Business Manukau Board
Stephen Grey - Chair
Chester Grey Accountants
Stephen Grey is a Director of Chester Grey Chartered Accountants Ltd, having joined Alan Chester in 1976. He has wide industry experience, and has been advising a large number of successful businesses for over 40 years. He is a director of many businesses from a range of different industries, including Media Design, Financial Services, Engineering, Broadcasting and Education. Through his family Trust he co-manages a productive 2200 acre Sheep and Beef farm in the Waikato which was established by his Grandfather 115 years ago. Stephen has served the community over many years including 24 years as a Local Government Politician in Manukau.
Belinda Sutton - Treasurer
Van Den Brink Group
Belinda is the Property Manager for the Van Den Brink Group and takes an active part in the Manukau Business District through her management of Southpoint on the corner of Cavendish Drive and Great South Road. The Southpoint complex includes the anchor tenant Countdown, Westpac, Urban Soul and a variety of other food and commercial business establishments. Belinda’s background was in the apparel industry. She has been in the property sector for 10 years. In her spare time Belinda spends time with her family and enjoys boating, fishing and skiing.
Aaron Jones
Bank of New Zealand
Aaron is a long-serving member of the Committee. He has gone full circle, starting off as a committee member, before taking on Treasurer, and then Chair for 6 years. Aaron stepped down from Chair in 2021 and we are very lucky to keep his experience and expertise as a Committee Member.
Aaron was previously the Manager of the BNZ’s Manukau retail branch, but has now moved back to his first love, commercial lending. Aaron is a Senior Commercial Partner based at Highbrook, covering the Manukau area. He has over 30 years of experience within the banking industry, and greatly enjoys interacting with a wide range of business owners.
Rachel Darlington
Business Like Accountants
Rachel is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. She also holds a current certificate of public practice. Rachel completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Auckland University and post graduate diploma in Professional Accounting at Manukau Institute of Technology.
She began her accounting career in the corporate arena and worked for a merchant banking firm for ten years. She joined a CA accounting firm in 1999 and became practice manager. Rachel came to work for chartered accountancy firm ‘Business Like’ in February 2008, and has been helping local Manukau businesses ever since.
Rachel held the position of Treasurer for a number of years and we are lucky enough to keep her on the Committee.
Emily May
Jaedon Enterprises
Emily May is the Managing Director at Jaedon Enterprises Ltd, a New Zealand based clothing manufacturer, specializing in technical garments, servicing the needs of high-risk industries and emergency response teams. Jaedon is a family owned business that was established 20 years ago by Emily’s father.
Jaedon has an established local and international client base and dominates the market for high-specification industrial apparel, providing innovative design solutions, customer service, and an understanding of local and international compliance requirements. Emily champions New Zealand-made, and local innovation. She is interested in engaging younger generations in manufacturing within NZ, particularly in the apparel sector.
Ilango Krishnamoorthy
Mercury Printz / Iris Signs Ltd
Ilango is the Director of Mercury Printz and Iris Signs. Whilst Mercury Printz focuses on offset and digital printing, Iris Signs offers signage solutions to its clients. Ilango is a Qualified Automobile Engineer from India. He has an MBA Qualification from Waikato University, is very active in the Indian Community, and is one of the founding members of NZ Hindu Temple Society Inc. He is also a trustee for “South Asian Trust Inc.” which provides counselling services to the community through its service arm “Sahaayta Auckland”. He is a keen business man and an active member of voluntary societies, and community and political organisations. Ilango is married to Sakthi, a lawyer at Avondale Law and between them they have three children
Debra Law
Law & Associates
Debra’s first law job was for a sole practitioner. She then spent a number of years working for a large Auckland city firm practising in the areas of civil litigation and employment before joining Wood Ruck in 1998. She was a partner of Wood Ruck Manukau for a number of years. Since 1 October 2010 Debra has been in practice at Law & Associates, a general legal practice with an emphasis on property, commercial, trusts, family, estates and dispute resolution. Debra is results driven and enjoys working alongside clients to achieve sound commercial outcomes. In her spare time Debra helps wrangle alpacas on her lifestyle property.
Sohail Chaudhry
The Computer Warehouse
Sohail has owned The Computer Warehouse for 16 years. He also owns another business in Manukau and two commercial properties. He has good connections with local businesses and has been involved in a number of other Associations, namely the South Asian Advisory Board for Counties Manukau Police for the last 6 years; the South Auckland Muslim Association; the Executive Board of Pakistan Association (Community Trust) of New Zealand. Sohail is a keen outdoor enthusiast and hiker who has walked some of the NZ Great Walks.
Aari Puri
Brew’d Hawt
Aari is an Entrepreneur and Restaurateur, currently Director of Brew’d Hawt restaurants. He has opened and owned multiple restaurants in the past. He is a qualified chef and has 14 years of diverse experience within the industry, from overlooking operations of multiple restaurants, hotels and cinemas. He also does consulting work and has experience in scaling businesses and building national supply chains. He is passionate about hospitality, customer experience, building engaging communities, and collaborating with like-minded people and local business.
Ashraf Choudhary - Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board Rep
Ashraf has been the Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board Rep on our Executive Board for the last four years. He brings a wealth of knowledge and has been instrumental in strengthening our relationship with the Local Board. Full Bio to come.
Management Team
Audrey Williams - General Manager
Mobile: 021 244 3659; Email: manager@businessmanukau.co.nz
Audrey is delighted to be the newly appointed General Manager for Business Manukau. She brings 16 years of experience in managing BID’s and over 30 years in retail management, managing different retail stores at a branch, area or national level. Companies such as Whitcoulls, Glengarry Wines and Danske Mobler to name a few. Audrey also had her own business working with retailers and their staff training them in areas of customer service, merchandising and store layouts; and how to stop shoplifting.
Audrey lives locally and can honestly say Manukau is her home. In her words Manukau is the 2nd largest CBD in Auckland. Manukau has so much to offer to not only the rest of Auckland, but visitors from other regions. She is excited to get to know our members and to work with them to develop Manukau into the place where people want to visit (and spend their money!).
Janene Pryce - Comms and Events Manager
Phone: 09 263 7959; Mobile: 021 366 599; Email: info@businessmanukau.co.nz
Janene has been with Business Manukau for coming up eight years. She started out as our Admin Manager and has recently taken over the Comms and Events role.
When she isn't working Janene keeps busy looking after her family, which includes her two children, naughty dog, two cats, four sheep and five chickens.
Vanessa Shadbolt - Administrator
Phone: 09 263 7959; Email: admin@businessmanukau.co.nz
Vanessa is our new administrator. She comes from the government sector and is also experienced in hospitality, managing a small bar for an offshore proprietor. Vanessa spends her weekends socialising with her much-loved friends out fishing and BBQ’s (when fish are caught!).
Community Liaison Officers
Phone: 021 274-3359 or; Mobile: 021 245-3359; Email: clo@businessmanukau.co.nz
Meet our four 'pillars' of Manukau. Josh, Tivo, Jeena and Lei are our new Community Liaison Officers. Their primary role is being the 'eyes and ears' of Manukau. They are out there reporting dumped rubbish, graffiti, visiting our businesses, assisting visitors, and helping implement our community and crime prevention programme. Look out for them in their bright pink hi-vis vests!
