 2001, Peter established his first software development company in India's IT city, Bangalore. Since 2007, he has focused on building the technology platform that is now Pingar.
Watch Peter's interview with Robert Scoble, on how Pingar turns unstructured data into knowledge.
Jacqui Wren-Hilton — Chief Administration Officer
Jacqui has held senior finance & administration roles for the past 15 years in both the UK & New Zealand.
Jacqui was Finance Director of HB Internet from 1996 – 2003 and has fulfilled the role of Chief Administration Officer since Pingar’s inception four years ago.
NON-EXECUTIVE BOARD
Nigel Harrison – Non-Executive Director
Nigel spent 25 years with The Thomson Organisation including as director, executive vice president and CFO of the parent company, The Thomson Corporation (now Thomson Reuters) from 1989 – 1999. Since then he has held a number of directorships in private companies and was a senior Managing Director from 2008 - 2010 at Berkery Noyes, a leading US independent investment bank focused on the information industry.
Nigel moved to Auckland from the UK in December 2010.
Rod Olsen – Non-Executive Director
Rod was born and educated in New Zealand. He is a former CFO and CEO of global telecommunications group, Cable & Wireless, and a former non-executive director of Standard Chartered Bank. He has acted as adviser, director and investor in a wide range of businesses in Europe, Asia and Australasia.
Rod is now based in Hong Kong and is currently chairman of Mobilis Networks Limited, a fast growing New Zealand telecommunications software applications company.
Arnold van Os – Non-Executive Director
Arnold was most recently Managing Partner at Frontier Capital Partners. Before taking on this role, he held a number of senior positions at ABN Amro Bank, including Head of Corporate Development and Head of Merchant Banking, and prior to that was a Managing Director, Investment Banking, Swiss Bank Corporation.
Arnold recently relocated to Tauranga from Holland.
ADVISORS
The Earl of Erroll — Chairman, UK Advisory Board
Lord Erroll — Merlin — has worked in IT most of his life. He is also a Hereditary Peer in the UK’s House of Lords, where he takes a particular interest in ICT, countryside and the environment, the constitution and Scottish matters. Merlin is High Sherriff of Scotland.
In parliament, Merlin plays an active role in several ICT groups, especially those looking at regulatory issues involving communications, internet, personal identity and government data sharing. He sits on the council of PITCOM (Parliamentary Information Technology Committee); is on the board of EURIM (European Information Group); is Secretary of apComms (All-Party Communications Group); Vice-Chairman of the All-Party Group on Entrepreneurship; and Treasurer of the All-Party Group on Risk and Adventure in Society.
Watch Lord Erroll share his thoughts about Pingar, innovation, and NZ Trade.