Debra is an engineer by training, a marketer by profession, an entrepreneur with a successful exit from her own business, and in her retirement, an active angel investor and independent director.
Debra is a member of the NZ Institute of Directors, with a small portfolio of directorships. Focused on the early stage space, she is currently Chairman of Rose & Thorne Design Ltd (lingerie), and an independent director of Massey Global Ltd and Bobux Ltd. She leads the Advisory Board of Valocity Ltd (fintech), and is an advisor to Roll Ltd (SaaS) and The Baby Bag (retailtech).
Debra was recently awarded the 2017 Arch Angel award by the NZ Angel Association, for services to angel investing and the start up community in NZ, including her leadership of a bespoke Governance course for new and aspiring directors of early stage companies. She received the WH Payne Active Angel award from ICE Angels in 2015.
In her various mentoring roles, she provides guidance to business founders, particularly in the areas of market validation, and customer intelligence. She is a retired Fellow of the UK Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Fellow of the Research Association NZ, and a Life Member of the NZ Marketing Association, where she spend 10 years on the Board, including four as Chairman.
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