Board Members

Ger brings a lifetime of leadership in IT and cybersecurity to his role as Chair of the TechMate board. With decades of experience running businesses across the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Australia, Ger combines technical expertise with a deep commitment to community service. 

He has held governance roles in several charitable organisations, including as president of a youth-focused society in the Netherlands. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the NZ Institute of Directors, Ger brings thoughtful, values-led governance to TechMate. 

Since settling in Ōtautahi in 2024, Ger has been passionate about giving back to the community. He’s especially enthusiastic about teaching cybersecurity and AI governance—always ready to share knowledge with anyone curious to learn. 

Whether he’s mentoring, exploring the outdoors, or enjoying a round of golf, Ger brings warmth, wisdom, and a strong belief in the power of digital inclusion. 
 
At TechMate, Ger brings leadership, global insight, and a strong belief in the power of digital inclusion to guide our governance and purpose. 

Richard brings over two decades of leadership experience across a wide range of industries, including transport consulting, agritech manufacturing, telecommunications, and defence. As General Manager at DE Group and a valued member of the TechMate board, he combines strategic thinking with a strong commitment to people and purpose. 

Throughout his career, Richard has led diverse teams through complex challenges, helping organisations grow sustainably while staying grounded in their values. He’s known for his ability to build trusted relationships, navigate change with clarity, and create environments where innovation and collaboration thrive. 

Richard holds degrees in Strategic Management and History from the University of Canterbury and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, he’s passionate about giving back to his community and supporting initiatives that create long-term, positive impact. 
 
At TechMate, Richard brings thoughtful leadership and a strategic mindset, helping guide long-term direction, foster meaningful partnerships, and ensure our work continues to bridge the digital divide in impactful, community-driven ways. 

Carla brings broad experience across financial administration, small business operations, career development, and adult education to her role as Treasurer on the TechMate board. With over two decades of experience supporting individuals and organisations, she combines financial acumen with a strong commitment to building capability and inclusion. 

Throughout her career, Carla has provided comprehensive financial administration, bookkeeping, and payroll support to a range of small and medium-sized businesses. She has designed and implemented digital systems to improve financial processes, reduce overheads, and enhance reporting accuracy. Alongside her financial work, she delivers career coaching and digital skills training, supporting individuals to navigate employment transitions and build confidence in an evolving workforce. 

Carla holds a Graduate Certificate in Professional Coaching, a Diploma in Career Development, and multiple adult teaching qualifications, alongside certifications in business systems and payroll. Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, she brings a practical, people-centred approach to her governance role, ensuring financial oversight supports the long-term sustainability and impact of the organisation. 

At TechMate, Carla brings financial stewardship, operational insight, and a strong belief in building systems that enable inclusion, opportunity, and community impact. 

Ken is a seasoned project and programme leader with over 30 years of experience across software development, science research, ICT, and education. Originally from the UK, Ken has called Ōtautahi home for more than 20 years, bringing with him a global perspective and a deep commitment to local impact.  

Having led global IT teams and worked across both public and private sectors, Ken is deeply committed to impact through change, continuous improvement, and developing people. He’s comfortable operating at all levels, from frontline teams to executive leadership and boardrooms, and has successfully led both local and remote teams for over 15 years.  

Beyond his professional work, Ken is a long-time contributor to the community having served as a project management mentor with PMI NZ, supported nonprofits through Days of Service, and previously chaired a youth-focused engineering body in the UK. 

At TechMate, Ken contributes leadership, operational insight, and a deep belief in the power of technology to support people and communities. 

Robyn is a senior technology leader with broad operational experience, overseeing complex service environments that span technology operations, service delivery, and digital transformation. As Secretary of the TechMate board, she brings a strategic, people-first approach to governance, grounded in the belief that technology should be both effective and empowering. 

In her current role, Robyn leads a wide range of service functions across APAC and international regions, with a focus on optimising performance, improving customer experience, and embedding human centred practices into every layer of technology operations. She is known for her ability to lead high performing teams, manage complex stakeholder relationships, and deliver strategic programmes of work that drive transformation, automation, and service excellence. 

Robyn is a trusted voice with a strong track record of aligning technology with business outcomes and creating systems that support both people and purpose. 

At TechMate, she plays a key role in strengthening our operational foundations and ensuring our systems reflect the values we live by: connection, trust, and inclusion. 

Oli has over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, helping organisations grow and thrive through innovative technology solutions. He has led strategies that have helped support the growth and competition we now see today in the NZ telecommunications market.   

Driven by a deep commitment to using technology to improve the lives of all New Zealanders, much of his work has focused on supporting the Health, Education, and Government sectors. His dedication to fair digital access aligns with TechMate's mission, and he has worked on initiatives to deliver large-scale public internet access networks and equitable access to thousands of households through the pandemic. 

Oli has a proven track record of driving success and fostering a positive, high-performing culture within his teams. He has led and shaped multi-million-dollar contracts and strategic bids, cultivating long-term, trusted partnerships. His contributions have been recognized with top awards for both performance and leadership. 

At Techmate, Oli is focused on forging new partnerships to help Techmate close the digital divide. Oli is deeply engaged with TechMate’s teams, working alongside volunteers, clients, and funders to amplify the organisation’s impact across Aotearoa. 

Tas is the CEO and founder of GSD Alliance, offering training and coaching for product and marketing managers. Tas is a strategic advisor, coach and trainer who works with Fortune 500 companies and SaaS scale ups, both in NZ and overseas, to enable growth through building impactful product teams and organizations.

Tas is a board member of Product Aotearoa and leads product management at Unlock Innovation. She teaches Product Management at University of Canterbury in the Executive Education program, is a regular speaker across NZ-wide product gatherings, and runs the Product Management meetup in Christchurch with over 1300 members. She’s also fractional Head of Product at two fast-growing Christchurch tech business.

As someone who has seen the impact of technology on people’s life firsthand, and with an eye on the potential of AI to impact the digital divide, Tas cares deeply about ensuring that every individual’s life is positively enhanced positively by technology. She brings to the TechMate board a keen understanding of strategic planning, good training techniques and a wide network of tech people who are well placed to help support TechMate’s purpose and mission.