Our Board
Tony Gray | Acting Chair
Tony Gray has had a career in education spanning over 37 years across New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Tony is a former Chief Executive of NMIT and Ara Institute of Technology.
He is currently the Chief Executive of Nelson Tasman Hospice Trust. His governance portfolio includes Chair of the Tertiary Accord of New Zealand, where he worked towards establishing a shared online learning platform across member institutes. In 2023, Tony was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to education.
Daniel Wilson | Board Member
Daniel Wilson started his career in Auckland as a music teacher. After positions at several schools in Auckland and London, Daniel was appointed to the Leadership team at Manurewa High School in 2007, firstly as Deputy, then Associate Principal.
In 2015, Daniel moved to Nelson to take up the position of Principal at Nayland College. Daniel has extensive knowledge of international education from a secondary perspective, with Nayland College hosting approximately 80 international students from around the globe in 2020. Daniel also has a very good understanding of a range of markets and marketing approaches, having overseen a 40% increase in international numbers since joining Nayland College.
As well as leading Nayland College, Daniel is also the Lead Principal and Governance Chairperson for the Top of the South Trades Academy. He has also acted as a Regional Engagement Lead for the recent National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) review. Over the years Daniel has, and continues to work with various national and regional advisory groups. In his spare time Daniel is an accomplished brass musician, playing trombone in a variety of musical groups around Nelson and serving as President of Nelson City Brass.
Dr Therese Arseneau | Board Member
Dr Therese Arseneau has wide ranging governance experience including as Chair of the Board of ChristchurchNZ, Ara Institute of Canterbury, Regenerate Christchurch and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra; and as a Director of J Ballantyne Company Ltd, The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Ltd, Enterprise North Canterbury and the Social Sciences Research Council of Canada.
Therese has over 30 years’ experience in the tertiary education sector, including as a university lecturer in Canada and New Zealand. A specialist in elections and New Zealand politics, she is currently an Adjunct Senior Fellow in Political Science at the University of Canterbury and in 2011 she received a UC Teaching Award for excellence in teaching. Therese holds a DPhil and MPhil from the University of Oxford, which she attended as an international student and Commonwealth Scholar.
Dr Erik Lithander | Board Member
Dr Erik Lithander has had a career in higher education spanning over 20 years across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. He is a former Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (International and Outreach) at the Australian National University in Canberra and Director of International Affairs at University College Dublin.
Dr Lithander is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Strategic Engagement at the University of Auckland. Prior to commencing this role in 2021, he was the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Global Engagement) at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Dr Lithander has an internationally focused governance portfolio, with oversight of the Auckland Confucius Institute and previously the North Asia CAPE (Centre for Asia Pacific Excellence). He also is Chair of the Advisory Boards for the New Zealand Centre at Peking University and the New Zealand Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi).
Prabha Ravi | Board Member
Prabha Ravi QSM, JP is an experienced governance leader and international education specialist with over 25 years in senior management roles, including International Director at Waiariki Institute of Technology and YMCA Central, and Senior Manager at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao. She has represented New Zealand in more than 47 countries, generating millions in export education earnings and building strong global partnerships.
With nearly 20 years of governance experience across the arts, sports, education, health, community, and public sectors, Prabha serves on several boards, including the Wellington/Wairarapa Lotteries Committee.
She is also the founder and director of Natraj School of Dance, a leading Indian classical dance institution in Wellington for over 25 years, and an award-winning actor. Her contributions to education, arts, governance, and ethnic communities have been recognised with multiple honours, including the Queen’s Service Medal in 2017.
Sara Brownlie | Board Member
Sara Brownlie is a chartered accountant and chartered director with strong risk and financial management and financial planning knowledge. She has worked in the public sector for most of her career in senior financial roles including Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice and at Treasury where she was also Chief Financial Officer for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and for the Public Services Commission. This followed early career at Deloitte and Unilever.
Sara now provides specialist strategic financial and project/programme advisory services through her company Fargher Woods Ltd. Sara is a board member with Catalyst.net and is the Crown appointed Deputy Chair and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee of the Research Education Advanced Network New Zealand (REANNZ). She is also an independent member of Enable New Zealand Finance, Risk and Audit Committee, and holds a similar role with the Upper Hutt City Council's Risk and Assurance Committee.
