Having been with Waka Pacific Trust since 2018, David has enjoyed a career in the hotel industry qualifying in New Zealand and the United States, having managed hotels around the country, he and his family ventured to the Pacific Islands and Africa before settling back in Auckland, prior to taking up the reins at the Waka Pacific Trust, he was Chief Executive of the Mount Wellington Licensing Trust. 

 

Originally from Wales, Angharad arrived in Auckland in 2011, intending to stay one year and never left. Having completed the InterContinental Graduate Manager Program in the UK before landing in NZ, she worked in various hospitality, events, and sales roles before joining Waka Pacific Trust in 2018. 

 

Angharad loves solving logistical problems that inevitably arise in events and enjoys seeing clients’ visions come to life with the help of her team. She is also studying for an EMBA at Massey University and enjoys taking her French Bulldog, Wolf, on adventures in her rare downtime.

Morgan studied Marketing, Advertising and Education and has worked in Marketing and Education for commercial and not for profit sectors before joining the Trust in 2022. She wanted to be part of an organisation that made a difference which led her to Waka Pacific Trust and being a part of their commitment to reaching over 100,000 students with their schools programme. 

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Peni has extensive experience in the conference and events industry across sales, operations and events management. He joined the Trust in 2008 as part of the events centre team and took on the role responsible for facility management and health and safety when the white water park opened in 2016.

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Petra has been with the Trust for over 19 years and is the longest-serving senior executive in the team.  She has seen the construction of both the Due Drop Events Centre and Vector Wero Whitewater Park and their completion to the iconic facilities that they are today. 

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Tania has 20 years of experience in the hotel and hospitality industry, mainly managing corporate and conference accounts. She has worked for SkyCity Hotel Auckland, Rendezvous (now Grand Millennium) Hotel, and the Waipuna Hotel before joining Due Drop Events Centre in 2019. 

It was her first time to work in a venue but loves working for the Trust and telling our story --- being part of an organisation that professionally runs a venue and gives back its profits to the community.

Growing up in Hokitika on the wild West Coast and surrounded by amazing mountain rivers set Tom on a career pathway to white water rafting.

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He studied and trained at the Tai Poutini Polytechnic Outdoor Leadership and Guiding Programme in Greymouth, and became a rafting guide in Queenstown in 2002. This led to overseas rafting seasons in Far North Queensland, Northern Italy, Zambia, and California before returning to Queenstown.

 

In 2016, he took on  a new challenge and moved to Auckland to join Vector Wero Whitewater Park.