Meet our Board of Directors

Meet the Directors at Tonga Development Bank.

Taniela Penisimani Vea  CHAIRMAN

Mr Vea joined the Bank in May 2022 as Chairman of the Board and a representative of the Government on the Board. He is also the Chairman of the subsidiary, ‘Ave Pa’anga Pau TDB Limited. He is the current Chief Executive Officer of Aotearoa Tonga Forest Product Limited, Former Managing Director of Tonga Development Bank and have sat in various executive roles in the past. Mr. Vea holds a Bachelor Degree of Economics, Accounting & Administration from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji.

Tevita Lavemaau –   DIRECTOR

Mr Lavemaau joined the Bank in May 2022 as a Director and also a representative of the Government on the Board and also a Director of the ’Ave Pa’anga Pau TDB Limited. Mr. Lavemaau is a Former Minister for Finance and has sat in senior roles in the Government Ministries in the past. Mr. Lavemaau holds a Master Degree in Financial Management from Central Queensland University, Australia.

Mr Kaho ‘Ofa DIRECTOR Is the current Chief Investment Officer of the Retirement Fund Board (RFB) since 2018. Mr ‘Ofa holds a Master of Applied Finance from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand; a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji. He holds a Diploma in Association of Superannuation Fund of Australia (ASFA). Prior to his current post in RFB, had worked with the National Reserve Bank of Tonga in his early years as Economic Research Officer. He joins the Bank as the Director after RFB acquired shares of the Bank in July 2019.

Tevita Tonga – DIRECTOR

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Retirement Benefits Fund Board was the Alternate Director of the Tonga Development Bank since March 2021 and appointed as Director in June 2022, this made him the Director of the Company from June 2022. Mr. Tonga holds a Master of Commerce from The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia and Master of Professional Accounting from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Lorna Aloma Johansson – DIRECTOR

A proprietor and a business consultant who holds a Graduate Bachelor of Commerce (accounting & Management Studies from the University of Auckland , New Zealand. Ms Johansson is a Director of National Retirement Benefit Fund Board, a member of Public Service Tribunal and is the Honorary Consul of Sweden to Tonga. She also holds directorships and executives roles of various organisation in Tonga and is a Co-opted Council Member of University of the South Pacific. Ms Johansson was appointed to the role on the 25th of November 2022.

Company Secretary

Hasiloni Fungavai – COMPANY SECRETARY

Is the founder and owner of the Accounting Firm, Fungavai & Associates. He was also the Treasurer of the Tonga Olympic Committee (TASANOC) and the President of the Tonga Table Tennis. Mr Fungavai is a very active sports player and sits in various Tonga Sports Associations. Mr Fungavai holds a Masters in Business Administration and a Degree in Accounting from the University of the South Pacific. Mr Fungavai is the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) member of Tonga Society of Accountants and a member of America Institute of Internal Auditors—Fiji Chapter. He was the former Deputy Managing Director Finance & Corporate Services and then later on renamed to Chief Finance Officer of the Tonga Development Bank and has been with the Bank since 1985. He holds the position of the Company Secretary since 1994