Christina Lasaqa is the new chief executive officer of Solomon Telekom. Hailing from Gwou’ulu, Lau lagoon, Malaita, Lasaqa is the company’s first ever local female CEO. She has been with Solomon Telekom since 2002 and is a former executive committee member of the Pacific Islands Telecommunication Association.
Tuvalu has appointed its first ever resident judge, Sir John Muria. He is the former Chief Justice of Kiribati.
Noel Vari is the new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu. Vari was previously Director of Financial Regulations Department, and has been with the Bank for 23 years.
Telecom Niue Ltd CEO, Brett Collier has resigned from the role. His contract was due to expire in 2023.
Roddie Soweni is the new Executive Officer of the MSME Council in Papua New Guinea. She was previously with CPA PNG and the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce.
ANZ Fiji has appointed Viniana Uluiviti as Chief Operating Officer, reporting to ANZ Bank Fiji Country Head, Rabih Yazbek. Uluiviti has held a variety of senior roles across ANZ Fiji and Pacific Operations, including Head of Transaction Banking Operations, International Payments Manager and Learning and Development Associate.
The Pacific Tourism Organisation has named Faamatuainu Suifua as acting Chairman of the SPTO Board of Directors. The current Chief Executive Officer of the Samoa Tourism Authority, Suifua has been a member of the SPTO Board since 2019 and was elected as the Deputy Board Chairman in October 2021. He replaces Halatoa Fua, who has taken up the position of Director of National Environment Services of the Cook Islands.
The Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce announced its new board members. They are: Maria Leon Guerrero, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Bank of Guam, Clare Delgado, principal broker, Partner at Home Ventures Realty, Michelle Bordallo, finance controller, Morrico Equipment and president, Phoenix E&C Corp., DBA Bordallo Consulting Engineers, Jae James, vice president sales, Pacific Daily News, and Tiffany Angoco, learning and development manager, DFS Group Mid-Pacific.
Solomon Islands’ new High Commissioner to Fiji, Joseph Ma’ahanua has presented his credentials to Fiji’s President. High Commissioner Ma’ahanua started his career with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Public Service as an Administrative Officer in 1987 and has previously been posted to the European Union and World Trade Organization (WTO).
In Federated States of Micronesia, Dr. Perpetua S. Konman has been declared as winner of the Southern Namoneas election, making her the first ever female Senator at the FSM Congress.
France’s new Ambassador to Fiji is Francois-Xavier Leger. He has previously been posted to Japan, Senegal and Jerusalem.
Kina Bank’s Executive General Manager Banking, Lesieli Moala Taviri, has been appointed as PNG Country Head and the formal spokesperson for Kina Bank. She currently leads the Bank’s branch network and operations.
Dr Brian Jones has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji, non-resident High Commissioner to Tuvalu, and non-resident Ambassador to the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. He succeeds George Edgar OBE who will be retiring from the diplomatic service. Dr Jones will take up his appointment during January 2022.
Simon Sinai has been confirmed as PNG’s Electoral Commissioner at the PNG Electoral Commission. He was previously acting in the role. Papua New Guinea goes to the polls next year.
Fish Eye Marine Park General Manager Akihiro Tani has joined the Guam Visitors Bureau’s Board. He fills the position that became vacant after Charles Bell, T Galleria by DFS vice president of operations, resigned. Tani has over 25 years of experience in the tourism industry.
Fiji’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Nazhat Shameem Khan, has been elected as a deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. She assumes the position in March 2022.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new Representative to the South Pacific is Dr Mark Jacobs. Prior to this appointment he was the WHO Representative to Lao.
Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture officials have named Aaron Sala as festival director. Sala, who is Native Hawaiian and Samoan, will be in charge of the planning, coordination and execution of the 13th festival, which will be held in Hawaii for the first time in June 2024.
Jim Armistead has been appointed as Cook Islands High Commissioner to Fiji. Armistead started with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration in 2013 as the director for the Pacific and Regional Division. He relocated to Suva in January 2020 to take up the role as the Chargé d’Affaires which was primarily responsible for establishing the first Cook Islands High Commission in the Republic of Fiji.
In Fiji sporting appointments, Unaisi Rokoura is Netball Fiji’s new national coach. She’s a former national player and coach for the Papua New Guinea Pepes.
Commodore Humphrey Tawake is the new Board Chairperson for the Fiji Rugby Union. Meanwhile Trevor Nainoca (as Accountant Director) and Muni Ratna have also joined the board.
Sale Sorovaki has been named as Fiji’s Chef De Mission to the Commonwealth Games in England next year, while World Archery Fiji General Secretary, Ajay Ballu will guide Fiji’s team to the Pacific Mini Games at the Northern Marianas.
Englishwoman Nicola Demaine has been appointed as the head coach of PNG’s national women’s football team as they continue their preparations for next year’s Oceania Football Confederations Nations Cup. She has previously coached Samoa’s national women’s team.
In memory
Tonga’s deputy PM and a leading Noble, Lord Ma’afu, has died in an Auckland hospital. “His Lordship has held Ministerial office for four consecutive governments, with an exemplary and esteemed career in service to the Monarch and the Royal Household, as well as public and military services to His Majesty’s Government, spanning over 40 years,” a Tonga government statement said.
Former Papua New Guinea Governor-General, Sir Paulias Matane, has passed away at the age of 90 at home in Gazelle, East New Britain. Sir Paulias was a former teacher, school inspector, diplomat, department head, world traveller, author and orator who became the country’s eighth head of state.
Former Nauru President, Kinza Clodumar died peacefully last month at the age of 76. Clodumar is the only Nauruan politician to have been elected in two different constituencies, and his political career spanned three decades.
Bougainville has lost independence leader Joseph Watawi. From his first job as a fitter-machinist at the Panguna mine, he became a unionist, a negotiator during the Bougainville war, and after the signing of the peace agreement in 2000, the chairman of the Bougainville Interim Authority and later the vice-president of the first Autonomous Bougainville Government in 2005. He was re-elected member for Selau in 2015 and took up the position of chairman of the parliamentary committee for the (UN-backed) independence referendum.
Former Chief Justice of Samoa, Patu Tiava’asue Falefatu Maka Sapolu has died in Samoa, after returning home from New Zealand where he had been undergoing medical treatment. Samoa’s longest-serving Chief Justice, he ended his 26 years on the bench in April 2019.
The Reproductive and Family Health Association of Fiji has announced the passing of its Executive Director Matelita Seva-Cadravula Vakarau. Her work with RFHAF began in the year 2000 as a volunteer and she was quickly promoted to a project officer under Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia. She had been ED for a decade.
Former Blues, Auckland and Tonga halfback Taniela Moa has died, aged 36. He earned 21 caps for Tonga, and played for the team at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
