TECT Community Trust and BayTrust have appointed a shared Investment Manager, formalising a new level of collaboration to strengthen long‑term funding for Bay of Plenty communities.
The newly established role brings further investment oversight across both Trusts, helping ensure community funds are managed carefully, perform steadily over time, and continue generating funding for local organisations and initiatives.
Dougal Crisp started in the role in early February. He supports both Trusts by overseeing investment performance and working closely with their Investment Committees, Advisors and Fund Managers to support informed, long‑term decision‑making.
“Strong investment stewardship might sit behind the scenes, but it has a very real impact,” says Dougal. “When community funds perform well over the long term, that directly affects how much funding can be returned to the community through both Trusts.”
TECT and BayTrust first announced plans for a shared investment role in 2025. Both organisations manage large and diverse portfolios, and while they continue to work with their existing external advisers, the role was established to build stronger internal investment capability across both Trusts.
The shared role brings dedicated, in‑house expertise and creates a single point of coordination across both portfolios, strengthening operations, reducing duplication, and creating a shared point of oversight.
With offices located close to each other in Tauranga, the two Trusts were already collaborating in areas such as grant funding and impact investing. The new role further enhances this collaboration and creates space for deeper shared thinking over time.
TECT Chief Executive Wayne Werder says the shared role provides added assurance for the community.
“As our investment portfolios have evolved, the level of oversight required has increased. Working together with another local Trust that shares similar objectives is a practical and sensible way to strengthen capability and ensure community funds are well managed over the long term
BayTrust Chief Executive Alastair Rhodes says the appointment also supports stronger regional outcomes.
“By pooling expertise and taking a broader view across both portfolios, we can make better‑informed decisions,” he says. “That helps ensure our investments are well managed and supports long‑term funding for community initiatives throughout the Bay of Plenty.”
Alongside day‑to‑day oversight, the shared Investment Manager role also creates opportunities to explore future collaboration, including impact‑focused investment approaches that respond to evolving community needs. There is also potential for the role to support wider collaboration with other community trusts across the region, building on the Bay of Plenty’s strong culture of organisations working together for the greater good.
For Dougal, the purpose of the role is clear - sustainable investment returns mean more resources flowing back into local communities.
