Our people

Steve O’Connor, Chair

Mr O’Connor has experience in innovation, venture incubation and acceleration and capital markets. He is currently director and deputy chair of New Zealand Growth Capital Partners (NZGCP).

He was Founder, director, and chief executive officer of Flick Energy Limited and Lightning Lab, as well as CEO of Creative HQ Limited, a start-up hub and entrepreneurship centre. Previously he held strategy management roles at Meridian Energy Limited.

Mr O’Connor brings significant value through his wealth of knowledge and experience in the technology and innovation space.

Professor Cather Simpson

Professor Simpson is the Professor of Physics and Chemical Sciences at The University of Auckland and chief executive officer of Orbis Diagnostics.

She is on the boards of Fisher and Paykel Healthcare and the Dodd-Walls Centre, as well as several startup companies. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and serves on the Academy Executive. She is the Vice President of SPIE – the International Society for Optics and Photonics, and Vice-Chair of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics Laser Physics and Photonics Commission.

Professor Simpson has a deep understanding of and is well connected to the industry, where she is highly regarded both nationally and internationally for her work in photonics.

Professor Greg O’Grady

Professor O'Grady is a researcher, entrepreneur, and commercial specialist.

He has founded and led successful startups and has considerable experience raising venture capital.

He is currently a professor and principal investigator in surgery and biomedical engineering at the University of Auckland.

He brings deep knowledge of tech entrepreneurship and commercialisation experience to the board.

Arama Kukutai

Arama Kukutai is an investor, entrepreneur and thought leader in the Agritech and Food sectors, having founded and invested in some of the leading startup companies in the space, including at Plenty Inc, where he served as CEO and Director. He is also the co-founder of Finistere Ventures, one of the pioneering venture firms dedicated to Agrifood investment.

Arama has a whakapapa connection to Waikato-Tainui, Maniapoto and Te Aupōuri iwi and has been active in governance in Māori economic development, including Te Ara Pōtiki, a non-profit established to advance Māori STEM graduate career experience through fellowships at US startups. Arama is also a Managing Director at Pūtaiao Partners, an advisory firm dedicated to enabling investment and global connections in the Māori economy.

Arama holds law and business degrees from Victoria University of Wellington, where he was recognised as a Distinguished Alumni in 2023 and honoured with a World Class New Zealander award in 2022.

Marko Bogoievski

Marko Bogoievski is an investor in early stage businesses and is active in both healthtech and consumer product markets. He is the co-founder of MQB Partners, Maker Partners, and Runway Intelligent Capital which provides growth capital to SME businesses in New Zealand.

He has held senior executive roles in the FMCG, telecommunications and finance industries, and most recently was Chief Executive of Infratil Limited, and HRL Morrison & Co, an international infrastructure investment manager.

Marko brings extensive experience in digital infrastructure, energy, health, and technology markets.

Roman Reyhani, Chief Executive Officer

Roman Reyhani is an internationally experienced technology and venture-building leader with more than two decades of experience spanning technology, commercialisation, strategy, entrepreneurship and law. 

Raised in Auckland, Roman spent much of his career overseas. After beginning his career in international law, he moved into technology and entrepreneurship in the United States, working with early-stage and growth companies across emerging technology, machine learning and fintech. 

He later joined Boston Consulting Group’s venture-building business, BCG Digital Ventures, and subsequently BCG X, holding leadership roles focused on developing and scaling new technology products and businesses. 

Roman returned to New Zealand in 2025, bringing with him extensive international experience and a strong belief in New Zealand’s technology potential. 

As Chief Executive, Roman leads NZIAT’s work to help translate New Zealand’s advanced technology and research capability into new products, businesses and economic opportunities for the benefit of all New Zealanders. 

Zoltan Varadi, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer

Zoltan Varadi is a Chartered Accountant and experienced senior executive with over 20 years of leadership experience across complex, regulated environments, with deep expertise in financial stewardship, governance, risk, and organisational performance.

His career spans senior roles across Crown entities, publicly listed entities and large-scale organisations, where he has led corporate services functions and advised Boards and Chief Executives on strategy, performance, and organisational design.

Zoltan is a Member of the Institute of Directors and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, along with CA ANZ and CPA (Fellow) qualifications.