The Rangi Ruru Board of Governors is an Incorporated Society and has charitable status. Unlike a public school board, the Board members are not elected but are interviewed and go through a recruitment process. Board members are chosen to represent a cross-section of competencies. Our Board has sub-committees including Campus Development, Appointments & Remuneration, and Finance & Audit.
Strategic Goals
- To recognise, value and develop the wellbeing and capabilities of each student in a safe and secure environment.
- To provide a world class personalised, all-round education.
- To have staff who are passionate about delivering a Rangi Ruru education in a way that is consistent with its pillars of “Be You, Belong, Be Your Best, Be the Change”.
- To embrace the heritage, values and culture that make Rangi Ruru unique.
- To understand local and global community and environment, and act as a future focused and community minded school
- Build a culture of engagement, giving and innovation that supports the aspirations of Rangi Ruru.
Board Members
Nicki Carter (LLB (Hons), B.Com.(Canterbury), MS in Management (Stanford)
Chairperson
Nicki is a Rangi Ruru Old Girl, a Lawyer, has lived and worked in Christchurch and London, and since 2014 has been working for a Christchurch property development company. She is part of the team that was dedicated to developing The Crossing in central Christchurch, which was a very challenging but equally rewarding project.
Nicki believes in the importance of girls’ education and sees the Board’s role as providing guidance and support to the Principal and the school so that Rangi Ruru continues to be a leading educator of girls. As a Governor, Nicki would like to encourage alumnae and the Rangi community to embrace the Rangi value of Generosity of Spirit and give to the school. Giving to Rangi supports ongoing investment in the school and enables Rangi Ruru to continue the tradition of providing the very best opportunities for its girls.
Brendan Anstiss BA Hons, MA, PhD, PGDipClinPsych
Vice Chairperson
Brendan lives with his wife, Sally, and daughters on small farm near West Welton. Madison is in Year 9 and Lexie is in Year 12 at Rangi Ruru.
Trained as a clinical psychologist, Brendan has worked in public service most of his career. He has worked at executive level in both central and local government and is currently Director for the 2023 Census for StatsNZ. Brendan has served on previous school boards and NGO organisations.
Brendan is honoured to be able to contribute to the Rangi Ruru school community via his Board service. He is excited to support the school as it continues to offer the best opportunity for girls to be the best versions of themselves in all areas of their life.
Stuart Hall B.Com/PGDip (Otago)
Stuart grew up in Hawkes Bay, is an old boy of Napier Boys High School and attended Otago University completing a Bachelor Of Commerce & Post Graduate Diploma.
Stuart has held Commercial General Management positions with several large New Zealand organisations, including international experience with responsibility for offices in the UK, Europe and North America.
Stuart is currently Commercial Director for AgResearch, and is a Director for a significant Agri-Business and an innovation start up. Stuart also sits on the Investment Committee for the Government funded science incubator Kiwinet.
Stuart’s daughter Kiera left Rangi Ruru in 2022 and Sofia in Year 11 this year.
Stuart joined the Board so he could make a contribution back to the school, and to play a part in ensuring that future families enjoy the same experience and opportunities that his daughter has enjoyed to date.
Stuart is passionate about the critical role of education, and believes strongly in the philosophy of understanding every girl as an individual, and providing opportunities and experiences at Rangi Ruru that will allow each girl to develop the love of learning, confidence and resilience to maximise their potential and make the most of an ever evolving world.
Phil Newton Dip.POL
Phil is from the UK but became a Kiwi in 1988. His wife Tara is a Rangi Ruru Old Girl, and they have a daughter Connie in Year 10.
After working in the London Metropolitan Police for eight years he moved to New Zealand and worked various roles before joining the New Zealand Police in 1991.
Phil is currently the Youth Services Manager for Canterbury. His role includes the strategic overview of all child and youth services provided by police including care and protection, youth offending and all interactions with schools. He liaises with other government and non-government organisations to provide the best services for children and youth. He represents the New Zealand Police on multi-agency governance groups and steering committees.
