Meet our governing board
UNICEF Aotearoa New Zealand was incorporated under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957 on 2 July 1974. It is one of 33 UNICEF National Committees around the world. Each National Committee operates under a formal Cooperation Agreement and individually agreed Joint Strategic Plan with UNICEF. Both the Cooperation Agreement and Joint Strategic Plan recognise and accommodate the legal status and independence of National Committees.
The UNICEF Aotearoa Board of Trustees is responsible for monitoring and maximising the performance of UNICEF Aotearoa. It governs according to the UNICEF Aotearoa Trust Deed.
Simon Wi Rutene
Chair
Simon Wi Rutene is an accomplished and decorated international athlete, company director, trustee, publisher and an enrolled barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. Simon brings a breadth of academic training and various professional roles, combined with over 40-years’ experience, as an elite sportsman and governor. He is a four time Olympian and flagbearer for NZ at the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympic Games.
He is an active governor and a certified Master Expert governance practitioner. He currently holds roles as a trustee on various National and International Sports Bodies and NFP including trustee and board member with UNICEF Aotearoa and UNICEF’s Children’s Foundation. He is a member of UNICEF’s Audit and Risk Committee, Fundraising Committee, and Māori Council.
His qualifications include degrees in Law and Commerce as well as a Post Graduate Certificate (Level 12) in Career Counselling Psychology for Elite Performers (Sport, Music, and Dance). He possesses wide networks in a range of diverse communities, including sport, corporate, government, and Māori. He has a proven ability to build strong relationships, engage with, and influence leaders.
Carmen Vicelich
Deputy Chair
An entrepreneurial powerhouse with over 20 years’ experience developing innovative solutions using technology and data to create value. In record time she has created two multi-million- dollar, global industry-leading businesses that do just that. Valocity has revolutionised the valuation process, by digitally connecting lenders, valuers, brokers and customers in One Smart Platform, to streamline the valuation and property decisioning process.
The unique, cloud-based platform is used by many of the world’s largest lenders across New Zealand, Australia, India, and Asia. Valocity has been recognised globally including at the prestigious India FinTech Awards 2019 as Fintech Start Up of the Year, Singapore Top 10 Global Fintech 2018, and Microsoft ISV Partner of the Year 2020.
In parallel to Valocity, Carmen developed a second company, Data Insight, which helps Australasia’s largest business and government organisations leverage the power of data and advanced analytics, enabling data driven decision making to improve customer experience, efficiency and profitability.
Outside of founding two data and technology businesses, Carmen mentors several studentsand business founders, isa regular global speaker sharing her story of innovation, serves on several boards and is a proud mother of four children.
Rachael Petero
Trustee
With strong Māori genealogy to her tribal lands and people of Waikato-Tainui, Rachel advocates and drives gender equity, diversity and inclusivity through her leadership roles in governance, business and community development.
Rachel’s management consulting business grew exponentially from 2010 starting in London, UK to Doha, Qatar and returning home to Aotearoa, New Zealand in 2015. She has received awards and recognition as the Founder of Women leading change Qatar and Rise2025 an internationally recognised leadership and coaching programme to name a few.
Internationally trained in Human Resources and Executive Coaching, she is known for growing and coaching over 10,000 corporate leaders across 3 continents through multiple talent development programmes from scholarships to executive management.
Through her corporate business development and governance experience as Co-Chair of Te Ohu Whai Ao Trust and Trustee of Ngāti Tamaoho, Rachel continues to remain locally grounded and globally focused with partnerships in the UK, Middle East, Pacific Islands, Australia, Hawaii, Taiwan, Chile, Canada and North America. She also holds Cultural Advisory roles for Sysdoc NZ (since 2018) and Otara Bluelight Committee (since 2016).
Rachel brings Indigenous values-based methodologies and practices to explore global economic, environmental, social and humanitarian issues to the Unicef New Zealand board.
Anita Killeen
Trustee
A Barrister at Quay Chambers specialising in financial crime and fraud, civil and criminal litigation, and governance and decision-making. Anita has decision-making experience at board, executive and statutory levels.
Anita is the former Chief Prosecutor of the Serious Fraud Office New Zealand and holds a variety of governance roles in the legal, financial, local government, education, health and not for profit sectors including having served as a Visiting Justice, a member of the New Zealand Legal Aid Tribunal, a member of Engineering New Zealand’s Disciplinary Tribunal, an Adjudication Panel Member for the Commission for Financial Capability, as Chair of the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board, Chair and National President of Fertility New Zealand, and as a Director of the SPCA Auckland, UNICEF NZ, the Ex-Vietnam Service Association (Neville Wallace Memorial) Children's & Grandchildren's Trust, and New Zealand Career College.
Anita established and is the Chair of the Pro-Bono Panel of Prosecutors for the SPCA Auckland. In October 2012 she received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee SPCA Volunteer Medal from the Governor General in recognition of the meritorious volunteer services she has provided to the SPCA and to the animals of New Zealand.
Mavis Mullins
Trustee
Mavis enjoys the challenge of big goals. She considers herself a lateral thinker with sound analytical and evaluation skills, self- motivated and enthusiastic.
Past employment has been primarily in self-employed enterprises, with experience in contract work to the public sector. She is now, predominantly engaged in governance roles within private, public, crown entities and not for profit organisations.
Mavis is active within the Agri sport of Shearing Sports NZ, and the sporting endeavours of children and grandchildren. A multi-cultural background gives Mavis diversity and empathy with different situations and peoples. Being very proud of her NZ Maori, Chinese and Irish links and she is aware of the responsibility this brings. She is confident and comfortable within a wide range of situations and environments.
Her personal and professional interests lie strongly in the areas of economic development, economic success. With a significant Maori foot print in the primary sector, Mavis has a very real interest and commitment to safe food production, process value chains and the provenance integrity of our NZ products. Innovation and technology get her excited and enjoys governance and advocating for leadership diversity.
Nick Wells
Trustee
Nick is currently the Chair of Ngāpuhi Asset Holding Company Limited, Independent Establishment Chair of Māui Toa GP Limited (a fund being established by and for Māori in venture capital), and Chair of the Nominating Committee for the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation.
Previously Nick was both the Chief Executive Partner of the law firm Chapman Tripp and head of Te Waka Ture, their Māori legal group, which he established in 2009. He was also the independent expert to the Commerce Select Committee in relation to New Zealand’s Limited Partnership regime.
In addition to his legal practice Nick taught at the University of Auckland Law School becoming an Adjunct Professor and responsible for the iwi governance courses at undergraduate and masters’ levels.
Dr Hinurewa Poutu
Board member (non-voting)
Dr. Hinurewa Poutu is of Ngāti Rangi, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, and Ngāti Maniapoto descent.
A qualified translator and interpreter, language consultant, television presenter, and experienced teacher, Dr. Poutu has also served as a board member of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission) and Te Rourou, Vodafone New Zealand Foundation.
She grew up through kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa Māori, and wharekura (Māori language immersion education), and is a graduate of Te Panekiretanga o te Reo (Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language). Dr Poutu earned her PhD in Education from Massey University, focusing on Māori language use among youth. Her current role is Kaiurungi Reo (Director of Reo) at Whakaata Māori, formerly Māori Television.