Mark Weldon, in his first move on the corporate scene since leaving the NZX early this month, has joined the board of Diligent Board Member Services.
New York-based Diligent, which specialises in providing secure software for use by top level executives and board members, said Weldon, who headed up the NZX from 2002 to 2012, had accepted the company's invitation to join the board.
"He brings with him a wealth of unique and in-depth skills encompassing strategy development, corporate finance, governance, entrepreneurial and operational matters in both the domestic and international arenas that will be extremely useful to our company as we continue to grow and expand our business,'' chairman David Liptak said in a statement.
Weldon said Diligent would be his only listed public company directorship.
"I think having one is good,'' he told APNZ. "Any more than that then you start to head down the track towards becoming a professional director, which is definitely not my intention,'' he said.
Diligent's shares have been one of the market's strongest performers over the last year.
The stock last traded at $3.41, up 6c from Friday's closing level. The stock has almost tripled in value over the last year.
Liptak bought a 23 per cent stake in Diligent at 14c a share in 2009 through his New York-based investment firm Spring Street Partners, which specialises in buying stakes in small companies.
Diligent provides an internet-based product that allows directors to manage, look at, annotate and review their materials through instruments such as the Apple iPad tablet computer.
Weldon said greater expectations were being placed on boards all the time. "And board members need to be connected frequently _ not just monthly when there is a mail drop,'' he said.
Last year, Weldon bought a vineyard business in central Otago under the Olssens brand, Weldon intends to rebrand the company under the name Terra Sancta.
