Governance

Board of Trustees

The Board of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust New Zealand (“GRG”) is made up of up to eight committed professional volunteers who have a diverse range of life, parenting, cultural, legal, business, management and commercial skills and experience. They meet once a month and set the strategic direction of the Trust which is to promote a community of grandparents raising grandchildren as full-time caregivers in New Zealand where they are empowered to provide a safe, secure and nurturing home for their grandchildren and an environment that protects and promotes their long-term wellbeing and development.

Pru Etcheverry ONZM | Chair and Trustee

Pru is an experienced professional and a founding partner of Advocacy Answers New Zealand a unique thought-leadership agency. Their work focuses on strengthening the community by working with Government agencies, providing strategic sustainable solutions for NGOs, and working with businesses on Corporate Social Responsibility.

While CEO of Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC) she grew LBC from a fledgling organisation to a prominent NGO and developed sustainable income streams generating nearly $70 million. Prior to working in the NGO sector Pru had a corporate career in the healthcare industry.

Pru has strong governance experience. Her current roles include being Chair of Te Ira Kāwai Auckland Regional Biobank and a director with RAW (Reclaim Another Woman). She was honoured in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours - Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) – acknowledging the national and international impact of her work in the health and NGO sectors.

Jo-Anne Thomas | Trustee

Jo-Anne is a family law specialist and associate at Schnauer & Co with over eight years experience in family law litigation, relationship property and elder law. She held the role of Chair of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust NZ from 2016 until 2019.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Auckland and a Diploma in Occupational Therapy.

Before joining Schnauer & Co in 2011 she worked for Minter Ellison Rudd Watts for three years. In addition to her work as a Board member for the trust she is a Volunteer legal adviser to the North Shore Women’s Centre.

Sharon Richardson | Trustee

Sharon has been a long time member of GRG and is thrilled to contribute her skills and experience to GRG. Sharon’s experience includes fostering children for 30 years, running a day care for 40 years and she is also a respite carer for Child Youth and Family caregivers. Sharon loves volunteer work and also visits local rest homes for Age Concern and the Salvation Army. Married to Gary since 1968, they are raising a grandchild together. Sharon is also a fabulous cook and loves to share her baking with the elderly in care.

Judith McKay | Trustee

Judith is a retired Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Directors. In her working career, Judith was a senior financial executive at Auckland University of Technology, the Union Shipping Group and a number of manufacturing companies. She has also worked as an auditor for Price Waterhouse and as a COBOL programmer.

Judith has been Trustee and Board member of a number of organisations, including the Auckland War Memorial Museum, NZ Academy of Sport and Netball Waitakere.

Judith has four grandchildren, ranging in age from 5 to 13.

Des Brennan | Trustee

Des Brennan has enjoyed a wide-ranging business career in leadership and strategic roles. These have been with prominent New Zealand organisations including New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Yachting New Zealand, Montana Wines, Fletcher Building, Television New Zealand, and Anchor Foods (New Zealand Dairy Company).

He has served on the boards of South Pacific Pictures, Netball New Zealand, The New Zealand Way, the New Zealand Recreation Association, Snow Sports New Zealand, Basketball New Zealand, Waikato Institute of Technology as well as several trade organisations.

He was awarded an MBA (with distinction) from Massey University and is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Jocelyn Bray | Trustee

Jocelyn is the founder of Inspiration Point, a boutique marketing agency that works with SMEs, start-up and not-for-profit organisations. She has extensive experience and expertise in the fields of marketing strategy, branding and customer engagement.

Jocelyn was previously a partner at Y & R, an international advertising agency based in Wellington, where she was a member of the New Zealand and Australian boards. Jocelyn has lectured part-time in marketing strategy and management at the University of Auckland Business School and is an occasional conference speaker.

Niwa Nuri | Trustee

Niwa is a qualified accountant, working as a business consultant in the Waikato. He has an extensive background, working with private companies and various not-for-profit organisations, particularly in the social services sector and in several governance roles, including as a trustee of Trust Waikato (and Chair from 2013-2018).

He is currently a Council member and Chair of the governing body of the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec Ltd, a director of Toi Ohomai Ltd, a trustee of Lotteries Oranga Marae Trust, a trustee of Te Arawa Lakes Trust Board and Chair of their audit, finance and risk committee. He is also a director of Tu Tonu, a rehabilitation and health centre combining clinicians and traditional Māori healers working in collaboration, alongside exercise rehabilitation coaches in the Waikato.

Niwa is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and holds a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato. Of Te Arawa and Whakatoohea descent, he strongly supports GRG Trust NZ’s kaupapa and its mahi supporting grandparents and whanau caregivers and ensuring a focus on being resilient and vibrant for our communities. Niwa and his wife are raising two members of his wider whanau.

Dan Bidois | Trustee

Dan Bidois is an experienced strategist and economist and currently leads Bidois Strategy Group, a boutique strategy consultancy. He has over 10 years’ experience advising leaders in the private, government and charitable sectors on strategy and economic issues.

He has worked for Deloitte, the OECD, several think-tanks in New Zealand and Malaysia, and Foodstuffs. Most recently Dan served as the MP for Northcote. It was in this capacity that Dan came across the good work of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

Dan holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University, where he attended as a Fulbright Scholar, and degrees in Arts and Commerce (Hons) from the University of Auckland.

He is passionate about ensuring that all Kiwi kids have equal opportunity to get ahead and lead happy and healthy lives.

Consultant to the GRG Board

Jill Worrall, MNZM

Jill Worrall is the mother of three sons and grandmother to six grandchildren. With her late husband John, the family cared for several foster children over a period of twenty years. Jill was raised by extended family for the first half of her childhood. She has been a nurse, a social worker and a senior lecturer in social work at Massey University. She has had the privilege of writing the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Handbook and undertaking the GRG research on Grandparent and other kin caregivers 2005 and 2009.

Founder: Di Vivian QSO
Life Members: David White, Bruce Hopkins, Debbie Gillies, Jill Neherny, Miriama Paraone-Davies, Samina Corbett.

Auditors: RSM Hayes Audit, Auckland
Secretariat: Rosemarie Dawson. Business Professional Services Ltd www.bpsl.co.nz Ph 09 419 0042

For Auckland call us on 09 4183753 or outside Auckland 0800 472 637

Governance

Board of Trustees

Pru Etcheverry ONZM | Chair and Trustee

Jo-Anne Thomas | Trustee

Sharon Richardson | Trustee

Judith McKay | Trustee

Des Brennan | Trustee

Jocelyn Bray | Trustee

Niwa Nuri | Trustee

Dan Bidois | Trustee

Consultant to the GRG Board

Jill Worrall, MNZM

About us

Contact us

0800 472 637
0800 GRANDS

9:00am - 2:00pm

For Auckland call us on 09 4183753 or outside Auckland 0800 472 637

Board of Trustees

Pru Etcheverry ONZM | Chair and Trustee

Jo-Anne Thomas | Trustee

Sharon Richardson | Trustee

Judith McKay | Trustee

Des Brennan | Trustee

Jocelyn Bray | Trustee

Niwa Nuri | Trustee

Dan Bidois | Trustee

Consultant to the GRG Board

Jill Worrall, MNZM

Contact us

0800 472 637 0800 GRANDS

9:00am - 2:00pm

0800 472 637
0800 GRANDS