About Us

Our Mission

Our mission is to make Queenstown a better place for business by being champions of influence, connection and knowledge sharing. We are the only widely representative and truly independent voice for Queenstown businesses.

Influence

Representing Queenstown business on the issues that matter.

Connection

Connecting and promoting businesses in Queenstown.

Capability

Supporting business through sharing knowledge and encouraging learning and development.

Community

Engaging with the business community, building strong and long-lasting relationships.

Meet the Team

The Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce is the voice of the Queenstown business community.

We are champions of influence, connections and knowledge sharing that foster a thriving business community. Our events are the place to be seen, share and learn. We are part of national and international network that supports our advocacy for, and advice to, members.

Sharon Fifield

Chief Executive

Sharon Fifield

Chief Executive

Kelly McAteer

Membership & Development Manager

Kelly McAteer

Membership & Development Manager

Rachel Clifford

Events & Marketing Manager

Rachel Clifford

Events & Marketing Manager

Chloe Graf-Russell

EVENTS & MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

Chloe Graf-Russell

EVENTS & MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

Meet our Board

The Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce is governed by a 9 member Board of senior directors and industry leaders with extensive experience in local, national and global business. The Chamber is administered by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is the members’ contact point in the organisation and is contracted to provide members with the full range of Chamber services.

Angela Spackman

Chair

Angela Spackman

Chair

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

Melissa Jenner

Melissa Jenner is the Founder of START Now and has over 25 years’ business experience in general management and strategy and marketing, gained from working in some of the world’s largest corporations.

Her career spans the following achievements:

– Account Director, Saatchi & Saatchi, Wellington

– Vice-President Marketing, Microsoft EMEA, London

– Global Vice-President Marketing & Communications, Cantor Fitzgerald, New York

Sadly, Cantor Fitzgerald (based in the World Trade Centre) were tragically impacted by 9/11. Melissa helped the organisation through disaster recovery for 6 months, before returning to New Zealand.

– Marketing Director, NZX, Wellington

– COO Trading, Barclays Wealth, London

– Director, Better by Design NZTE, Auckland

START Now specialises in innovation and design thinking and she has worked with a range of mid-sized companies to develop innovation strategies. She also established the first design-led human consulting service, helping 1000’s of New Zealanders to pivot and change careers.

Melissa is a Leadership Coach on AUT’s Brightside programme, a Human Innovation advisor on the Tech Futures Lab Masters programme, and a Consultant with Leadership Lab. She is also a qualified Lifeline Counsellor. She is certified in Design Thinking from Stanford University in California and Leadership from Columbia in New York.

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

Wendy Van Lieshout

Deputy Chair

Wendy Van Lieshout

Deputy Chair

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

Johnathan Chen

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.

Karen Iremonger

Karen Iremonger

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

Matt Wong

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 Haines

Bert Haines

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 Walker

Hamish Walker

Launching Premium Real Estate in Queenstown in early 2022 and previously represented the area in parliament, Hamish knows the Queenstown area inside and out. Hamish loves being able to serve on the board of Queenstown Business.

Hamish has been involved in some of Queenstown’s highest value transactions for property and sells over $100m of property annually.

Hamish believes the key to success for Queenstown Business and delivering results is listening and understanding what the ideal outcome is for businesses.

Investing in the community is something Hamish is proud of and makes him passionate about the area, keeping people’s best interests at heart. Each year he gives back to around a dozen different community charities.

You can be sure to catch Hamish at Coronet Peak on a powder morning, refereeing a game of rugby during winter or playing golf in the summer.

Jo Finnigan

Jo Finnigan

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.

Introducing our Principal Partners

Thank you to the local businesses that support us.

Our Partners are passionate, committed businesses that want to help our region’s economy grow.

We value our business partnerships and see it as just that: A partnership that works towards the shared goal of strengthening our local economy by creating better, stronger businesses.

The Chamber proudly represents its Partners across all of our channels, to champion your business, its people and your purpose in the business community.

Interested in becoming a Partner? Get in touch.

The Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce is part of The New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, a body of some thirty Chambers throughout New Zealand, supporting over 22,000 members and representing over 40 million businesses worldwide. Each Chambers’ role is to support and inspire business vitality and success. Businesses all around the globe access the expertise and services of Chambers of Commerce.

All Partners

The Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce is proud to support Pride Pledge 2024. We commit to all LGBTTQIA+ (Rainbow) people having the freedom to be safe, included, healthy and visible and we will use our voice to actively support and celebrate rainbow communities.

Get in touch today.

We are happy to help with any questions that you may have regarding membership.

We value your feedback and encourage you to send your ideas and comments to our Membership Manager.

Thank you for your time and your participation.

Ready to join us?