New head of Invest South

Mark O’Connor has stepped down after five years as the chairperson of Southland-based investment fund Invest South. He has been succeeded by Jason Smith, the managing director of H&J Smith Ltd and director of Mitre 10 (New Zealand) Ltd. Smith has been a member of the Invest South board for six years. Invest South is a private equity fund dedicated to investing in businesses connected to the ‘‘South of New Zealand’’.