Former chair Rob Campbell left in January, three days after founder and co-chief executive Neil Roberts resumed his directorship.

Flacks was initially appointed an independent director of the Harmoney board in May 2014.

He is a former corporate lawyer with more than 30 years of commercial, governance, and strategic experience. Flacks was a partner of Bell Gully from 1987 to 2014, except for four years in the 1990s as general counsel and company secretary of Carter Holt Harvey.

He currently chairs the NZX Markets Disciplinary Tribunal, is a director of Vero Insurance New Zealand, and is a member of the Takeovers Panel. 

Trade Me’s new director on the Harmoney board, replacing Jonathon Klouwens, is head of marketplace for Trade Me, Stuart McLean. He has extensive experience in the commercialisation of technology, having served as chief revenue officer at accounting software firm Xero before joining Trade Me in early 2015. Previously, he was head of enterprise for Google Australia and New Zealand, and he has held numerous executive positions at Oracle.

Roberts said: “We’re privileged to have benefited from the wisdom and expertise of David and Jonathan, and we’re grateful for Jonathan’s service since Trade Me invested in Harmoney in January 2015. David’s governance skills and commitment to the growth and success of New Zealand companies are unrivalled, and we are pleased that he has accepted the role of Chair. Stuart is a valuable addition to the board and his professional background gives him an intimate understanding of how the Harmoney marketplace works and how we can best position the business to seize opportunities.”