NZICT appoints new CEO

NZICT, the group that represents our ICT and technology sector, is pleased to announce the appointment of a new CEO.

“After a thorough recruitment process involving many high calibre candidates, I am delighted to announce the NZICT Board has appointed Candace Kinser as our new CEO,” says NZICT Chair Bennett Medary.

“With many years working in the technology sector in New Zealand and abroad, Candace is an esteemed professional who comes highly recommended by her peers. The Board and I are looking forward to working with her on the next phase of NZICT’s growth,” says Medary.

“On behalf of the Board, I’d also like to thank Brett O’Riley, our outgoing CEO, for the hard work and enthusiasm he has put in to help us to establish NZICT and build it to this point. We all wish him well in his new role at the Ministry of Science and Innovation,” Medary says.

Candace Kinser comes to the NZICT CEO role from Biomatters, a global scientific software company operating in the biotech sector, where she was previously the CEO.

"I am thrilled to take on the role of leading one of most important membership organisations in the country, and I’m really looking forward to getting out and meeting with NZICT’s membership and working closely with them to build a thriving, healthy ICT industry for New Zealand.” says Kinser.

Kinser aims to continue working closely with government on a range of initiatives including the ultra-fast broadband project and government use of ICT, but is also passionate about ensuring the growth and vitality of New Zealand start-ups and mid-size companies in the sector.

"Encouraging our most promising SME technology companies and helping them set-up and operate offshore is critical to New Zealand's economic future. NZICT can, and should be, the backbone that supports these companies as they go global," she says.

An important part of this export focus is NZICT’s leading role in the Rutherford Innovation Showcase. This is a series of technology-focused events timed to coincide with the Rugby World Cup, and aiming to provide an opportunity for Hi-Tech and ICT companies to engage with an international audience of potential partners, investors and customers as they visit New Zealand.

“Initiatives like this are fantastic opportunities to demonstrate the quality of our technology companies and solutions to both local and international audiences,” says Kinser.

Kinser officially assumes the CEO role at NZICT from mid October, but has already started working with the NZICT Board and meeting with members.

“The Rutherford Innovation Showcase events provide a great opportunity for me to get out and meet NZICT members, and meet with a wide variety of international visitors. I’m taking this opportunity to get out and talk to people so that I can get off to a running start come October,” she says.

Candace Kinser biography:
Candace is an experienced CEO and Director in the technology sector. She is an evangelist for innovation in the use of ICT and is passionate about emerging technologies and enabling connectivity for sharing knowledge.

Candace was most recently the CEO of Biomatters, a leading global scientific software development Company headquartered in New Zealand with subsidiary offices in the USA.

She has also held senior roles at Telecom NZ, SolNet NZ and Biolab Scientific.

Candace is also an experienced director. She was a director of the NZ Health IT Cluster for nearly three years and is currently a director of NZBIO, which is a membership-based Group that represents companies and organisations in the biotechnology sector. She is also on the advisory board of the Massey University School of Business.

ENDS

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