Tenby has held senior management positions in Fletcher Challenge and Skellerup Group, prior to forming Hunter Powell Investment Partners Ltd (HPIP) in 1999. To date, HPIP portfolio companies have included: PC Direct, EuroPacifc Foods, Nationwide Equipment Ltd, Power Plant Supplies Ltd, and Hirepool & NZ Rental Group.
HPIP is the major non-institutional shareholder in the NZ Rental Group (Hirepool, Henderson Rentals, Rhodes Rentals, Port-a-Loo, Castles Marquee Hire, Barricading Solutions). Tenby stepped down as CEO of the Group in Feb 2009 after leading its growth from 14 branches when purchased in 2003 to 86 business units some five years later. Today the Group has 94 business units and has grown during the GFC.
Tenby is the Chairman of Envoy 360 FZ LLC, (a New Zealand owned maritime security and risk management company); Chairman of Waikato Link Ltd (the commercialization and technology transfer company of the University of Waikato), Director of Antarctica New Zealand (a crown entity responsible for developing, managing and executing New Zealand Government activities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean), Director & Trustee for the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust (Westpac Rescue Helicopter) and Director of Angel Link (a national angel investment network to back New Zealand high growth technology ventures, with an emphasis on life sciences, engineering and ICT).
In May 2009, Tenby Powell & Sharon Hunter co-Chaired the NZ Entrepreneurial Summit, designed to generate ideas to jump-step the economy during the GFC. A white paper was developed for the NZ Government focusing on increased commercialization & IP management of Science, Research & Technology
Tenby has led high growth leveraged businesses since 1997 and has extensive M & A, company cultural development, marketing, communications & brand experience. Consequently he has established close working relationships with senior executives in the Banking and Finance Industry.
Tenby was privileged to serve in the Regular and Reserve Forces of the New Zealand Army from 1983 – 2011, retiring in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. From 2001 – 2002 he was Deputy Chief of a UN unit operating in the Middle East and, from 2005 – 2007, was the Commanding Officer of the Auckland Battalion.