Semenoff Stadium / About

Nigel Brereton (chairman)

Nigel has a commitment to the wellbeing and development of Tai Tokerau.

He has lived in Whangārei with his family since returning from his OE in 1999. Nigel has three adult children and has been married to Helen since May 1991.

He enjoys getting outdoors in the north, especially on his mountain bike. Nigel has just completed seven years on the Sport Northland board, the last three as chair.

Nigel is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and the Institute of Directors. He has been a Chartered Accountant since 1991, a partner in Russell Turner Chartered Accountants since 2001.

Steve Armitage

Steve is of Ngāpuhi descent with strong familial connections  to Whangārei and the Far North.

He has most recently been General Manager Destination at Auckland Unlimited,  the region's cultural and economic growth agency, where he oversaw portfolios including:

• tourism marketing
• business and major events
• international education
• destination management.

Prior to this he worked in a variety of political advisory roles  in the private sector, and across central and local  government. 

Steve has provided leadership across many major events in recent years, including:

• Auckland's annual major events programme
• the 36th America’s Cup in 2021.

Steve has a Masters of Arts (Hons) in political science from the University of Auckland.

Hetty Van Hale

Hetty is a professional director with extensive governance experience and over 30 years experience in  senior executive roles with medium to large NZ companies.

She is currently a director of High Performance Sport New  Zealand and a Trustee of Central Lakes Trust.

She has been a past board member of:

• Sky City Queenstown Community Trust
• Badminton NZ 
• Snow Sports NZ
• Winter Games NZ Trust
• Southern Lakes Arts Festival Trust
• Wanaka Wastebusters
• Mt Aspiring College Foundation
• Lake Wanaka Tourism
• Project Crimson
• the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre of NZ.

Hetty runs her own strategic planning consultancy aimed at small to medium enterprises. She has extensive experience in corporate communications and marketing and previous roles include:

• Information Manager - Brierley Investments
• Communications Manager - Carter Holt Harvey
• Marketing Manager - Treble Cone for Tourism Holdings Ltd
• Marketing and Communications Manager - Infinity Investment Group. 

She has a BA in Linguistics from Victoria University, a post-graduate Diploma of Information Science from Riverina  Institute, Australia, and a Certificate in Company Direction from the NZ Institute of Directors.

Paula Kearns

Paula has worked as an executive and a non-executive director over the last 15 years.

An experienced Audit, Finance and Risk Committee Chair she has a diversity of experience across a range of sectors and is currently in governance roles with:

• New Zealand Avocado
• New Zealand Rugby League
• Mahitahi Hauora
• Mount Wellington Trust Hotels
• Ministry for Environment
• Savey Investments Ltd.

Previous governance roles include Ara Taiohi, Foundation North, and NZ Football and previous leadership roles include Youthtown Inc and Canoe Racing NZ. 

Paula’s qualifications are a Bachelor of Commerce from Auckland University, she is a Chartered Accountant of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand.

Paula lives with her husband on their 8ha avocado orchard in Maungakaramea and she enjoys horse riding in her spare time. Her large whānau includes seven adult children and nine grandchildren.