Staff

Chief Executive

Heath Milne

Chief Executive Officer

Prior to joining DWC in January 2020, Heath was the General Manager of ANZCO Foods UK Ltd, based in London.

Heath was born on the West Coast. His career with food giant ANZCO also started here until he relocated to London in 2007 to head up its subsidiary business in the United Kingdom and Europe.

While having extensive knowledge and experience in the primary industry, Heath also brings a strong business acumen and proven leadership, coupled with a deep enthusiasm and a deep-rooted passion for the West Coast region.

Operations

Belinda Lunn

Executive Manager

Belinda has been with Development West Coast since May 2002. A significant part of Belinda’s position is managing the governance support and policy functions for the Trust and supporting the CEO. In addition to these roles, Belinda also oversees various IT, administration and marketing functions, and works across the organisation to promote collaboration and consistency in the day to day operations of the Trust.

Rachel Doolan

Office Manager

Rachel provides administration support across the DWC team which includes office management, executive support as well as board/committee support across DWC and DWC-led groups.

Helen Wilson

Project Coordinator

Helen has 17 year’s experience in a variety of roles within DWC and has earned accreditation as an economic development practitioner (AcED) and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). These days she is enjoying a little bit of retirement time while continuing to manage some projects within the organisation. In 2024, Helen’s main focus will be managing the Leading Light Business Excellence Awards process.

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

AARON REES

Marketing & Communications Manager

Aaron joined the team at Development West Coast in October 2017. He has experience running a successful business overseas, along with a Masters Degree in Development Studies.
Having grown up on the Coast, Aaron has a passion for promoting the region as a great place to work, live and play.

Noora Tuikkanen

Digital Marketing and Communications Officer

Noora joined the team at DWC in November 2022. Her role involves developing and implementing effective social media strategies, ensuring high-quality content creation and marketing, and optimising communication channels to be both effective and engaging. Originally from Finland, she has traveled and worked around the world, gaining valuable experience in various industries including tourism, and fitness. She is committed to driving results and making a positive impact both for the organisation and for the wider West Coast community.

FINANCE

Mike Washington

Chief Financial Officer

Mike joined the team at Development West Coast in August 2022. Mike is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has a broad range of experience across multiple sectors.

Having worked for EY in their assurance team, Mike has then spent time with CDC Pharmaceuticals, NZ Police, St Bede’s College and most recently, DairyWorks Limited.

DAYLE MCMILLAN

Commercial Lending Manager

Dayle joined the team at Development West Coast in May 2018 and manages DWC's commercial lending function. Dayle has significant finance industry experience in business and management positions and brings with him local knowledge as a born and bred Coaster.

Robyn McArthur

Commercial Lending Manager - Glacier Country

Robyn joined DWC in 2023 and is based in Franz Josef. She brings a diverse range of skills to her role, including Key Account and National Sales management with ANZCO Foods (NZ and UK), Human Resource management (NZ and Australia) with Glassons Ltd and various roles in the Tourism sector. Robyn has also operated her own business. She looks forward to working with businesses in the Glacier Country.

TONY GIBSON

Accountant

Tony joined the team at Development West Coast in June 2018. He has had a wide range of tax and accounting experience in roles with Government Agencies, Chartered Accountancy firms and privately-owned business over many years. Tony is employed as accountant which incorporates finance and management accounting for both DWC and its subsidiaries.

Debbie Wilson

Accounts Assistant

Debbie joined Development West Coast in December 2021. Debbie has worked in administration and finance roles for a number of years resulting in a wide range of knowledge and experience which she is looking forward to bringing to DWC.

CAPABILITY AND GROWTH

FIONA HILL

Capability & Growth Manager

A former owner of a successful local business, with extensive customer service and administration skills, Fiona manages DWC;s capability and growth team. Fiona assists businesses that are keen to grow and innovate by connecting them to people, opportunities and resources including access to the support available through the Regional Business Partner Programme.

