Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) has appointed Robert Matheson as the new chair of the Board of Directors at Avaroa Cable Limited (ACL).

This follows Tatiana Burn stepping down to take on her appointment as chair of the Bank of the Cook Islands Board of Directors. The change is effective from August 1, 2023, ACL said in a statement.

Matheson became a director at ACL in 2021, bringing over 20 years’ experience in the technology sector leading teams at both operational and strategic levels.  He is the chief information officer at the Bank of the Cook Islands Ltd (BCI) “where he drives the bank’s digital transformation initiatives”.

Burn steps down as chair but will remain on the ACL Board for the next year. Serving as ACL chair for six years, the company said “she has been involved with the company from its inception and was responsible for guiding the organisation through the challenges of delivering a multi-million-dollar infrastructure project during the global Covid-19 pandemic”.

Burn said: “Rob has contributed significantly to ACL’s strategy and governance during his time as an ACL director. He has wealth of experience and skills which he brings to ACL. It is especially important that the new leader has emerged from the ACL Board, demonstrating our commitment to talent development and succession planning. ACL is in good hands with strong leadership and management in place. We have many challenges going forward but all of them should be viewed as opportunities for growth and improvement.”

Matheson said he is excited about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for ACL.

“Our ACL board has a good balance of expertise and experience. This will be invaluable as we explore how ACL can support the growing connectivity needs of the country as well as providing input into the development of national digital strategies and smart economy initiatives,” he said.

“ACL has a strong strategic vision to ensure a high quality, efficient, reliable, and affordable wholesale service, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead the organisation to meet its goals in partnership with our key stakeholders.”

Fletcher Melvin, chair of the Cook Islands Investment Corporation Board of Directors said: “Rob brings with him a wealth of technology expertise, knowledge and skills, that will be invaluable in his new role.  The CIIC Board wish to thank Tatiana for the contributions and guidance she has provided during her time as Chair of the Board at ACL and congratulate Rob in his appointment to support the evolution of wholesale connectivity services in the Cook Islands.”

Avaroa Cable Ltd is the operator of the Manatua Cable in the Cook Islands and international telecommunications wholesaler.