Mothers are the hull of the canoe
Delivering sustainable intergenerational returns to its shareholder, through responsible asset management is the remit of Quayside, the commercial investment arm of Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Established in 1991 to hold the Port of Tauranga shares. 30 years later, Quayside is a diversified investment fund manager with total group assets of $3.3 billion.
The Quayside wāhine are the heartbeat and the backbone of the organisation, woven throughout a multidisciplinary team, holding roles within operations, legal, finance, projects and marketing.
Mel Manley, GM Operations joined Quayside in 2021, in a newly created corporate services role encompassing people and culture, information technology, marcomms and business planning. The appointment signalled a maturing of the organisation, welcoming Mel’s warm, stable and steadfast approach to leadership and operational excellence. With a strong career across people and culture, Mel has held several senior executive roles drawing on her innate ability to drive process improvement, problem-solve and support strong commercial outcomes. It’s this, alongside her genuine care for the whenua and people, that makes her a real asset to the Quayside team.
The straight-shooting, queen of negotiation, Suzanne Casey, Legal and Risk Manager, brings an extensive background in construction disputes, commercial and insurance litigation. As Quayside’s in-house legal counsel and risk expert she works closely with the Property and Investment teams supporting transactions and asset management, whilst overseeing all legal, risk and compliance aspects, to ensure Quayside meets its legal and regulatory obligations and is best positioned for success.
Office Mum, Executive Assistant, Project Coordinator and general wizardess are some of the titles Glenda Dufaur goes by. This multi-hat-wearing whaea provides executive business support to Quayside’s CEO, Board and SLT across operational, employee, health and safety workstreams, in addition to working closely with iwi partners and stakeholders in the coordination of key projects.
Financial Accountant, Nicole Stafford draws on significant experience in Chartered Accountancy. Her role at Quayside focuses on financial reporting, encompassing quarterly reporting for the Group, preparation of financial information for the interim report and annual report publications. A true team player who enjoys growing the capability of staff within the team and finding ways to utilise technology to streamline processes and gain efficiencies.
Grace Hakaria, Marketing and Engagement Manager comes to the business with experience across local government, corporate and private SME. Her role provides creative, strategic marcomms and brand advice and delivery for Quayside and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including the Rangiuru Business Park. A descendant of Ngāti Raukawa and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Grace advocates for inclusive iwi partnerships and integrating Ao Māori perspectives within Quayside’s corporate practices.
Related: Revitalising Tauranga: Quayside’s Strategic CBD Partnership
