News

Shaan Stevens – Appointed to the Board

Wellington based businessman Shaan Stevens will officially begin his new appointment as a director of the Eastland Group in July. Of Ngati Porou, Ngati Kahungunu and Ngati Raukawa descent, Shaan spent his formative years at school in Tolaga Bay and Gisborne and sees this appointment as very much "coming home".

Shaan is the Chairman of Guinness Gallagher, a Wellington based strategic consultancy firm. Formerly based in London leading a small mergers and acquisition team, Shaan has a wealth of international experience from the steppes of Mongolia to the jungles of Borneo, where he received a TRADENZ export award for international consultancy services in Sarawak.

Shaan is responsible for the firm's Asia Pacific region and leads the Guinness Gallagher Māori practice team which advises both Māori and corporates on Māori related issues. He is also the executive manager of the Hui Taumata Trust and has assisted the Trust on a number of its Māori economic initiatives, and leadership and governance training.

Shaan is both a chartered accountant and practising barrister. He is a director on a number of private companies, and holds a number of public roles, including community based roles as Chairman of Wellington Free Ambulance, Trustee of the Wellington Hospitals and Health Foundation, Trustee of the Life Flight Trust, member of the Salvation Army Red Shield Committee, trustee of the New Zealand Māori Rugby League and former Pro Chancellor of Victoria University.

Shaan is also a former director of Forestry Research Institute and Hutt Valley Health, FORST's external advisory group and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Asia External Reference Group.

As a former Associate Commissioner on the Commerce Commission, Shaan led the enquiries into the gas and electricity markets and the telecommunications reviews. His experience on the Commerce Commission and his international work for the World Bank, Asia Development Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in developing telecommunication and broadband policy for the Government's of Mongolia, Cambodia and Indonesia will stand him in good stead as the Group moves to roll out broadband services in this region.