EMBARGOED UNTIL 5AM TUESDAY 24TH JULY 2018
23rd July 2018
ANNOUNCEMENT
New Zealand’s largest provider of Early Childhood Education, BestStart Educare, today announced that Tony Ryall will be
joining the company as Chief Executive, effective 1st August 2018.
Wayne Wright, Founder and CE of BestStart for over 22 years, is stepping back from operational leadership and will
remain chair of the BestStart board.
BestStart is a registered charity and a significant operator in the early childhood sector, with 280 early learning
centres across the country, serving over 18,000 families.
Mr Wright says: “We’re excited to have Tony join our BestStart team. Tony will lead our 4,500 dedicated, passionate
teachers and staff who work tirelessly for the wellbeing and education of tamariki and families. He brings a long and
successful track record including, most recently, heading public policy at a major commercial law firm. Tony previously
has held multiple large and complex ministerial portfolios.”
Tony Ryall is keenly anticipating his new role. “The opportunity to help give children a great start in life is really
exciting. Making a difference in a child’s early life has such a positive impact on their long-term future. I’m looking
forward to working with the BestStart team that every day makes that critical difference through the power of
education.”
Wayne and Chloe Wright have grown BestStart from one centre in Tauranga in 1996 to its leading role in early childhood
education today. In 2015, the couple transferred the business to the registered charity Wright Family Foundation, which
supports organisations focused on the educational development of New Zealand children.
Tony Ryall steps into the organisation at a time of increasing collaboration with the health sector, including beginning
the national rollout of Dr. Lance O’Sullivan’s iMOKO health programme, allowing teaching staff to digitally upload
children’s health concerns to a health professional for diagnosis and treatment. BestStart has also recently included in
all centres’ curriculums its Hauora wellbeing programme, recognising the lifelong benefits of tamariki’s regular
exercise and healthy eating.
ends