Board of Directors
Chirk Yam - Independent Chairman
BCom, CA (ANZ), CA (Fiji)
A Fiji Citizen, Chirk is a graduate of the University of Auckland. His career spanned 37 years in the Chartered Accountancy profession commencing in PricewaterhouseCooper’s predecessor firm of Coopers & Lybrand in Auckland, New Zealand before transferring to Fiji. He retired as a Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in December 2015.
Over his career he has overseen liquidations, receiverships, IPOs, business start‐ups and insurance claims while providing consultancy advice on mergers & acquisitions to a broad cross-section of clients in the retail, manufacturing and financial sectors of the economy. He was one of the initial representatives licensed by the Reserve Bank of Fiji as an Investment Adviser. Chirks’ other area of expertise is in audit and taxation. Chirk is an Independent Director of KFL.
Barry Whiteside - Independent Director
CF, MA (CA), BA (Fiji), FAICD
A Fiji citizen, Barry served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji from May 2011 to May 2017 and prior to that as Deputy Governor from October 2009. He has a career spanning just over 40 years across all core areas of the Central Bank including Economics/Research, Financial Markets, Financial Institutions Supervision and Currency and Corporate Services.
As Governor, he was a member of the National Anti-Money Laundering Council, National MSME Taskforce and Fiji Institute of Bankers Council. He chaired several key external and internal committees including the Macroeconomic Policy Committee, National Capital Markets Taskforce, National Financial Inclusion Taskforce, National Secured Transactions Taskforce, the RBF Board, and various policy committees of the Reserve Bank including Financial Systems Development, Financial Institutions, Financial Markets, Currency & Corporate Services and Economics.
Barry graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Economics/Administration) from the University of the South Pacific and a Master of Arts (Economics) from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
He currently serves as a Director with the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company, Tower Insurance (Fiji) Ltd, and as a Director/Trustee of the JP Bayly Trust.
Barry is an independent Director of KFL.
Griffon Emose - Director
BCom, Grad Dip App Fin & Inv., CFA
A Fiji citizen, Griffon is the Managing Director of Kontiki Capital. He was previously the Manager Public Awareness & Investor Education at the Capital Markets Development Authority and an economist at the Ministry of Finance where he served with the Economic Policy Analysis Unit and the Financial Management Reform Project. He is licensed by the RBF as an Investment Adviser Representative and serves as a Director of the South Pacific Stock Exchange and on several other Boards. Past Directorships include for Fiji Gas and Pleass Global.
Griffon graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland, New Zealand and completed the Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance & Investment through the Securities Institute of Australia (now the Financial Services Institute of Australasia). He is a member of the CFA Institute and earned the CFA Charter in 2005.
Desmond Kearse - Independent Director
Dip Man, NZCC
Desmond is both an Australian and NZ Citizen. Having served as the Head of Product Management at Bank South Pacific Ltd in Papua New Guinea from 2008 to 2013, playing a pivotal role in expanding the bank's operations by establishing the Product Management SBU to manage retail banking products including cards and electronic channels with support systems, policies and procedures.
His experience also extends to Indonesia, where he worked as the Director of Consulting Services at Arthur Andersen, focusing on IT business consulting for major banking clients.
In addition, he was the Business Development Manager at PT Mincom Indoservices in Jakarta, Indonesia, managing accounts for major mining companies. In Thailand, he also served as the Head of Operations at Sitca Mbf Finance Limited, overseeing the establishment of card operations and ensuring compliance with MasterCard International and IT system requirements.
Desmond’s extensive experience in Papua New Guinea included roles such as National Sales & Marketing Manager/Contracts Manager at Datec (PNG) Ltd and Advisor Billing & Credit Operations at PNG Post and Telecommunications Corporation.
Prior to leaving New Zealand to work abroad Desmond was General Manager NZI Finance Ltd and New Zealand Vehicle Finance Ltd.
Desmond is an independent director of KFL.
Peter Dixon - Independent Director
SA Fin, MAICD
Peter is a Fiji citizen with over four decades of experience in banking and finance, primarily in Papua New Guinea and Fiji. His extensive management background in the banking sector has provided him with a deep understanding of local commercial conditions and a vast network of regional business contacts. His expertise encompasses finance and management, business and strategic planning, and staff training and development.
Peter’s most recent role was as the Managing Director of Credit Corporation (Fiji) Pte Ltd (CCFL), where he served on contract until his retirement on 31 March, 2023. While with CCFL he served as Chair of the Fiji Finance Companies Association and until recently, was on the Board of Credit Corporation (Vanuatu) Pty Ltd for several years.
Before joining the Credit Corporation Group, Peter worked for four years as the General Manager of Corporate Banking at BSP (Bank of South Pacific), commencing in January 2007. His leadership contributed to record lending growth during his tenure in charge of the Corporate area at BSP.
Peter is a Senior Associate member of FINSIA (Financial Services Institute of Australasia) and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Peter is an Independent Director of KFL.
Mark Halabe - Independent Director
BSc (Hons), Grad Dip AICD
A Fiji citizen, Mark has over 35 years of experience in the business sector as Managing Director of Mark One Apparel (Fiji) Pty Limited and Halabe Investments Pty Limited. His contributions to Fiji’s economy are substantial, creating over 10,000 jobs, generating FJ$350 million in export income, and investing FJ$12 million in Suva’s housing development.
Mark’s dedication has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Member of the Order of Fiji, Fiji’s 25th and 50th Anniversary Medals, the Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Award (2002, 2014), and the President’s Fiji Business Excellence Award.
Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from Leicester University, UK, and a Graduate Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2023).
He has held roles as Chairman of International School Suva, Director at Fiji Airports, and Director at Investment Fiji.
Mark is an independent Director of KFL.