Rahul Govindan – Trust Chair

Rahul is the son of migrants from Kerala who arrived in NZ in the early 80s. Currently he is a manager at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. He has lived, worked and studied in 8 countries and as such empathises with the challenges faced by new migrants to NZ. He is a management consultant that has worked in corporate, NGO and public sectors in NZ and in continental Europe. He has consulted to the leaders of some of the world’s iconic organisations on strategy, trade, politics and performance, and has worked on high profile public campaigns in NZ. However he derives the most pleasure from the voluntary work he has done over the years with community and NGO groups.

He is awe of the tremendous contribution made by migrants over the history of (and the present) NZ, and is excited about working collaboratively with the wider community to build successful migrant stories in the challenging and exciting future that lies ahead for NZ’s largest and most diverse city.

Tracey Moore – Deputy Chair

Tracey Moore is from the UK and migrated to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2005, making Auckland her home in 2007, after a couple of years in Wellington. Tracey is a senior leader at Auckland Council and has made her career in local government and the public sector. Her background is mainly in social housing and working with diverse communities, and she has a MSc in Housing. Tracey is committed to the principles of social equity and inclusion, and to contributing to making Auckland a world class city. She views being a board member of ARMS as a great privilege, and an opportunity to bring her experience and skills to help others make their own contribution to this wonderful country of Aotearoa.

Dr Elizabeth Fitton-Higgins

Maretha Smit

Paul S Bryant

Paul Bryant is a strategic advisor with 18 years of commercial experience in technology and business management for private enterprise, hedge funds and investment banks within New Zealand across the major financial trading centres globally. Paul graduated from Auckland University in New Zealand in 1997 with a master’s degree in financial economics and a bachelor-honours degree in law. His first permanent employment was as a lecturer for investment theory at the University of Auckland. He then moved into industry roles with UBS Warburg in Auckland and then to Credit Suisse in London, leveraging his software development experience and solid grounding in financial products and practices.

Paul was a founding employee and head of technology for one of Europe’s most ambitious and successful hedge fund launches from 2002 and was subsequently the CIO of a multi-national service provider to hedge funds and investment banks in London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. Paul’s academic background, long-term involvement in the finance industry, and his engagement in private enterprise have produced a rare combination of technical, financial, commercial and strategic experience.

Paul moved back to New Zealand after 15 years of living and working overseas, and has been a principal strategic advisor on engagements for clients located in Europe and Australasia in the years since. Paul lives in Auckland with his wife and three children and tries to find time for his many outdoor and fitness related activities from triathlons and marathons to mountain biking and windsurfing.

Taufil Omar

Taufil is a Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia. A third generation Indo-Fijian whose great grand parents sailed to the Islands as part of the Girmit era. Taufil himself an immigrant to Aotearoa in the late nineties, has been in legal practice for over fifteen years. He also gained admission as a Governance Professional under the Governance New Zealand Inc a division of the international body, icsa – The Governance Institute established by Royal Charter in 1902 and holds Associate (ACIS) membership. He specialises in commercial law, trusts and property law. There are a number of not for profit organisations that Taufil acts for professionally.

He has also managed the Lower Meola Restoration Creek Project since around 2010 in partnership with the Auckland Council under the Rasheed Memorial Trust (RMDT) assisting with clearing the area adopted by the RMDT hardworking volunteers of weeds and planting over few thousand native trees and shrubs. RMDT was nominated as one of the leading community ecological conservation groups in Auckland as part of the weed busters award a few years ago. Taufil is also a Board member of the Karate Budokan New Zealand Inc (KBNZ) and takes keen interest in Karate and has achieved the rank of Shodan (1stDan) in this style. His keen interest in KBNZ is due to the impact sports activities have on both the youth and older citizens in providing an alternative learning platform, teaching real life transferable skills, self confidence and discipline. He sees the KBNZ Club as a great way for the local community to engage and to get together via Karate. Taufil has witnessed how the dojo students and parents have built lasting relationships regardless of race, religion or culture which is an amazing result.
Apart from that if he can find time, he enjoys jogging and loves the outdoors especially tramping and finds solace in the native forests of Aotearoa.