Mr Danny Chan

Danny is a third generation New Zealand Chinese, brought up in Wellington. His early career involved investment management and during this time he was also a part time lecturer and tutor in Managerial Finance and Business Analysis at Victoria University.

In 1986 Danny was appointed by Fidelity Investments (the largest fund management company in the world) to head their Taiwan office and sit on the board of their Asia/Pacific operations.

Danny returned to New Zealand in 1994 to develop his own business interests, including investment management, financial and business consultancy, floriculture, education, trading, seafood processing and security systems.

Some of these business interests include being a founder of the Academic Colleges Group Limited - the largest private school group in New Zealand which also includes and international college.

Danny holds a number of directorships in New Zealand. He is Chairman of Flowezone International Limited, New Zealand's largest exporter of fresh cut flowers. He is also the Deputy Chairman of Academic Colleges Group Limited and a Director of AgResearch Limited, a Crown Research Institute. He has recently joined the Board of Abano Healthcare, a listed company on the NZX.

Danny is also a former Director of Airways Corporation, an SOE, and a former Director of Everbright Pacific Limited, a subsidiary of the Chinese government owned, China Everbright Limited.

Through his long involvement with the education, investment and export industries, Danny has developed an extensive network of contacts in Asia. He is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese as well as being very familiar with the protocols of Asian and Western cultures. Danny acts as an adviser for several New Zealand companies for their Asian marketing and joint ventures.

Danny will provide the necessary understanding of the countries, peoples, cultures and languages of Asia and will add a perspective to the assignment and the overall review of the work programme, projects, funding and a general perspective.

Further, his long involvement with education, investment and export industries has ensured an extensive network of contacts in Asia. He was also a key note speaker for the launch of Asia 2000 and therefore brings an added perspective on the original mission and strategic objectives for the Foundation.