Screening Committee

Tim Wixon

Tim founded and leads BNZ’s growing Technology Industries portfolio and proposition. BNZ’s technology industries portfolio comprises over 1500 software, software-enabled, high-tech manufacturing, high-tech infrastructure and biotechnology businesses. Our proposition – Capital, Connections and Expertise – is delivered through a network of over 35 tech focussed bankers across New Zealand, with recent additions to the capital part of BNZ’s proposition being Revenue Based Financing and Project Scale Up.  

Tim has been with BNZ for 8 years in frontline, leadership and strategy roles, following an early career in securities law.  He is a qualified barrister and solicitor, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and hold a Masters of Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship, along with degrees in law, finance and economics.

Jon Foote

Jon is the Founder and CEO of Flock Consulting and Reportabl, he has spent over 15 years working in Business Intelligence with experience across a wide range of industries, including health, logistics, transportation, manufacturing, and retail. Jons work has given him access to the inner workings of a large range of businesses and the process of turning data into information that drives better decision making for Boards, Executive and Operational teams.

Jon is an expert in the field of Data Visualisation and speaks regularly on the topic of Modern Data Reporting and how it impacts organisations.

Jon started his first business at the age of 20 and has a passion for the development of ideas into successful businesses and is excited to apply his passion for startups, analysis and insight to the MAI screening committee.

Prue Halstead

Prue is Executive Officer of Invest South, a local regional growth capital fund owned by Community Trust South.  With access to established networks, experience and hands on management support, she assists growth companies at all stages of their life cycle  to ultimately increase and realise the value of those businesses. Having established a valuable regional and national network, her focus is to enable outcomes required for commercial success. 

Prue has an extensive background of business development, marketing and general management experience across a diverse range of industries, working in New Zealand and overseas.  In 2019, Prue was involved in establishing COIN South, an innovation network for Southland start-ups looking to scale beyond the region.  Recognising the importance of a fully formed investment ecosystem to the growth of the Southern region, Prue is also a strong advocate of early stage businesses in the South, is a founding Board member of Mainland Angels, as well as member of the Executive Committee of the Angel Association of New Zealand.   

David Wallace

David Wallace has a background in asset management, investment banking, equities research and corporate treasury, with 30 years of experience working in the capital markets in New Zealand. He has had corporate treasury roles for Winstone Limited, NZ Steel, and Clear Communications and worked for JP Morgan (formerly Ord Minnett).  

Throughout his career he has overseen a broad range of transactions including IPO’s, debt raisings, MBO’s, mergers, acquisitions and divestments, and has been a rated equities analyst for the telco and IT sectors. David currently chairs LHD Media, NZ Crane Hire and CLSA Premium. He also has key responsibility for managing the Unlisted Securities Exchange a prescribed exempt financial product market, Crowdsphere a licenced equity crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending platform and Residential Property Ventures LP which invests in residential property developments. 

Rob Byrnes

From Chief Financial Officer to Digital Entrepreneur, Rob has worn a multitude of hats in his 30+ years in the business and financial sector, whilst encompassing an array of credentials including being a Chartered Accountant, having a Master of Business Administration and a Diploma in Applied Finance.  He loves helping people succeed, to discover strength and to strategise to balance weakness, and lives by the adage “if you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.

Beginning his solid career as a Chartered Accountant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Sydney, he later moved to London where he worked for an FTSE 100 insurance firm, managing stock exchange reporting and then into IT project management for a multinational Y2K software rollout. After a move back to Australia Rob undertook various senior roles at Qantas, including treasury where during the global financial crisis he was financing aircraft, and subsequently lead to his role in Shared Services, managing approximately 500 staff.