Board and staff

Jennifer Gill - Chairperson

Jennifer Gill is the Chief Executive of the ASB Trusts. Her career in philanthropy began in 1985 when Sir Roy McKenzie appointed her as the Executive Officer of the Roy McKenzie Foundation.

Jennifer was subsequently appointed as a trustee of the J R McKenzie Trust and a number of small family trusts. She was a founding member, and a chair, of the Board of the Wellington Regional Community Foundation, the Funding Information Service and Philanthropy New Zealand.

Prior to joining the ASB Trusts Jennifer was employed for ten years as the Executive Director of Fulbright New Zealand. She was made a life member of Philanthropy New Zealand in 1995.

Kate Frykberg - Deputy Chair

Kate Frykberg is Executive Director of the Todd Foundation and a trustee of the Thinktank Charitable Trust.

Kate has a strong business background, winning the 2000 ASB Business Woman of the Year award and receiving a royal honour, the NZ Order of Merit for services to business and the community, in the same year. She is married with three children and is an active volunteer.

Stuart Burns

Stuart Burns is Chief Executive of the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust

He holds a Management Studies Degree from the University of Waikato and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

Stuart first became involved with the Trust in 1994 when he was invited to become a trustee. Stepping down from the position of deputy chairman in 1995, he assumed the role of secretary/manager (Now Chief Executive).

He has an Accountancy background and has worked both in New Zealand and the pacific Islands.

Stuart has spent most of his life in Rotorua, and is passionate about the future wellbeing of the Rotorua District.

He is a keen supporter of the Arts and has been involved with a large number of sporting and community organisations and nationally has previously served as councillor for the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, secretary of Philanthropy New Zealand and national treasurer of the Ulysses Club of New Zealand.

Helena Francis

Helena Francis is a trustee of the Wayne Francis Charitable Trust. She has a keen interest in youth initiatives and in growing philanthropy throughout the country.

Helena is director of the Nevele R Stud, a standardbred breeding stud. She has a background largely in sales of human resource and staff training material. Her interests include harness racing, and four wheel driving. She was born and raised in Christchurch where she still lives with her partner and two children.

Tyron Love

Tyron Love is an Assistant Lecturer in Management and a Research Associate for the Māori Business Research Centre at Massey University, Wellington. As a trained primary school teacher, Tyron’s passion resides in education. Through post-graduate study, Tyron has developed a keen interest in corporate philanthropy and Māori business research.

In his doctoral study, Tyron is concerned with how the narratives of organisational members and stories of organisation impart meaning and value on giving relationships bound by corporate’ gifts. This research reflects the perspective that philanthropy is a complex social phenomenon underpinned by generosity, negotiation, obligation…and that those engaged are likely to have diverse interpretations of what it means and its value to New Zealand society.

Sue Piper

Sue Piper is Executive Director of the Wellington Community Foundation. She is a member of the Local Government Commission and on the board of Quotable Value New Zealand.

Sue was Wellington City Councillor from 1995 to 2004 and has been a member of the National Council of Local Government New Zealand. Between 1989 and 1992 she was President of the Public Service Association. Sue has a strong background in community development.

John Prendergast

John Prendergast has been Chief Executive of the Community Trust of Southland since 1998. As a chartered accountant, he held finance and sales roles in the banking, railroad, and electricity industries, as well as working for various New Zealand government departments and Coopers and Lybrand.

John has extensive governance experience with a number of organizations. His work with Rotary has seen him lead a study exchange team to California and a combined Australasian Rotary team to the 90th Anzac anniversary at Gallipoli.

Judith Timpany

Judith Timpany is the Executive Director of the Whanganui Community Foundation and Deputy Chair of the Charities Commission. She is interested in community development from a grantmaking perspective.

Judith recently completed her M. Phil (Hons) with a thesis that researched this issue. She also has a passion for encouraging generosity of money, time and spirit.

Robyn Scott

Robyn Scott has been the Executive Director of Philanthropy New Zealand since 2001. She has a background in both not-for-profit management and education. She studied at Wellington College of Education and Victoria University prior to embarking on a career in primary school teaching. From there she managed a not-for-profit organisation.

Robyn lives in Wellington with her husband and two school-aged children. She finds the world of philanthropy continually stimulating, challenging and thought provoking.

Jolly Fernandes

Jolly Fernandes is Philanthropy New Zealand's office manager. She does administrative/reception work for us and also for the JR McKenzie Trust and the Funding Information Service with whom we share our offices. In the spare time left, Jolly spends her time outdoors in the garden and walking.

Rachel Roberts

Rachel Roberts works part-time for Philanthropy New Zealand managing communication and membership services. She has over 20 years experience in the media and communication field.

Rachel is consistently inspired by the regular contact with our philanthropists and grantmaking members. She is married with two young children.