The Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet) has appointed Dr Will Barker as new board chair, succeeding Ngaio Merrick, who co-founded venture capital firm Nuance Connected Capital.
Barker, who is also chief executive and founder of Kiwi cleantech company Mint Innovation, has been an independent board member since 2018.
KiwiNet is a consortium of 19 of New Zealand’s universities, Crown Research Institutes and other research organisations that collaborate to help commercialise early-stage discoveries from publicly-funded research.
Barker is also a council member of the Health Research Council of New Zealand and chair of the investment committee at Outset Ventures. His wealth of experience spans the deep tech ecosystem – from founder to investor, from patent attorney to commercial operations. He has more than 15 years of experience working with Aotearoa New Zealand’s most innovative deep tech and cleantech companies – notably advising Rocket Lab during its early-stage growth.
“I feel incredibly privileged to step into my new role as Chair, as KiwiNet and Aotearoa’s deep-tech sector continue to evolve at pace. Ngaio has left big shoes to fill, and I am thankful for her immense contribution to the growth of KiwiNet, not just in its scale and impact but also in its prominence and confidence as an organisation.
“I am proud to continue her mahi in supporting and accelerating the commercialisation of New Zealand science,” he said.
UBCO CEO Katherine Sandford.
Merrick, who served for seven years on the KiwiNet board – four as chair – has overseen KiwiNet support more than 830 new projects, launch 35 startup companies and create a further $225 million in financial returns for New Zealand.
Two new members have also been appointed to KiwiNet’s board: Katherine Sandford, CEO of electric adventure vehicle company UBCO, and Amanda Davies, innovation manager at Crown Research Institute, Scion.
Scion innovation manager Amanda Davies.
Sandford brings a comprehensive portfolio of global tech experience to the board. As executive chair and more recently CEO of UBCO, she has led the organisation to its current scale, reaching customers across New Zealand, the US, and Europe.
In addition, Sandford was selected for the NZ Institute of Directors’ Mentoring for Diversity programme in 2018 and is an active angel investor.
Davies has also been appointed to the board as a Crown Research Institute representative director. She brings a deep understanding of the commercialisation ecosystem, having overseen the allocation of the pre-seed funding as a KiwiNet Investment Committee member.
She was also involved in the 2021 Women in Leadership Development (WILD) programme aimed at enhancing the leadership capabilities of women in STEM through a year-long governance course.
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