Our Board

Jon Hartley is Chair of Kaingaroa Tipu Limited and a director of Ngāi Tahu Holdings. He has held governance roles with Kiwibank, ASB, Sovereign Assurance, Chorus, Mercury Energy, Air New Zealand, and SkyCity. Jon has more than 30 years of voluntary leadership experience, including chairing VisionFund International, the global microfinance subsidiary of World Vision, and the Wellington City Mission. Earlier in his career, he worked across the UK, Sudan, Zambia, Australia and New Zealand in executive roles such as CEO and CFO. Jon is also an ordained Anglican priest.

He graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants Institutes in England and Wales, in Australia and New Zealand, and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Jon lives in Wellington with his wife, Chris, and together they have four adult children and four mokopuna.

Brian was appointed as an independent director in 2018, having had an extensive career in both the public and private sector.  He was a senior partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers before retiring to take up the role of Group Chief Executive of the New Zealand Post Group.  He is currently undertaking the role of the State Services Commissioner.

He has undertaken a number of governance roles including the NZ Transport Agency, City Rail Link Limited, Kiwibank, AgriZero and Tait Electronics.  In addition to his governance roles he has been actively involved in Treaty of Waitangi Settlements and sport administration.

Brian was knighted in 2017 for services to the State and Business. 

He has a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University and is a Fellow and Life Member of the Australia New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Lees Seymour has more than 40 years’ experience in the global forest and wood products industry. His career began with planting trees in Matahina Forest during his school holidays and has spanned senior leadership roles across the sector. Lees has represented New Zealand’s forestry interests internationally, with experience working in the USA, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Russia, Scandinavia, Brazil, Chile, Spain, and the Netherlands. He is currently a director of Kaingaroa Tipu Limited.

Lees holds a Bachelor of Forestry Science from the University of Canterbury and an MBA with Distinction from Massey University. He also completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD in France and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

Brendon Jones is a Director in the Guardians Direct Investment Team, with responsibility for investments in agriculture, horticulture, timber, and financial services. He also leads NZ Super Fund's development of New Zealand’s first offshore wind farm, in partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. Brendon oversees the origination and assessment of new investment opportunities. Prior to joining the Guardians, he worked for seven years in investment banking in Sydney and Auckland with Moelis & Company and RBS/ABN AMRO. He is a director on Kaingaroa Tipu Limited & Kaingaroa Limited.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance, Hons First Class) and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Economics, both from the University of Auckland.

Will joined the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation in 2016 and was appointed Co-Chief Investment Officer in 2024. He was previously Head of Direct Investments with responsibility for leading NZ Super Fund’s global direct/private equity investments, internally managed listed equities and machine learning strategies. 

Prior to joining the Fund, Will held executive roles in finance and private equity. He is currently Co-Chair of the NZ Super Fund Investment Committee, Director of Kaingaroa Tipu Limited & Kaingaroa Limited, Chair of The Institute of Financial Professionals NZ (INFINZ) and has previously served on listed and unlisted boards in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. 

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics and a Master of Applied Finance from Victoria University of Wellington and has completed INSEAD’s Advanced Management Programme.

Geoff Thorp has been Forest Advisor to the Lake Taupō and Lake Rotoaira Forest Trusts since 2000, supporting the management of 55,000 hectares of land on behalf of 20,000 Māori owners. His role spans forestry management as well as engagement in cultural and social matters for the Trusts. 

Geoff previously spent 18 years as a forestry consultant in New Zealand, Asia, and the Pacific, working across natural and plantation forests. He is a Registered Member of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry and has served on the boards of NZIF and the Forest Growers Levy Trust. 

Since 2014, he has been Kākanō’s observer on the Kaingaroa Tipu Limited Board, representing the six iwi who collectively own a shareholding in the forest.

Christian Bonneau is Managing Director, Head of North America and Timber, Natural Resources Investments, at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). He joined PSP in 2010, initially in Private Equity, before moving to the newly formed Natural Resources team in 2011. His focus is on global timberland and agriculture investments. Before joining PSP, Christian worked in Equity Research, specialising in Paper & Forest Products and Fertilisers.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University, an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, and is a CFA charterholder.

Marc Drouin is Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Natural Resources Investments at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). He leads PSP’s Natural Resources group, which partners with local operators to invest in agriculture and timber assets across investment-friendly jurisdictions worldwide. Marc joined PSP in 2011 and has extensive international experience in corporate development and investment. He previously served as Head of Group Business Development Americas for Anglo American PLC, Vice President of Corporate Development at Alcan Inc. (Rio Tinto), and Director at Lazard.

He holds an MBA from York University, a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, and an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.