Meet your Council Member, Nicola Barnes.
Nicola, or Nicky as she is known to her friends, has been living in Vanuatu for the past 17 years and is a proud Vanuatu citizen. Originally hailing from New Zealand, Nicky has lived and worked in the Cayman Islands, the Caribbean, in Africa and in Europe, and has a background in telecommunications.
Since moving to Vanuatu, Nicky has been instrumental in getting TVL (now Vodafone) ready for competition, then worked for the World Bank involved in the setting up of TRBR, before starting her own businesses including Pandanus the gift shop, Pandanus Consulting focusing on marketing and comms, and project and events management. Other businesses she owns include The Point Marina, and the newly launched eco-business venture called Blue Pacific World, which is focused on creating solutions to ocean conservation.
Nicky is no stranger to the Chamber. During COVID times, Nicky was project manager for the VCCI and the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council in the management and implementation of the Pheonix Women in Business program, as well as the Oxfam Cash Transfer program, both very successful business support programs during difficult times for the country’s private sector.
Nicky has a keen interest in strategy and is a passionate believer in having a vision. In her role as a Council member, elected in April 2024, she would like to see improvements in terms of the ease of doing business through solutions offered to the private sector, that save money, and time. For example the use of integrated systems for small businesses to access the information they need – like online guidebooks on employment, and simplified explanations about existing and new legislation that affects the private sector. Or easier ways to pay for things like VAT and business licenses online.
Nicky would like to support more initiatives that assist businesses moving from the informal sector to the formal sector, and a better understanding by all of the important part that businesses play in the contributions to and the growth of the economy.
Nicky’s motivation to join VCCI as a member of the Council is to be able to give back to the community and support the Chamber with her skills and expertise both project management and running a business. The strategic direction she would like the Chamber to take is to lobby and advocate for positive improvements be made to the business environment in Vanuatu.
A big thank you to Nicky!
