Our Board Members

Ben Irving

Managing Director

Ben has returned to the Manawanui Board of Directors and to his role as Managing Director, following his time as interim Chief Executive Officer. He shares his time across a few different board positions and some notable work like the Palliative Paediatrics Care programme he is involved in. With a long standing history with Manawanui and the Health and Disability sector in NZ, he brings a wide array of skills and key perspective needed to continue the success of the Manawanui organisation.

“I'm excited to continue supporting Manawanui through the current changes within the disability sector and to see us succeed in delivering a service that our customers truly appreciate.”

Wilmason Jensen

Director

Wilmason is Deputy Chief Executive at Pasifika Futures, a Whānau Ora commissioning agency supporting Pasifika families in health, housing, education and economic development. His passion for driving equitable health and wellbeing outcomes is evidenced in his long career in healthcare, including time at Procare, as well as time spent as a Senior Adviser for the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs.

Wilmason was appointed to the Manawanui Board in May 2022, he brings strong insights into the needs of Pasifika disabled, as well as working with government agencies.

Diana Puketapu

Director

Diana is a Director for Manawanui and was Chair of the Board from 2017-19.

She is a Company Director and Chartered Accountant who has held a number of Chief Financial Officer roles in New Zealand and abroad both in professional sporting organisations and also in iwi business.

Luke English

Director

A Graduate of Law and Arts from Otago University, Luke is the Research Lead at Impact Lab, a data analytics and research firm specialising in measuring and valuing the social impact of charities, social enterprises and companies. Luke has been a director of Manawanui since May 2019.

Nigel Parry

Director

Nigel joined the board as an independent director in July 2024. He brings a wealth of experience leading and governing innovative, technology-driven companies, focusing on sustainable growth and expansion into new markets and sectors. In addition to his work with emerging businesses, Nigel has extensive expertise with enterprise-scale organisations, problem-solving, capitalising on opportunities, and delivering complex change initiatives.

Nigel is also a passionate advocate for the natural environment and serves as the Patron of Whitewater NZ Inc.