Phil has been impressed by the level of education and support that Rangi Ruru has given his family. He states that by joining the Board he aims to help the continued evolution of the school to provide the best environment for the girls to reach their full potential.
Deborah James TTC
Deborah has most recently served as the chief executive for Independent Schools of New Zealand (ISNZ), the peak body serving and representing the best interests of private schools to Government, the Ministry of Education and other education agencies.
A strong advocate for choice in education and protecting the right of parents to choose the school that best meets the needs of their children, Deborah has vast experience in governance, management, marketing, communications, development, and operational aspects of independent schooling. During her 15-year tenure with ISNZ she advised and supported 54 private schools throughout New Zealand. Deborah also has a strong understanding of the global independent school movement, its challenges, and opportunities.
Deborah resides in Wellington and was educated at an independent school. She has four adult children, all of whom were also educated at private schools.
After leaving her role with ISNZ at the end of 2022, Deborah now works as an education consultant, and she is excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the Rangi Ruru Girls’ School community and to continue her strong advocacy for choice in education.
Sam Naylor C.A., B.Com. (Hons), Qualified Auditor
Sam is a Partner at Nexia New Zealand, where he leads the Audit & Assurance division. He has over a decade of audit experience, having worked in both Christchurch and London.
A significant part of his professional career has involved working alongside Public Sector and not-for-profit organisations – which currently includes a number of schools.
Being passionate about both finance and education, Sam hopes to add value to Rangi Ruru through an independent lens. He looks forward to helping the school achieve their strategy and supporting management as part of his role as Governor.
Sam has a young family and is motivated to making a meaningful difference to the education sector and is pleased to join the Board of Governors.
Joanna den Hollander B.Com (VPM)
Joanna is a Rangi Ruru Old Girl and lives in Christchurch with her two sons. She has worked in the commercial property industry for more than 20 years and is currently National Asset Manager at Ngāi Tahu Property, where she leads a national property portfolio.
Joanna’s experience spans asset management, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement and governance, and she currently holds several directorships through her role at Ngāi Tahu Property.
Joanna is passionate about the role education plays in building confidence, resilience, and opportunity for young women. She credits her time at Rangi Ruru with helping shape her sense of self-belief and independence, as well as forming lifelong friendships and connections.
As a Governor, Joanna is excited by the opportunity to give back to the school community and contribute to ensuring future generations of girls continue to receive the same strong foundation, support, and opportunities that Rangi Ruru provided to her.
Mason Tolerton MA (Merit), BA (Hons), VRD
Mason is General Manager People at Kathmandu, where he leads organisational strategy across people, culture, and health and safety for this listed Australasian retail business. His executive experience spans complex, multi-site environments, with a strong focus on organisational performance, culture, and risk management.
Alongside his commercial career, Mason served for 25 years in the Royal New Zealand Navy and Naval Reserve, culminating in command of the southern region unit, HMNZS Toroa. He has been awarded the Volunteer Reserve Decoration (VRD) for his service and was a recipient of a Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship, undertaking international research to support programmes in Aotearoa and the wider Pacific.
Mason brings governance experience in the university vocational innovation sector and in the establishment of a civil trade implementation board. His governance interests include culture and capability, risk oversight, and brand identity.
Mason’s daughter, Sofia, is currently in Year 12 at Rangi Ruru, and his son, Tim, is undertaking a gap year in Oxford at an independent English school.
Jake Urlwin G.Fin
Jake is Head of Property – Southern at BNZ, leading a team of commercial property bankers across the South Island and Lower North Island. He brings deep experience in property finance, complex credit structuring, and navigating regulatory frameworks, with accountability for portfolio growth, risk management, and client outcomes.
Jake contributes a practical, commercially grounded perspective to governance, with a strong focus on risk discipline and organisational performance. Jake lives in Prebbleton with his two young children and has a strong family connection to the school through his grandmother who is an old girl.