Current Employment
| Current Company | New Zealand Trade & Enterprise |
| Current Position | Customer Manager |
| Time in this Position | 13 years |
| Current Company 2 | Airways Corporation of New Zealand Ltd |
| Current Position 2 | International Commercial Manager |
| Time in this Position 2 | 12 years |
Professional Profile
| Key Achievements | 2005 – now: Customer Manager, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise – manage the NZTE relationship with the CEOs and senior management of 15 cross-sector companies varying in revenue size from around $3m p.a. to $350m p.a. including Xero, Airways NZ and ESR. Role requires understanding the export related opportunities and challenges facing each company and then bringing to bear the necessary services and expertise to help address them. Successes – revenue growth across the portfolio, consistently high customer satisfaction scores and securing of over $2m in government grant funding. 1993 – 2005: Commercial Manager/International Commercial Manager, Airways Corporation of New Zealand Ltd. – role required supporting the growth of Airway’s commercial business domestically and offshore. Focus on product development, strategic selling, relationship building, project management and proposal preparation. Successes – establishment of a global benchmarking system for comparative performance, review and recommendations of Airways’ ATC training business, sales of Airways’ internally developed rostering system to South Africa and Thailand, led successful price for service negotiations with Airways’ customers. Pre-1993: Marketing and Business Development roles in the oil, gas and electricity industries (Caltex Oil, Natural Gas Corporation, Electricorp Ltd.) – roles included retail site selection/development, business growth analysis, acquisition analysis and business development. |
| Additional Information | Governance experience; Previous: President, Salamanca Tennis club Inc., Wellington Previous: Chair, Khandallah Kindergarten, Wellington Current: Vice-Chair, Immune Deficiency Foundation of New Zealand Inc. (Registered Charity). Trusted advisor to several CEOs within my current NZTE customer portfolio. Company examples include, Software Education Holdings Ltd., Totara Learning Solutions Ltd., and Airways NZ. Has included direct engagement with the relevant company Boards. |
Current Directorships and Advisory Board Positions
| Company | Immunodeficiency Foundation of New Zealand |
| Position | Deputy Chair |
| Time in this Position | 5+ years |
Affiliations and Memberships
| Memberships | Institute of Directors, Wellington Branch |
Contact information
| Email Address 2 | |
| Mobile | +64 27 536 2352 |
| Physical address | 39B Bengal Street, Khandallah, Wellington |
Nick Metson |
Information
| Name | Nick Metson |
| Email address | |
| Postal address | 39B Bengal Street, Khandallah |
| Location | Wellington |
| Professional Profile | I am an experienced senior manager/adviser with over 30 years of working in business development, marketing and commercial roles in both the public and private sectors. I have the ability to add value across a number of sectors including aviation, energy and creative/services. In my current role as a Customer Manager with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE), I “account manage” a cross-sectoral portfolio of Wellington-based exporting companies that engage with NZTE for the provision of various advisory services and support. This role encompasses building strong relationships with CEOs/senior management, providing commercial insight, assisting with strategy development and working across the NZTE team to ensure companies are getting impactful solutions to grow their business offshore. I am a confident individual who is not afraid to express an opinion while also working harmoniously within a group recognising the contributions of others. I can be relied upon to help find a resolution to a challenging issue. |
| Roles | Advisory Board Member |
| Organisations | Charity, Council Controlled Organisations, Govt Sector Organisations, Private Company, Start Up Companies, Trust |
| Key skills | General management, Marketing, Start Ups, Strategy & Planning |
| Industry experience | Arts/Entertainment, Govt/Public Sector, Media/Advertising/Communications, Professional Services/Commercial, Research/Science/Technical |
| Terms and Conditions | Yes |
| Signed | Yes |
| Curriculum Vitae / Biography |
Experience Categories
| Other Key Skills | What I bring to a Board environment. Strong diagnostic abilities – I can ask the right questions in order to diagnose the challenges and opportunities facing a business. I am confident and comfortable making decisions based on a balance of fact and judgement. Excellent written, oral and listening skills – gleaned though preparing and writing business cases, presenting to senior leadership and presenting internationally at various fora. Financial literacy skills – I can identify red flags in company financial statements. Excellent senior level relationship building skills – gleaned through working at a senior level with companies both in my current and previous roles. Understand the eco-system of NZ Government particularly in the economic development and trade space – gleaned through liaising with other public sector entities and various advisors to these entities and NZTE. Understand the challenges and disciplines associated with growing export-focused companies, particularly in the earlier stages of growth – challenges with governance, funding, market strategy, market focus, sales etc. |
| Commercial Experience | Many years in a variety of senior marketing, business development and commercial roles in both the private and government sectors. International engagement and consulting within the aviation services industry. Management of small professional subsidiary companies. |
Qualifications and Education
| Facility | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Time at above facility | 5+ years |
| Qualifications gained | Master of Science, Bachelor of Arts (Economics) |