ABOUT THE NZ FOOTBALL FOUNDATION

The Foundation was created initially with responsibility for managing the $4 million given to New Zealand Football for qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. These FIFA qualification funds are the foundation to which New Zealand football supporters and charitable donors can add their own contributions.

The Football Foundation is managed by a group of trustees and a chief executive who are committed to growing the capital fund to a level were it can support the Football in New Zealand significantly. We identify opportunities in the game were we can support development of Football and to support Football New Zealand in their plight to have more players playing Football.

OUR HONORARY PATRON

Sir Eion Edgar speaking at the 125th Anniversary of New Zealand Football. Copyright Photo: Shane Wenzlick

The New Zealand Football Foundation are proud to have Sir Eion Edgar as the Honorary Patron of the Football Foundation.

Sir Eion Edgar is a man who’s made a big difference in New Zealand, both as a visionary business man and as a philanthropist in sport, education, youth, arts, sports and health. And those contributions are still on-going.

Sir Eion is also a generous benefactor, having donated $500,000 to the Foundation.

OUR PATRON

Ryan Nelsen launches The New Zealand Football Foundation at a function at Sky City in Auckland. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/PHOTOSPORT

The New Zealand Football Foundation are proud to have Former All White Captain Ryan Nelson ONZM as the Patron of the Football Foundation.

Ryan is a former professional footballer who not only Captained the All Whites during the infamous undefeated 2010 World Cup Campaign, he also played at the highest level in both the USA and England, most notably for Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur

OUR TRUSTEES

Jodi Tong (Chair)

Jodi is a senior marketer with over 25 years experience in marketing, strategy, branding and customer experience. Her passion lies in startups and marketing brands in international markets. She has worked at a senior level for a number of companies in FMCG and the primary industry and is currently employed as GM Sales and Marketing for Artemis Ltd.

Carolyn Steele (Deputy Chair)

Carolyn has substantial capital markets and investment management experience. Carolyn is currently Chair of Halberg Foundation and a director of Metlifecare, WEL Networks, Ultrafast Fibre and Green Cross Health. Until 2016, Carolyn was a Portfolio Manager at Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation. Prior to that, Carolyn spent ten years in investment banking at Forsyth Barr and Credit Suisse. Carolyn has also represented NZ in the sport of rowing.

Bill Moran

Bill Moran is currently chair of both Sport NZ and High Performance Sport NZ. He was a director of NZ Football for 8 years and chair of the organising committee for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2015. He is a life member of Western Suburbs FC and a director of the Ole Football Academy.

Garth Gallaway

Garth is a litigation partner at Chapman Tripp, based in Christchurch. He Chairs the Arts Foundation and the Maia Health Foundation and he is a Board member of the Arts Council of New Zealand. Garth has been a member of Radio Sport’s cricket commentary team for over 20 years and he is Honorary President of NZ Football.

Michael Norris

Christchurch-raised and educated Michael has had extensive overseas business experience, including the founding of international niche operator Sportsworld Group plc, providing travel ticketing and hospitality logistics at the world’s premier sporting events (including 8 FIFA World Cups). He returned to NZ over 13 years ago and is now involved in the management of family trusts concerned with real estate and property development. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and past Commodore of the Akaroa Cruising Club, Michael is involved in other charitable causes in conservation and early intervention services for children.

Frank van Hattum

34 years’ experience as a Director, senior executive and business leader for a large multinational Oil company as GM Retail and Asset Management. Now a management consultant ( Vanhat Consulting) and a Specialist Advisor for Advisian, a major international consultancy company. Advisory board Chair and director roles in several small start-up companies. Passionate Football tragic, Former International, 41 games, Inaugural Chair of Capital Football Federation, past chair and director of NZ Football. Former Executive member of OFC and a former member of FIFA associations committee and chair of Transparency and compliance committee. Honorary Life Member NZ Football.

Rakesh Naidoo

Rakesh is a recognised authority on working in partnership with diverse communities with over 25 years’ experience. He has developed award-winning programmes on responding to ethnic diversity within NZ Police and NZ Human Rights Commission. He is an Executive Committee member of NZ Football, a National Manager with NZ Police, and on the NZ Law Society National Standards Committee

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Michele Cox

Our CEO, Dr Michele Cox, is a former Football Fern who went on the become NZF’s first head of Women’s Football and successful Bid Chief for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2008 in New Zealand. She recently returned from Switzerland after nearly ten years working as a consultant for FIFA, UEFA and AFC as well as the Director of Development Programmes and Marketing for the Asian Football Development Project, set up by former FIFA VP, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan.