Appointment of two new Independent Directors to the Institute's Governance Board

21 May, 2024

Governance Board Chair Hēmi Rolleston has welcomed the appointment of two new Independent Directors to the MacDiarmid Institute Board: Marny Reakes and Blanche Morrogh. 

Blanche Morrogh is the founder and CEO of Kai Ora Honey. Marny Reakes is a Venture Partner with Pacific Channel.

Welcoming the appointments, Hēmi said that he looked forward to the new energy, dynamism and connections that both Blanche and Marny will bring to the Board. "Marny brings substantial deep tech and commercialisation experience, with over 25 years of operation and business leadership experience working for international mining and resource companies across the globe," he said. 

"And Blanche brings extensive commercial experience through building her own whānau business Kai Ora Honey in Te Tai Tokerau, as well as a background in product-based R&D."

Blanche said that after spending the majority of her career in operational management, she had learned how challenging it can be for Māori to navigate the world of R&D commercialisation and profitability.

"I hope to bring a unique perspective and be a source of inspiration for Māori and Pacifica wāhine, showing that success in science, business, and motherhood is possible. I aspire to bring science to more rural areas of Aotearoa, where there is great opportunity to uplift our whenua and whānau."