Advisory Committee

While I am a Wellingtonian transplant from all over the place, I consider Wellington home after living & working here for 20 years. I am proud to manage the local Johnsonville and Porirua branches of Westpac and have recently overseen an upgrade of our services to a new branch in the North City Shopping Centre.  I’ve had a very diverse career spanning banking & financial services, importation & distribution of building products, subdivision & resource consent consultancy and even a stint for the Public Service running the Government Crown Fleet.

I’m committed to the growing of and advocating for our local business community and see the Porirua Chamber of Commerce as having a crucial role to ensure the best outcomes, regardless of the size or shape of the business.

On a personal note, I have my wife and 2 adult children with me and enjoy playing rugby (even with my wonky knees), umpiring hockey and doing lots of biking around our fantastic local trails.

Shannan is one of three directors at Tranquil IT, a locally grown digital services company that's working with clients from all corners of Aotearoa.

With a solid reputation as a trusted advisor to central government on both sides of the ditch, as well as some of our largest private companies, Shannan brings extensive expertise to the table.

Being a Porirua local all his life, Shannan is deeply passionate about the region and its people. He's dedicated to ensuring Porirua continues to thrive.

Having worked in small business and multi-national corporate environments, his experience extends to operational management, sales management, and general management positions.

He has volunteered his own time working with a number of community organisations including; Porirua City Council, Pop-Up Business School, Partners Porirua - Drive 4 Life, as well as recently becoming involved in the review of Porirua/NZTA roading projects.

Ben is a positive, hands-on leader and problem solver. He has a genuine passion for the wellbeing of people, and the economic success of Porirua City.

Tristan is a lifelong resident of Porirua City. Educated at Aotea College and Victoria University, Tristan joined BDO Wellington firm 2004 as a graduate and became a Partner in 2016.  He leads their Wellington based Business Services and Outsourcing team with a focus on the Retail industry.   

Tristan is committed through his work, to assisting Porirua businesses develop and grow. He has significant community involvement locally with Cadets and sees his role with the Porirua Chamber as a further contribution to our community.

Michelle has been active in the Porirua business community since the formation of Partners Porirua in January 2000. She’s worked tirelessly to build relationships between businesses and schools, and promote the relevance of the working world to young people. Michelle has led the organisation to win several awards in recognition of its stability, its commitment to young people and the outcomes it achieves for the city.

Michelle was instrumental in the establishment of the Porirua Youth 2 Work Movement, supporting local businesses to grow their workforce. She sees the long term benefits as being increased economic growth for the city with increased employment opportunities for local youth.  The Porirua Chamber of Commerce is an inaugural partner of the Porirua Youth 2 Work Movement  and Michelle is looking forward to contributing to the future development of the Chamber.

Steve Lovell is an experienced local Porirua businessman who owns Rainbow Creative, Gumdrop Promotions, Firefly Websites and Porirua Print.  He leads a team who are leading specialists in branding, website design, and online optimisation achieving proven positive results. He is a champion of business owners and new business development in Porirua. As an entrepreneur he has been involved in many other ventures including paua farming, the hospitality sector, and has established an underground music facility and recording studio in the city.

Steve has been outspoken on local issues such as Kenepuru Drive, traffic flows through the CBD, and the impact of Transmission Gully on Porirua, and is tenacious when it comes to getting local knowledge and input recognised and accepted to achieve the right outcomes.

A lifelong resident of Porirua, Steve currently lives in Paremata and is a family man who has general interest in local original music and new business opportunities. He is a long-term member of the Porirua Chamber of Commerce, and the Business Network International (BNI) North City chapter, having served as chairman for several terms.