Kiwi sporting great Beatrice Faumuina has been appointed as a director of Sport NZ.
Beatrice Faumuinā ONZM OLY has been appointed to the board of Sport NZ for a term of three years. Her appointment, filling a vacant directorship, moves the board from gender parity to a 5-4 majority of female directors.
“Beatrice is a champion athlete and a proven leader. She has worked extensively within her communities and understands the importance of health and wellbeing, and what it takes to help young people reach their potential,” says Sport NZ Chair Bill Moran.
“This makes her an ideal addition to the Sport NZ board. I look forward to working with Beatrice and the diversity of thought she will bring to board discussions.
“We’re also delighted her appointment creates a majority of women on the Sport NZ board. This comes at a time when we have recently set a target for our investment partners to have at least 40% of each gender on their boards by December 2021, and it’s important that Sport NZ leads from the front,” says Moran.
Ms Faumuinā represented New Zealand in discus at four Olympic Games and five Commonwealth Games. After winning a World Track and Field title in 1997, she took back to back gold medals at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games and was the New Zealand Team Captain and flag bearer at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2005 she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletics.
From 20152018, Beatrice was a senior New Zealand diplomat in New York through her dual roles of Consul General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Trade Commissioner for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
Ms Faumuina says being physically active has huge potential to enrich lives.
“I’m passionate about Sport NZ’s powerful new vision to get ‘Every Body Active’. We’re talking about a mass movement to improve the wellbeing of young people in all of our country’s diverse communities, and I’m excited to be part of this journey.”
