Community Trust Trustees
The SkyCity Queenstown Casino Community Trust Trustees are prominent local community members with backgrounds in community involvement and local business.
Joanne Conroy
Joanne has lived in Queenstown for 35 years where she specialises in Property Management and Advisory, including having owned several businesses, and is an Independent Company Director. Joanne has been involved with many community groups including Sports Groups, Plunket, schools and since 2006, with St John.
As a contractor to the Queenstown Lakes District Council she assisted numerous community groups securing tenure on Council land and buildings throughout the district. She was invested as a Commander of the Order of St John in 2018, spent four years as the Chairperson of the South Island Regional Trust Board and sat on the National Governing Board.
Joanne is an experienced Director, currently sitting on six Boards including charitable, Council owned Organisations, Crown Entities and commercial Boards. Joanne is married to Danny, has three adult children, and enjoys walking, biking, fishing, and gardening.
Darren Rewi
Originally from Invercargill, married to Debbie with 6 grown up children, Darren has lived in Queenstown for 30 years. With over fifteen years of governance experience across varying organisations, he has held roles as Chair and managed portfolios such as Health and Safety, Audit and Risk, and Employment at Regional and Local level.
His board level experience spans Health, Education, Sports, Arts and Māori organisations, developing a broad set of governance skills. Darren has led boards through change and restructuring, with a particular strength in stakeholder engagement and the ability to cut through complex issues to assist multiple stakeholders understand problem statements and manage multiple work streams.
Anna Hiatt
Anna has lived in Wanaka for the past 11 years, bringing a range of skills from her experience in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. She has considerable experience with Stakeholder & Event Management, including the Winter Games NZ, Challenge Wanaka, Queenstown International Marathon, and the World Triathlon in Auckland.
Anna recently finished her 6 year term as a Board member for NZEA (New Zealand Events Association) and Te Kākano Trust, a community-based local plant nursery specialising in native plant restoration. She has played a key role particularly in strategic plan development, commercial and communications spaces.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys the outdoors, the arts, and spending time with friends and family. She has recently started an edible gardening business and completed a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at AUT. Anna is currently developing her governance skills further and has recently graduated from Boma's Transformational Directors course. She is learning Te Reo Māori and is currently enrolled in Poupou Huia Te Reo 1.
Kate Cherrington
Kate has served in governance and advisory roles across tertiary, conservation, philanthropic and not-for-profit organisations, most importantly alongside her tribal marae and tribal collectives. Currently Chair of Hāpai Tūhono, Te Pou Theatre and Tapuwae Roa and an Associate with The Centre for Social Impact.
Internationally, it is her privilege to serve on the board of Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO) for 20 years and more recently be appointed to MA'O Farms on O'ahu Hawai'i serving the aspirations of young people and food sovereignty movements.
Kate and her tāne Bentham Ohia operate as directors of Puata Hou Ltd, a family business. Through this, they serve whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori organisations as well as non-Māori and international indigenous institutions, organisations and movements. A priority to them both are the deep and enduring intergenerational relationships they have with their indigenous brothers and sisters from around the globe. Leading with love, serving and working hard are fundamental elements to their life's work.
Amanda Youell
Originally from Australia, Amanda has lived in Queenstown for several years and is the General Manager of SkyCity Queenstown, leading the casino's operations, strategy, and community engagement. With a background in marketing, hospitality, and team leadership, she is known for driving operational improvements, strengthening customer experiences, and fostering a collaborative, values-led culture.
She is actively involved in local business networks and community initiatives and is excited to continue supporting regional groups through her work with the SkyCity Queenstown Community Trust. Amanda is experienced in stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and people leadership.
She is married to Chris, a local photographer, and together they enjoy Queenstown's beautiful outdoors with their two collies, travelling, and tackling DIY projects.
Pierre Poyet
Pierre is a strategic operations, projects, and sustainability leader with over 20 years' experience in the international tourism and hospitality sector. He has led high-volume operations, designed innovative guest experiences, and advanced sustainability initiatives that balance commercial outcomes with long-term environmental responsibility.
Pierre is known for bringing clarity to complex challenges and designing strategies that connect performance with purpose. He serves on the boards of Wanaka Wastebusters and Central Lakes Family Services (as Chair), and is President of the Queenstown Junior Basketball Club.
Based in Queenstown for 16 years, Pierre is committed to strengthening community resilience and social impact.