About Te Papa Foundation

Te Papa Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the museum, working to grow a community of donors at every level. All funds raised by the Foundation are channelled into Te Papa programmes, projects and acquisitions, or invested in the endowment fund.

As a charity registered under the Charities Act 2005 (registration number CC52173), donations made to the Te Papa Foundation of $5 or more are eligible for a 33.33% tax credit from Inland Revenue.

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Meet the Trustees

Aaron Hape (Chair)

Aaron Hape is a public policy strategist with extensive experience navigating the machinery of government. Prior to joining Roche, the world’s leading biotechnology company, he was a senior consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers where he worked to grow the Māori economy. Aaron has held leadership appointments in the government's justice, health, and economic agencies and has counselled Ministers and Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum.

He has advanced peacebuilding and human rights initiatives in the Pacific and the Caribbean through appointments with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the World Economic Forum, and The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust. An advocate for the arts, Aaron served as Te Papa Foundation’s Deputy Chair prior to his appointment as Chair, is a trustee of the Shakespeare Globe Centre, and was a member of the Dowse Foundation’s board. He is a supporter of the Artstart Foundation and the New Zealand Portrait Gallery.

Aaron affiliates with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki Nui-a-Rua. He was the first Māori to be elected an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society and he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Aaron is an alumnus of Victoria University of Wellington and of the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

Hon. Dame Fran Wilde

Dame Fran Wilde has had a career in politics and business. Political roles included Cabinet Minister (as MP for Wellington Central), Mayor of Wellington, and Chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council. She has been chair or director of a number of companies in the private and public sectors and was CEO of the NZ Trade Development Board for six years.

As an MP, Fran successfully sponsored the Homosexual Law Reform and Adult Adoption Information Bills. Ministerial portfolios included Tourism, Disarmament, and Foreign Affairs & Trade. Highlights of her mayoralty included development/renewal of core infrastructure, revitalisation of Wellington’s inner city and the adoption of the “Absolutely Positively Wellington” brand, now synonymous with the capital.

Fran has also held other diverse roles across the government and non-profit sectors, from Chief Crown Negotiator for Treaty of Waitangi Claims to Chair of the New Zealand International Arts Festival.

Fran was named a Dame of the NZ Order of Merit (DNZM) in 2017 and awarded a QSO in 1995. She is a politics graduate from VUW, which later named her an honorary Doctor of Laws. She is a Chartered Fellow of the NZ Institute of Directors and has been Wellingtonian of the Year and a Westpac Woman of Influence.

Frances Crombie

Frances Crombie is an Art Advisor in Wellington, advising clients on the acquisition of artwork and helping make art accessible for new collectors. She has experience organising corporate art events, running boutique art tours and involvement with arts focused charities. 

Frances has a legal background, working in private practice and then as the Legal and Business Affairs Director for the publishing subsidiary of a publicly listed media company in London. Returning to Wellington, Frances completed postgraduate study in Art History at Victoria University. She holds an L.L.B and B.A (Hons) from the University of Canterbury and Victoria University.

James Blackie

James has been an art dealer for the last two decades. Having established one of New Zealand’s leading dealer galleries, Page Blackie Gallery, he now owns the Art Counsel, a dealer gallery and art consultancy. James currently represents some of New Zealand’s leading artists and specialises in the secondary market sale of exceptional New Zealand and international artworks. He is dedicated to helping art lovers connect with the art world. James is also a founding shareholder of Glorious Digital, an NFT start up studio and marketplace, where he is introducing digital fine art by exceptional New Zealand artists to a global audience.

Mel Winter

With over 20 years of experience working across multiple industries, Mel found a passion for live experiences, bringing brands to life, launching and creating leverage opportunities and campaigns. Falling in love with customer service, hospitality, entertainment and culture at a young age led her to start a successful Wellington based business focused on experiential marketing and international events in 2004. Since then, Mel has collaborated, managed and successfully executed multiple large-scale projects. Her most recent event was delivering New Zealand’s cultural and entertainment programme at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. 

Giving back is an important value to Mel whether it be at community sports level or through foundations and charities. Her skills and understanding adds value around the needs and experiences that community, sponsors, supporters and the donor community like to see and be part of. Whether it be a small or a big action, every contribution moves the needle in a positive direction.

Susannah Robinson

Susannah joined the Foundation as a trustee in 2023 and is passionate about growing private philanthropy in New Zealand.

After completing degrees in Law and Political Science at Victoria University of Wellington in 1997, Susannah started her career in London working in financial institutions where she gained a broad range of experience. From 2008 to 2018, Susannah worked in the not-for-profit sector in New York City on a voluntary basis. Along with membership of three other arts or women’s health boards, she was the Executive Director of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, 2011–2016. Susannah has lived and worked in Asia, England, and the United States for most of her life, returning to New Zealand in 2018 with her husband Paul and two daughters.

John Thomason

John Thomason has served on numerous boards over several decades in both the United States and New Zealand. He is presently the Chair of the Te Puna Foundation board, the Vice Chair of the Wellington Hockey Association, and a member of the Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Foundation board. His career has focused on capital markets and affordable housing, as well as nonprofit work in political advocacy and youth services. He has extensive experience with all aspects of fundraising and nonprofit executive management. John has a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. John is the proud father of two daughters and husband of Gail, an attorney and consultant.