Seven new directors have been appointed to the Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) Group, announced Prime Minister Mark Brown, who is also the minister responsible for CIIC.

The new directors are Edward Herman and Ngapare Tatira, appointed to the Airport Authority Board; Martha Henry and Robert Matheson appointed to Avaroa Cable Limited; Tamarii Tutangata has been appointed to Cook Islands Investment Corporation Seabed Resources Limited; and Ashley Steele and Phillip Vakatini have been appointed to the board of To Tatou Vai.

In a statement, PM Brown said: “These newly appointed directors come from all walks of life and will bring new drive and experience to the CIIC group.”

These newly appointed directors were all selected from the CIIC Director Database.

Michael Henry, CIIC board chair, commented: “I am pleased to advise that we have over 100 persons who have expressed an interest to serve on our Boards. It is exciting to see this level of interest from people wanting to serve in a governance role on our state-owned entities and to serve Cook Islands people.”

The Airport Authority, recognised as a critical asset for the Cook Islands is governed under the Airports and Airport Authorities Act (1968-1969) and is responsible for the management of the international airport on Rarotonga and the domestic airport on Aitutaki.

On being appointed to the Airport Authority, Edward Herman said: “I feel privileged to be appointed, and look forward to the challenge and working with the team there to deliver positive outcomes for all living in the Cook Islands.”

Ngapare Tatira remarked: “It is with great enthusiasm that I honour God. I feel highly honoured by the trust of the CIIC to have been appointed as a director on the Airport Authority Board.”

“I am eagerly looking forward to the opportunity of working and to serving our Cook Islands people and to the governance of the Airport Authority to the best of my ability.”

Avaroa Cable Limited (ACL) was formed to operate and manage the Cook Islands interests in the Manatua Cable project. The Manatua Cable connects Rarotonga and Aitutaki to a submarine fibre optic cable that connects with Samoa and French Polynesia with spurs to Niue, Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Bora Bora.

ACL’s newest board member, Robert Matheson, believes “serving on the ACL Board is truly a privilege. I look forward to working with the Board and contributing to the future direction of ACL”.

Phillip Vakatini, one of the two new directors appointed to local water authority To Tatou Vai, says: “I feel honoured and privileged to be appointed as a director of To Tatou Vai. I look forward to working together with our team and doing the best for our Cook Islands people.”

The other new appointment to the water authority board – Ashleigh Steele is “looking forward to contributing in this space, and prioritising health and prosperity for our future generations”.

To Tatou Vai is responsible for the collection, treatment, and distribution of water to the Rarotonga community. It is an essential service, critical to the public health and economic development of our country.

CIIC chair Henry said: “These seven new directors were appointed from within the CIIC Directors Database, which was created with the aim of building a portfolio of interested potential director candidates and draws from members of the public who have expressed interest in holding a directorship role with CIIC and who possess the competencies and skillsets necessary to complement the talents of existing board members.”

“Over the past 12 months, we have appointed 13 new persons to serve across all our Boards. If you are interested in serving on a Board, please partake in the Directors Expression of Interest session or complete an expression of interest.”

All directors are given a comprehensive induction and receive regular comprehensive governance training to ensure they are equipped with the best-practice corporate governance tools they need to do their jobs to the very best of their abilities.

The next Expression of Interest Zoom session will take place next Tuesday,  February 8.

CIIC is encouraging any members of the public interested in learning more about the director appointment process within the CIIC Group to join the zoom.

Interested participants can register their interest with Tairi Herrmann; tairi.herrmann@cookislands.gov.ck or call on 29391 (extn 8864) or mobile 55739.