Board
The Fund’s Board of Directors are appointed by the Fund’s Founding Shareholders
Alastair Rhodes (Chair)
Alastair was appointed Chair of the Fund by its founding shareholders in 2024. He is Chief Executive of BayTrust, a role he has held since 2015, where he has led the evolution of the organisation into a national leader in sustainable and impact investing.
With a professional background in finance, strategy, and governance—including earlier roles at Deloitte and in local government—Alastair brings deep expertise in aligning capital with community outcomes.
He is a passionate advocate for impact investing, both as a means to advance a more inclusive and sustainable Aotearoa, and as a disciplined approach to portfolio diversification and risk-adjusted returns.
Under his leadership, BayTrust has committed ~10% of its $250 million investment portfolio to housing solutions, positioning it at the forefront of place-based impact capital in New Zealand.
In addition to his roles at BayTrust and BOPHEF, Alastair chairs the Aotearoa Impact Investment Network and serves on the board of Emerge Aotearoa Housing Trust.
Brian Donnelly
Brian Donnelly has dedicated his career to improving New Zealand’s housing system, with deep experience across the private, public, and community sectors. He has held senior government roles in both New Zealand and New South Wales and was the founding Executive Director of the New Zealand Housing Foundation, leading the organisation for 17 years until 2019.
Brian has served as Chair or Director of numerous housing-related entities, including the Wilson Home Trust, Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust, Tāmaki Regeneration Company, Homes of Choice, Far North Housing Ltd, and Simplicity Living NZ. He has also contributed his expertise through appointments to several ministerial advisory panels and currently provides executive-level advice to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
A pioneer of innovative housing models in New Zealand, Brian has helped introduce and implement a range of alternative tenure options such as shared ownership, rent-to-buy, build-to-rent, and occupational rights. He has led the delivery of large-scale, mixed-tenure housing developments and is widely recognised for his unique ability to bridge visionary strategy with practical, on-the-ground delivery.
Christine Ralph
Christine Ralph is a highly experienced consultant town planner with over 35 years of practice, primarily in the Bay of Plenty region. As a Technical Director at Beca, she led the consultation and consenting processes for numerous major public infrastructure and urban growth projects across Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty. Her work involved close collaboration with Iwi, community groups, public agencies, and individuals.
Christine's expertise includes the comparative assessment of infrastructure options across environmental, economic, social, and cultural dimensions. She has also played a key role in planning and consenting new residential areas and has contributed to the development of several District Plans. This work has given her deep insight into the costs and challenges of delivering affordable, good quality housing and living spaces.
A passionate advocate for affordable housing, Christine served as a member and Chairperson of the Affordable Housing Forum from 2008 to 2022. In this role, she advised SmartGrowth's strategic partners on housing strategies for the Western Bay of Plenty.
Christine is driven by a commitment to creating durable, liveable homes in optimal locations for those most in need.
Brian Collins
Brian is a co-founder of New Ground Capital and a passionate advocate for housing equity, representing the firm on the Board of the Bay of Plenty Housing Equity Fund.
As head of New Ground Living’s residential property management and leasing division, he leads a team dedicated to delivering safe, secure, and affordable homes to communities across New Zealand.
Brian began his career as a qualified lawyer in Ireland and New York, working with top-tier law and accounting firms in Dublin and London. His early focus included commercial law, taxation, international finance, and asset structuring. He later transitioned to the Asia-Pacific region, taking on senior roles at Deutsche Bank in Singapore and Auckland.
In addition to his corporate roles, Brian serves as a Director of Homes for Tamariki Limited and the Impact Enterprise Fund. He has co-founded several successful New Zealand ventures in hospitality and technology, and has contributed to numerous not-for-profit boards.
Outside of work, Brian is an avid supporter of Irish rugby and Liverpool FC. He also enjoys golf, pickleball, and the occasional ocean adventure in a wetsuit.