NZEP is New Zealand’s leading small-medium private company investor.  Our team has unmatched experience in investing in and creating value in this space.

Jan-Paul Mowat – General Partner

Jan-Paul is a founding partner of NZEP and is currently NZEP’s representative on the boards of Hazardco and Essential Bulk Liquids. He was previously chairman of Solpho Holdings, and one of NZEP’s appointed directors for Habit Holdings, Fortlock Holdings and Optic Security Group. Jan-Paul is also an independent director of Forthill Property (an industrial property fund), and was previously an independent director of Fertility Associates and Sunfert International Fertility Centre (Malaysia), and independent chair of Apollo Medical.

Outside of NZEP Jan-Paul is a keen cyclist, footballer and surfer, and spends most weekends somewhere in the hills or ocean with his three teenage kids.

Kory Fagan – General Partner

Kory is a founding partner of NZEP and is currently NZEP’s representative on the boards of Contract Mechanical Services, Traffic Safe, Structural Coatings Services and Bay Sandblasting. He was previously a director of Solpho Holdings Limited and Habit Holdings Limited. In addition, Kory was previously a director and major shareholder of Scientific Sales Limited (specialist measurement instruments provider).

Prior to forming NZEP Kory was an investment director with Direct Capital Private Equity, NZ’s largest private equity firm. During his 9 years at Direct Capital Kory led and was involved in a large number of investments including Momentum Energy (electricity retail), GFG Group (payment solutions including credit/debit card processing and mobile payments) and Geosmart Ltd (digital mapping, vehicle navigation, aerial surveying and Location Based Services provider).

Sandy Maier – General Partner

Sandy is a founding partner of NZEP and is also a director/chairman of a number of NZ businesses including Fronde, Alvarium Wealth and Connexionz.

Sandy is well known in the NZ business community and has spent the last 35 years working with over 400 different companies in markets as diverse as the United States, Latin America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Raquel Withers – Finance Manager

Raquel joined NZEP in 2019 and looks after our finance back office. Raquel has a long history of finance roles in industries as diverse as Advertising/Marketing and Mortgage/Property Services through to Telecommunications and Manufacturing.

Raquel has previously held roles at Blackfoot NZ, Below The Line, Mortgage Express, Vodafone NZ and TVF (UK) Plc to name a few and holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University.

Blair Sutherland – Investment Committee

Blair is a seasoned investment professional, having spent 20+ years as an investment banker with Forsyth Barr in various roles including as Head of Equity Capital Markets until the end of 2021. Blair has advised many of NZ’s major corporates on equity and debt raisings and strategic direction.

He also has extensive M&A, IPO and trade sale experience having been involved in many high profile NZ transactions and listings. Blair is currently helping Te Ahumairangi Investment Management, a New Zealand based global equites fund, in a business development role.

Annabel Cotton – Investment Committee

Annabel is the Managing Director of Merlin Consulting Limited and a professional director with over three decades’ experience advising NZX and ASX listed companies on investor relations, governance and sustainability. Annabel is a director of and chairs the audit and risk committee for NZX Regulation and for NZ Growth Capital Partners. She is a trustee of Global Women and is an independent member of the NZ Equity Partners’ Investment Committee. Her governance experience includes directorships and audit committee chair at Waikato Regional Airport, Trust Investments Management and several NZX listed companies. Annabel chaired Hamilton & Waikato Tourism from 2016 – 2021 and has also been a director of the Securities Commission, the External Reporting Board and Genesis Energy Limited.

Annabel is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, the Institute of Finance Professionals, the Australasian Investor Relations Association and Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand.