About Us

Angela is a Director and Owner of Formatt Bespoke Joinery, a mid sized industrial manufacturing facility servicing both residential and commercial construction in the Whakatipu.

Angela has been running businesses for the past 14 years, in Sydney and New Zealand. These have been in the Construction, Health and Wellbeing and Real Estate Marketing industries.

Angela is passionate about the contribution SME’s make to the fabric of communities and is inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of Queenstown. She is really proud of the advocacy work that the Chamber does on behalf of the business community, while also recognizing the important role it plays in connecting people and businesses within the Whakatipu.

Angela began her career as a Physiotherapist after graduating from Otago University. She also gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Massey University. Angela is a current member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and serves as a Trustee on the Board of the Winter Games NZ.

Melissa Jenner is the Founder of Actvo & Start Now and has over 25 years’ business experience in general management, strategy, product design and marketing, gained from working in some of the world’s largest corporations.  These include Saatchi & Saatchi & NZX in Wellington, Barclays Bank in London, Microsoft in EMEA, Cantor Fitzgerald in New York and NZTE in Auckland.

Through her businesses Actvo & Start Now Melissa has supported executives and leadership teams to develop and grow talent through providing both SaaS and consulting services to enable people to work to their fullest potential. 

Melissa is also a Leadership Coach on AUT’s Brightside programme, a Human Innovation advisor on the AcademyEX Masters programme, and a Consultant with Leadership Lab. She is trained in Design Thinking from Stanford University in California, has a  Post-Graduate Certificate in Leadership from Columbia in New York and Certificate in Organisational Agility & Complex Problem Solving from AcademyEX in Auckland.

Melissa relocated to Queenstown in 2020, and now lives in Arthurs Point.

Wendy is the CEO of Active Adventures, NZ’s largest and most globally diverse adventure travel company, operating in NZ, North & South America, Europe the Himalayas, and Africa. She looks after a team of 40 staff based in Queenstown and Montana (USA), and over 100 guides.

With 20 years’ senior executive and governance experience in inbound and outbound tourism, Wendy excels at strategic business planning and growth, bringing an entrepreneurial edge to the businesses she leads. She is a graduate of the University of Canterbury and Otago University’s Executive Education programme, is Vice Chair of the board of the Tourism Export Council New Zealand and was previously a board member of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand. She’s also a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

“As a newcomer to Queenstown (2019), I bring a fresh set of eyes and a global lens to the business community. We are surrounded by so much talent, I would love to work with the Chamber to continue to harness that talent to drive positive outcomes for our region, particularly on the back of the challenges many of us are facing as a result of COVID-19.”

Johnathan Chen (Co-opted) is the Business Strategy Director of Remarkables Park Limited / Porter Group Limited and the Director of Research & Innovation Queenstown Ltd.

Johnathan joined RPL/PGL officially in 2018, after being an external consultant for RPL/PGL over the previous 5 years on various business deals. He has had a strong track record in engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship, and extensive expertise in providing business advisory services to facilitate business and investment transactions between New Zealand and Asia. Having dual qualifications and experience in engineering (Bachelor or Mechanical Engineering) and legal (registered Patent Attorney in New Zealand and Australia) professions, in addition to being literate and fluent in Mandarin, enabled Johnathan to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to projects and businesses. As a result he has built a number of successful business ventures both in New Zealand and in Asia.

Johnathan is currently driving the Research & Innovation Queenstown project, which is one of the key steps towards the diversification of the Queenstown economy. He is passionate about engaging with the Queenstown business community on synergies and value that this project can create for the region.

I am a passionate supporter of the local business community, with more than a decade of experience working with a wide range of local businesses, as well as a background in international business.

My role as Client Relationship Manager with Focus Technology Group has involved establishing relationships with a large number of local businesses of all sizes in the Lakes District area. I have also worked in a range of roles with IBM, in Australia and New Zealand.

My strengths are in relationship management and clear communication. My values are honesty, transparency, positivity. I am motivated by a strong sense of doing what is right, both in the work I am doing and for the people around me.

Outside of work I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunty, friend, and a passionate trail runner.

To contribute to our local community, I am an Arrowtown Scout Leader. Scouting is an awesome way of engaging the youth in our area, introducing them to the outdoors and sharing new skills.

As a local technology leader, I believe my experience in enterprise transformation will underpin some of the vital skills we need for our future, as our community adapts to the challenges ahead.

Matt Wong is the owner of iFLY Indoor Skydiving NZ LTD and has held senior roles in tourism, aviation & travel operations over the past 20 years. Matt launched iFLY Queenstown in 2018, and the business has been recognised locally and nationally, winning awards for excellence in tourism, employment practices, customer service, and community engagement.

Matt has been a Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce elected board member since 2021, serves on several not-for-profit organisations, and is a current elected Councillor of the Queenstown Lakes District Council.

After 20 years of establishing a career, business and family in Queenstown, Matt is excited to roll up his sleeves and support business vitality, the local community, and the quality of life in the district.

Bert has been in the Queenstown hospitality industry for over 20 years. Along with his business partner, James Ace, they have built Future Hospitality Group from 2 venues to 7 in the past 10 years.

Bert’s role as GM at Future Hospitality Group keeps him close to the venues and issues that face hospitality outlets and the wider industry.  Bert is also a Board Member for Hospitality New Zealand.

Away from the shop floor, Bert has a young family and has been deeply involved in our ice hockey community.

Hamish has been recognized as one of the top real estate agents in New Zealand and his average sales price is one of the highest the country. He has a strong team of handpicked sales associates and management behind him, ensuring that your property is marketed in a way that shows its true potential and that the best results are delivered. Hamish and his team are the best people to help you get the most money for your property. With Walker & Co Realty carrying his name, Hamish views his business as an extension of himself and so he commits himself to delivering great results and providing the best service as he truly believes his business reputation is a reflection of himself. Hamish is equally, and if not more invested, than his clients when it comes to ensuring their property is sold with a fantastic result. His business and political experience backed up by his Bachelor of Business (Accounting) degree have helped him to navigate and simplify the complex property market for many people. Hamish’s clients include the former Prime Minister’s, professional sports people, business owners, expats, and families. Hamish also makes frequent offshore visits to nurture his relationships with his international buyers wishing to purchase in Queenstown. You will hear Hamish across various forms of media and social media, as he is often asked by the media to give market commentary to the public. Over the years Hamish has served the community in numerous governance roles. This experience ensures he knows how to get the best results, with strong marketing and negotiation skills. Investing in the community is something Hamish is proud of and makes him passionate about the areas, keeping people’s best interests at heart. As a current Board Member for the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce and his current Premier Rugby refereeing, Hamish continues to contribute to the local community.

My good fortune in having stumbled into the hotel industry some 19 years ago having spent a decade in Commercial Real Estate has meant many layers of learning and experience in this dynamic and challenging sector. As with so many of our business community, I live and breathe our housing shortages, infrastructure shortfalls, and challenging immigration settings. I see the immense effort that goes into the perpetuation of our town’s outstanding reputation as a place to live and to visit.

With a workforce that is significantly younger than I am, and as a mother of two local teens, I am inspired and encouraged by the innovative and thought-provoking approach that our young people bring to our businesses. I’m determined to find a way to ensure our community remains diverse, confident and stable in a way that enables our commercial enterprises to thrive as well as preserving the ‘Queenstown’ that we all fall in love with.