Nick Tongue - Vice Chairman

Board member – Nick Tongue

Nick is extremely passionate about sport. His first love has always been swimming. He swum for Auckland from the age of 9 and represented New Zealand from 1994 until 1998. He competed at all the major events during that time, including the 1996 Olympic Games. He won Auckland University and New Zealand University Blues for swimming during the period 1993 to 1996 and was twice named the University of Auckland Sportsman of the Year. Nick has coached both junior and masters swimmers previously.

Nick has built a very successful career at Panasonic New Zealand since leaving university in the mid-1990s. He has risen from being a new recruit to being the Director – Sales and Marketing and member of Panasonic New Zealand’s Executive Board.

Nick’s motivation for seeking election to the Swimming NZ Board is that he believes he can make a strong contribution to the sport drawing on his experience as a former high performance swimmer and Olympian and the skills he has acquired in his business career in the highly competitive environment of consumer electronics. Nick also offers the Swimming NZ Board detailed and practical knowledge of the motivation of organisations that provide sponsorships and what they are looking for in the sports they sponsor. Nick also offers practical and high-level experience in relation to marketing, databases and computer systems.

Governance Experience

Member, Panasonic New Zealand Executive Board (2010 -)
Member, Auckland University Blues Selection Panel (1998 -)
Enrolment in the Institute of Director’s course on governance

Business and Educational Background

Director – Sales and Marketing, Panasonic New Zealand (2010 –)
Divisional Manager – Audio Visual, Panasonic New Zealand (2008-10)
New Zealand Sales Manager, Panasonic New Zealand (2006-08)
Global Panasonic Executive Leadership course in Japan (2012)
Swimming NZ coaching certificates in mid and late 1990s
BSc, Psychology, University of Auckland, 1996

Swimming Background/Knowledge

Competitive swimmer from the age of 9
New Zealand representative at pinnacle events, including the 1996 Olympic Games, from 1994 until 1998
Coach of junior and masters swimmers