We are governed by a board elected by our members.

Paul Littlefair

BOARD CHAIR

Paul is the Chief Digital and Technology Office at Kiwibank, having held several senior technology roles in the financial services industry including ASB, BNZ and Bank of South Pacific. He has broad expertise and experience across cloud, agile software delivery, devops, data, infrastructure and architecture and was a recipient of New Zealand ‘CIO of The Year’ having won this prestigious award in 2019 while CIO at Livestock Improvement Corporation.

Paul is passionate about our future leaders and has been fortunate to work and mentor a number of exceptional individuals. He believes initiatives such as the TUANZ FLINT programme and NextGen Leaders provide a much greater framework by which to help New Zealand grow and nurture the outstanding talent we have.

Now living in Wellington, Paul migrated to New Zealand from the UK in 1998, and has international experience working in UK, USA, Australia and the South Pacific.

Paul was first appointed to the TUANZ Board in 2021 and has been the Chair since October 2025

Zoe Udy

DEPUTY CHAIR

Zoe grew up a digital native, further expanding her interest in technology by studying Computer Science and pursuing a career first in technical Project Management, and now in Solution Architecture. Having recently (2022) joined Te Whatu Ora, Zoe is increasingly passionate about the ways technology can help to provide positive and equitable health outcomes for all New Zealanders.

Education in STEM and providing pathways for students into careers in the tech and telco industries is also an area of interest and concern for Zoe. She spent several years as the Chair of FLINT Wellington, and believes that if students are engaged in technology education at key ages, and then nurtured through their early careers, we will build a diverse and capable workforce for many years to come.

Zoe was first elected to the Board in 2019.

David Mathieson

CHAIR – RISK AND FINANCE COMMITTEE

David firmly believes that technology can be a driver of real productivity gains for businesses and enhance the lives of New Zealanders by helping promote equity in areas from education, to healthcare, and economic development. David is a legal expert with over 20 years’ experience with a background in telecommunications, and currently shaping the future of Worldline NZ as their General Counsel.

With a BA and LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland. His career spans roles in New Zealand and the UK, notably with Openreach and EE. David’s expertise in navigating complex legal and regulatory environments is matched by his commitment to driving strategic initiatives. At TUANZ, David aims to leverage his deep industry insights to champion advancements in New Zealand’s telecommunications landscape.

David was first elected to the Board in 2024.

Tristan Ilich

Tristan is passionate about Digital, IoT and Advanced Technologies which can create real human, business and social benefits. As a Chartered Professional Engineer by background, and with a strong focus on project delivery and client service excellence, Tristan is a recognised Data & Telco industry leader with over 20 years experience in NZ, Australia and the UK.

Tristan has a proven track record in the area of governance, project directorship and engineering design across wide range of Data & Telco infrastructure deployments for mobile and fixed networks, core nodes and exchanges, co-location facilities, data centres, disaster recovery facilities and mission critical systems for a range of public and private enterprises. Tristan is currently leading Aurecon’s Data & Telco business in NZ focusing on managing key client relationships as well as developing new service offerings to clients in IoT, Digital Advisory and Data & Telco Infrastructure Asset Management. Tristan is the TUANZ representative on the NZ IoT Alliance.

Tristan was first elected to the Board in 2016, was Deputy Chair since November 2017 and was Chair from November 2019 to October 2025.

Matthew Harrison

Matthew is the founder and Managing Director of Primo, a regional broadband provider with nearly two decades of experience connecting rural and urban communities across Taranaki. A passionate technologist and industry advocate, he has spent his career bringing new ideas to life and helping close the digital divide. Not just in theory, but on the ground where it matters most. He founded the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association of New Zealand (WISPA.NZ), uniting the country’s independent WISPs under one voice. In 2025, he was also elected to the board of ISPANZ, strengthening his national advocacy for regional connectivity and spectrum reform.

Living on a rural Taranaki farm with his wife, three daughters, and a menagerie of animals, Matthew has a deep personal understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing rural New Zealanders. Whether it’s spectrum access, pricing equity, or just getting decent Wi-Fi to the cowshed, he brings a real-world perspective shaped by decades of local service and hands-on problem solving.

Matthew was first elected to the Board in 2021.

Caitlin Metz

Caitlin’s telecommunications career spans over 26 years, which has allowed her to have the opportunity to speak to many national organisations that understand the opportunities that technology presents, and thousands of individual users of technology giving her a good understanding of their needs and concerns. Caitlin enjoys being able to inform people about technology that is available and has been a keen supporter of TUANZ over many years.

Caitlin has worked on national broadband rollouts for fixed, fibre and wireless broadband (RBI1 and RBI2) as well as projects for new submarine fibre cables connecting New Zealand to the rest of the world. Caitlin is currently the Engagement Manager for Connexa, helping shape the Towerco industry in New Zealand and working on New Zealand’s largest cell tower build programme to enable New Zealand communities to have better access to modern wireless and mobile services.

Caitlin was first elected to the Board in 2022.

Sid Kumar

Sid is passionate and enthusiastic about the combined power of technology and education.

His work at Network of Learning as Head of Product, and earlier as Head of Infrastructure at Spark NZ, speaks of digital inclusion. Sid is a champion for digital equity and believes no one should miss out. He has technology leadership experience that ranges from infrastructure, cybersecurity and IT services.

Sid was first elected to the Board in 2023

Andrew Cushen

Andrew is an independent strategy and corporate affairs consultant, currently working across carbon forestry advocacy, internet policy and telecommunications strategy. He has previously worked in and around tech for about 20 years – in big and small telcos, domain name orgs, across mobile, satellite and fixed line. He has been co-chair of a government advisory group on mis- and disinformation, and MC at a number of TUANZ rural symposiums and tech users’ summits.

Andrew believes the user perspective in tech in Aotearoa has never been more vital. We are more than consumers or customers; this technology will shape our jobs, our homes, and our lives. The user perspective is the difference between tech that actually benefits us as people, rather than as just a revenue line.

Andrew was first elected to the Board in 2024.

Kari Jones

Currently serving as Chief Transformation Officer at the Financial Markets Authority, Kari has previously held senior leadership positions at Health NZ, Woolworths Group, NZ Post, Air New Zealand, NZME, and PwC. She also contributes to governance through her roles on the Statistics NZ Risk & Assurance Committee and the NZQA Information System Sub-Committee.

Kari was first elected to the Board in 2024.

Garth Spencer

Garth Spencer is currently Chief Commercial Officerfor Tū Ātea Limited, a Māori telecommunications organisation. As an executive technologist with 30 plus years of proven growth/delivery experience in mobile and fixed critical-network telecommunications, he is passionate about driving Open-Access disruption in support of connectivity equality.

“Striking the balance between competition and scale is critical for a country the size of Aotearoa. I am a strong advocate for digital equity at all levels, increased competition through shared-network-infrastructure commercial models, and inclusivity through the acceleration of the development of Māori, Pacific Island and gender-equity in this sector. I am passionate about innovative, open-access commercial models to take connectivity issues off the table in rural/remote Aotearoa, so that we can start the REAL mahi!” Garth also serves on the board of Canoe Racing New Zealand and is an active competitor for the sport.

Garth was first elected to the Board in 2024.

Jo Crawford

Jo is currently General Manager of Ventia’s New Zealand Telecommunications business and has held executive roles at Clarus and Chorus. With 20 years’ experience across telecommunications, energy and infrastructure, she is recognised for her people-first leadership, digital transformation and building collaborative partnerships. She is committed to digital equity and ensuring all New Zealanders can confidently participate in Aotearoa’s digital future.

Jo was first elected to the Board in 2025.