Wendy Hinton, Ambassador of New Zealand to Israel, with Reuben Rivkin, President of Israel

Wendy Hinton took up the role of Ambassador to Turkey in March 2018. Hinton is concurrently Ambassador to Israel and Jordan.  She presented her credentials in July 2018.

Hinton is a career diplomat. She has had postings in Singapore, Beijing and  Taipei and in Geneva, as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

From 2013 to 2017, Hinton was Ambassador to Poland and Ukraine. During these appointments she actively promoted trade with these countries.  In 2015 a film co-production agreement was signed with Poland.

Hinton has worked extensively on the political and economic relationships with North Asia in the course of her career and has also spent several years focusing on multilateral issues both in Wellington and Geneva.

Hinton has a BA Hons degree in history and French from Otago University. She enjoys walking, travelling, art, music, wine and historical and family research.

Hinton and her partner, Charles Finny, own a winery, Kawarau Estate in Central Otago. The winery produces a range of award winning wine, focussing particularly on Pinot Noir. The wines are exported to the United States, United kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea.  They have an adult son and daughter.

Finny headed the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei from 2001 to 2004; the Government’s China FTA Task Force through 2004; and had previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing, and First secretary at the New Zealand High Commission in Singapore. Charles helped negotiate several generations of the CER agreements with Australia and the New Zealand Singapore Closer Economic Partnership. He also has considerable expertise in WTO and APEC affairs. Charles Chaired the APEC Budget and Management Committee in 2000 and was the Trade Policy Adviser to the APEC Chair in 1999.  He was CEO of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce 2004-2012.

He is now a lobbyist with Saunders Unsworth.  Other lobbyists at Saunders Unsworth include Mark Unsworth, Roger Sowry, Megan Campbell, and Joanna Murray.  Finny is Chair of the Education New Zealand Board and serves on the Boards of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Woolyarns Ltd, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.  He is the independent Chair of the Port Company CEO Group and of the New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics.  He served on the Victoria University of Wellington Council from 2008-2015 and the New Zealand Film Commission Board 2009-2016.

Finny is a member of the Rotary Club of Wellington.  He supports the Victoria University of Wellington Foundation.  He regularly donates time to support the work of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, The New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, The New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre, the New Zealand India Research Centre, the New Zealand Centre for International Economic Law, the New Zealand United States Partnership Forum and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

Aside from his interests in wine, politics and international trade, Finny is a keen golfer.  He enjoys the ballet and opera.