Mat Jensen has taken over as Chair of the Rowing New Zealand Board, stepping into the position vacated by Jane Davel after the organisation held its Annual General Meeting in June. The transition was triggered by the election of Georgina Earl (née Evers-Swindell) as an incoming Board member, a development that formally set in motion the process of selecting new leadership.
Jensen's ties to New Zealand rowing are both long-standing and wide-ranging. He joined the Rowing New Zealand Board in May 2021 and has since been central to some of the organisation's most significant decisions, including the constitutional changes and Rule of Racing proposals that came into force in 2025. He has also helped shape the disputes and disciplinary frameworks that apply to clubs and rowers across the country, with safeguarding and integrity forming a consistent thread through his time on the Board.
His engagement with the sport stretches well beyond governance. Jensen has competed as an athlete, coached at high-performance level, and contributed to committees at club, regional, and national levels. That breadth of involvement was acknowledged by North Shore Rowing Club, which made him a Life Member. Prior to joining the national body, he had served as chair of both the Auckland Regional Performance Centre and the Auckland Rowing Association.
Professionally, Jensen brings a background as a qualified actuary and business leader in the insurance sector. He holds Commerce and Science degrees, is a Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Actuaries, and sits on the Institute of Directors. That expertise found direct application in his Board responsibilities, where he chaired the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee and developed a thorough working knowledge of the financial and organisational realities facing a national sporting body.
Davel's association with Rowing New Zealand concluded at the AGM, drawing to a close a period during which she served as both a Board member and Chair. Jensen now takes charge at a moment when the sport is navigating the ongoing challenge of rebuilding its international standing while balancing the often competing demands of elite performance, community participation, and safeguarding responsibilities.
The newly configured Board is scheduled to convene for the first time on 19 June in Auckland, giving Jensen an early opportunity to establish the tone of his leadership while also marking Earl's first appearance at the governance table. The decisions and directions that emerge from that meeting will play a considerable part in determining where New Zealand rowing heads in the years to come.
