Tū Ātea announces planned CEO transition; founding CEO Antony Royal to step down

Tū Ātea Limited - the Māori-owned parent of the Tū Ātea Group - today announced that founding Chief Executive Antony Royal will step down as CEO as part of a planned leadership transition. Mr Royal will continue advocating for Māori participation in the Telecommunications Sector as Co-Convenor of the Māori Spectrum Working Group (MSWG).

Antony's current contract concludes in August 2026, and he and the Board have together planned this transition - the second step in a planned generational handover developed over more than 12 months. The first - Broadtech CEO Merv Taylor's previously-announced move to a Strategic Advisor role, effective 30 June - completes next month. Together the two transitions mark the deliberate move of the group from its founding chapter into its commercial chapter. The Board is recruiting two commercial Chief Executives to lead operating scale, network deployment and commercial returns for Māori.

Antony Royal has been on the front line of negotiations over access to telecommunications spectrum for 26 years. He was a Trustee of Te Huarahi Tika Trust, Director of Hautaki Ltd and 2degrees Mobile representing Māori interests, and chaired the Ministerial Advisory Group for the Ka Hao Fund and Ngā Pū Waea, the National Broadband Working Group. In 2012 he wrote the blueprint for Tū Ātea during the negotiations over 700MHz spectrum, and since 2019 has been instrumental in negotiating the historic Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Government in 2022.

He was the founding CEO of the Interim Māori Spectrum Commission (IMSC) from 2020, and founding CEO of Tū Ātea Limited when it succeeded IMSC in 2024. Under his leadership the organisation has grown from 3 staff to over 150, is tracking for over $50 million in revenue and $100 million in assets this financial year, and has completed four acquisitions - Broadtech, JDA, Feenix and Transworks. The group launched Aotearoa's first Māori-built commercial private 5G network with CentrePort Wellington and built partnerships with One NZ, Spark and 2degrees.

The Board has commenced a search for a new Chief Executive with deep commercial and infrastructure leadership experience, with a target start window of August 2026. Antony remains in role until the new CEO is in place. The group's subsidiaries continue under existing day-to-day leadership.

“Antony Royal has been the founding leader of this organisation. His advocacy for telecommunications spectrum on behalf of Māori, and his negotiation with the Crown, led directly to the establishment of the Interim Māori Spectrum Commission and then to Tū Ātea. His six years as CEO have moved Tū Ātea from advocacy into a working operating company that employs over 150 people, is tracking for $50 million in revenue and $100 million in assets, and has completed four acquisitions. The Board is deeply grateful. There is more work to be done, and we are looking for a leader for the next growth phase. We are fortunate that Antony will continue to advocate for Māori as Co-Convenor of MSWG.”

— Robin Hapi, Chair, Tū Ātea Limited

“After 26 years advocating, negotiating and establishing the Tū Ātea group as it is today, it is time for me to hand the reins to someone who can build the next chapter. This is not a journey I have walked alone — many have contributed, and I want to acknowledge them, particularly our kaumātua who encouraged us to walk this path, including Professor Whatarangi Winiata, Huirangi Waikerepuru, Sir Graham Latimer and others. I know they would be astounded at what we, as Māori, have achieved. I look forward to what we can still achieve. I will continue advocating on behalf of Māori as Chair of Ngāti Tamaterā and as Co-Convenor of the Māori Spectrum Working Group.”

— Antony Royal, Chief Executive, Tū Ātea Limited

Tū Ātea Network Services and the group's subsidiaries - Broadtech, JDA, Feenix and Transworks - continue to operate as usual. Customer and partner relationships are unchanged.

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Media enquiries: Jessica Paul, Group Communications Manager & Chief Impact Officer   |  tuatea.nz