Catherine Etuata Papani is the new CEO of the Chamber of Commerce

Catherine Etuata Papani is the new Chief Executive Officer of the Niue Chamber of Commerce.

In a press release last week, the Chamber of Commerce president Sefeti Fatiaki says that he is very pleased to implement changes to their organisational framework and localising the role of CEO.

Catherine Papani is a former president of the Chamber of Commerce and in 2016 she joined the staff of the Chamber as Communications Officer progressing to Business support and finance manager.

Prior to that she worked at the Niue Development Bank and is also a member of the judiciary as a Justice of the Peace (JP). Her background is in finance and commercial law.

She was elected vice president in August last year and was also appointed Acting Business Development Manager BDM/CEO.

In the past and in the early days of the organisation, the role of CEO of the Chamber was a local appointment with the likes of Ben Tanaki and the late Hale Kanema Siono were former Chief executive officers of the Chamber.

However, in recent years the position of CEO was also carried by the Business Development Manager, someone recruited from overseas and paid for by the New Zealand administrative support to the Niue government.

Since November 2019 the position of BDM/CEO of the Chamber has been filled temporarily when the last CEO/Business development manager Rae Finlay left the island and former Board member Esther Pavihi was appointed Acting BDM/CEO until August 2020.

According to the press release, the appointment of the CEO is a local appointment and is separate from the NZ-funded Business Development Manager position.

Sefeti Fatiaki says that the new CEO Catherine Papani is finalising the appointment of the Business development manager, a technical role which is only available to applicants from abroad.