Sam Henry

Māori Business Capability Advisor

Sam joined Te Ohu Whakawhanake o Te Tai Poutini in September 2022. Sam has a wealth of experience in business development and business management. He has significant knowledge and experience in large scale project management and community development. He has held senior roles within the Ministry of Māori Development and Inland Revenue. He has previously run his own property portfolio in Auckland and has lectured and taught small business management for Te Waananga O Aotearoa.

Sam is passionate about Māori business development and people and is looking forward to utilising his skills and knowledge to assist Maori business growth in Te Tai Poutini.

Amanda Hopkins

Business Support Facilitator

Amanda joined the team at Development West Coast in January 2018. Amanda has experience in running a successful local business, which has given her the skills for the varied tasks encompassed in the Business Support Officer position.

Destination Management and Tourism

Andrew Aitken

Destination and Tourism Manager

Having joined DWC in September 2024, Andrew comes from a tourism marketing and business development background after having worked within a variety of commercial tourism organisations throughout New Zealand including AirNZ, Ngāi Tahu Tourism and Skyline Enterprises. In his current role, he oversees the agencies delivery of the destination management strategy and the regions tourism promotional plan and execution.

Like other members of the team, Andrew loves experiencing the Coast’s wild wilderness, iconic landscapes and pristine rivers before stopping for a coffee at one of the many local cafes.

Maia Peart-Anderson

Trade and Marketing Executive

Maia joined the team at DWC in 2024. Her role focuses on promoting the West Coast as a tourism destination and involves domestic consumer campaigns, international consumer activity, business to business promotions, conference marketing, media, and event attraction.

Maia brings with her valuable experience in a variety of marketing, communication and engagement roles, including Cardrona X Treble Cone, and central and local government agencies. She is passionate about the region and is looking forward to showcasing the unique offerings of the West Coast.

Lucy Nilson

Tourism Executive

Lucy joined the DWC team in July 2024. As a 6th generation West Coaster, Lucy brings deep-seated knowledge of the region to her role at DWC. With a passion for the outdoors, Lucy loves the untamed natural wilderness of the coast, in fact you will often find her in rugged mountain peaks, or dense West Coast bush.

Having ventured beyond the West Coast’s borders, her experience spans across recruitment and government agencies. Lucy is excited to spend the next 12 months exploring trade and tourism offerings as Lara’s maternity cover.

Taylor Tian

Tourism - China Market

Taylor is originally from mainland China and moved to New Zealand in 2015. His tenure in the tourism industry began with establishing and spearheading the Chinese department for a prominent tourism operator based in Marlborough.

Over the years, he has been involved with remarkable transformations in regional awareness and visitor influx.

In recent years, Taylor has become an independent advisor specialising in the Chinese tourism market, extending his expertise to various regions across the South Island. Taylor is dedicated to promoting the allure of the Untamed West Coast in the Chinese market by collaborating with neighboring regions.

Taylor is committed to assisting the West Coast in navigating the dynamic landscape of the Chinese tourism industry, fostering awareness among visitors, promoting regional dispersal, and facilitating partnerships with key industry stakeholders.

Projects

Jade Mahuika

Project Manager

Jade brings a passion and dedication for creating meaningful opportunities on the West Coast.

Previously, Jade served as the Tertiary/Education Liaison at Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth, where she also managed the Young Enterprise Scheme Trust on the West Coast. Jade joined the DWC team in 2022 as the Vocational Coordinator with a great understanding of the secondary and tertiary education sectors. Jade is committed to empowering rangatahi and supporting their paths to success.

As a true West Coaster, Jade is driven by her strong connection to the community and her commitment to creating growth and development in the region across all sectors and projects.

Zak Shaw

Project Lead - Nature Economy

Zak joins the DWC team with 20 years’ experience in adventure guiding, outdoor education and experiential leadership facilitation.

His role at DWC is to assist in enabling the West Coast region to realise the value of its natural resources. Zak works with a broad range of stakeholders to identify and strengthen capability related to conservation and biodiversity restoration.

Raised in Matawai; a rural community inland of Gisborne Zak moved to the West Coast to live in 2012.