Our Team
Executive Director:
Wendie Hall
In 2003 Wendie co-founded Lion Rock Ventures with William McKegg with the goal of developing a family based multi-media entertainment business. The acquisition of the Buzzy Bee & friends property in 2004 saw this goal focused on the transition of the iconic Buzzy Bee pull-along toy to a multi-media entertainment brand. By the end of 2005 Lion Rock had completed the base creative work for development of the world and characters for the brand Buzzy Bee & friends. The Company's first live action stage show was produced in 2006 and Wendie produced the Company's inaugural TV series (13 * 5 minute episodes and 1 * 23 minuted episode) in 2008.
More recently Wendie produced the main series of 52 * 7 minute episodes (co-produced with Lemon Sky Animation, Malaysia) and has overseen the development of the Buzzy's Club, a digital club hosted by Buzzy that helps to develop pre-schoolers creative story telling skills. LRV has developed a web and companion mobile application for assisting preschoolers to video record, store and share their stories with selected friends and family.
Wendie is currently focused on expanding distribution of the company's bundled toy and media assets outside New Zealand.
Wendie has spent a reasonable amount of her career working in different parts of the finance and investment communities. Having completed a Bachelor of Management Studies at Waikato University and some time with Kodak and then the Winstone Group of companies, she left NZ to add to her OE with a couple of years in the UK.
Wendie returned to NZ in 1987 to take up an operational role with NZ Futures & Options Exchange and while at the Exchange, she completed an MBA through Massey University’s Auckland presence. Wendie left the Exchange in 1993 to form an investment bank associated with health care property products. In 1995 the investment bank formed a technology based venture capital division and split into two parts in 1996 with Wendie choosing to side with the venture capital division. As one of the foundation partners of Caltech, Wendie was responsible for assisting a number of New Zealand software, computer games, electronics and biotech companies, all with intellectual property as their key assets, to establish strategies for international growth, to gain international partnerships and to raise capital.
Email: wendie@lionrock.co.nz
Phone: +64 21 650 117
Non-executive Directors:
William Mc Kegg
William has spent his working life in the media sector. Having completed a BA and then post graduate study in History at Otago University he left New Zealand on his OE and did one or two(OK three) years doing ‘extra-curricular’ things.
Whilst in the UK he commenced his ‘real’ career with a position at DMX, a US owned digital music delivery service where he negotiated supply and distribution contracts. During this time he completed
a finance and strategy degree at the University of Westminster, London. In 1997 he was fortunate to begin at Lord Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group (RUG) as a commercial executive reporting to the Board of Directors. Working across the business he gained valuable experience in various media channels including stage theatric, film, television, music and music publishing, licensing, live entertainment, theme parks and the exploitation of entertainment IP online. Over time he moved into the creative side of the business as a member of the RUG acquisitions team and worked with the creative personnel.
On returning to New Zealand in mid 2000, William did a brief two year stint at an investment bank before leaving to co-found Lion Rock Ventures with Wendie Hall. William co-produced the Company's first live action stage show in 2006 and directed the Company's inaugural TV series (13 * 5 minute episodes and 1 * 23 minuted episode) in 2008. More recently William has directed the main series of 52 * 7 minute episodes (co-directed with Lemon Sky Animation, Malaysia).
Email: william@lionrock.co.nz
Phone: +64 21 910 270