WhySquare Ltd is a governance, arts and technology consultancy that develops and delivers creative solutions and governance-focused services.
Our Directors are husband-and-wife team Yee Yang ‘Square’ Lee and Sums Selvarajan.
We are a boutique consultancy that believes in the need to create social good. Our diverse experience, skills and interests enables us to offer multi-dimensional services to our clients in the not-for-profit and creative sectors.
We have an incredible passion to work with others to achieve their goals. We take pride in our strong service-focused approach and in our ability to provide excellent and effective solutions to our clients.
We would love to welcome you into the WhySquare family of clients.
LL.B. (Hons) (Cardiff), GDip Arts, MAAM (Hons), ACIS, MInstD
Square is an arts manager, creative technologist and chartered secretary with 14 years of experience in Malaysia, Wales and New Zealand. He is passionate about creating opportunities and quality arts enterprises that balance creative expression, community and commercial sense. He has held management, governance, research and specialist roles across a wide range of not-for-profit and commercial organisations in the insurance, investment management, intellectual property, superannuation, agribusiness, real estate, technology, philanthropy and performing arts sectors, working closely with diverse groups of directors, trustees, committees and senior management.
Square has a special interest in effective governance in the not-for-profit and creative sectors. Articles distilled from his thesis “Investigating Effective Governance in the New Zealand arts sector” have been published in New Zealand, Australia and Canada. Roles currently held include being a trustee for The Oryza Foundation for Asian Performing Arts and the Asia New Zealand Film Foundation Trust, and a director of Short+Sweet New Zealand Ltd, which produces the annual Short+Sweet Theatre, Song and Dance Festivals in Auckland.
Square is proud to be an ART Venture 2013 Awardee, a unique year-long development programme bringing together arts, business, education and investment professionals keen to back creative entrepreneurs and producers working in the Auckland region.
LL.B. (Hons) (Lond)
Sums Selvarajan is an arts manager and administrator with 12 years of experience in theatre production management, stage management, public relations, project management and administration, in Malaysia and New Zealand.
Previous roles include Assistant Producer at Indian Ink Theatre Company, School Administrator for the Performing Arts School of New Zealand, Production/Stage Manager for Short+Sweet Auckland 2010, 2011 & 2012 as well as The Oryza Foundation for Asian Performing Arts, Administrative Coordinator for The Documentary New Zealand Trust, Senior Executive PR & Projects at Expomal International Sdn Bhd – an international trade events company and General Manager for Victorian Theatre Company – a Malaysian youth theatre company.
Sums is currently contracted to a major not-for-profit organisation in Auckland, and is the Festival Producer of Short+Sweet Festival Auckland. She is a director of WhySquare Ltd and Short+Sweet New Zealand Ltd.
May 2013–November 2013
Board Secretary
The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) is a national, voluntary membership organisation providing products and services to approximately 12,500 real estate agents to use in the course of their day to day work. REINZ members include residential, residential property management, rural, commercial & industrial and business broker licensees. Over 100 years old, a key focus of REINZ is to promote professional excellence within the real estate sector.
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March 2013
Web Consultant & Developer
Hawkins&Co believes in designing for the long term by using good old fashioned knowhow, combined with contemporary and robust methodologies. Hawkins&Co’s specialist experience is in the field of Branding, Corporate Communications and Packaging. Hawkins&Co’s objective is to help your business grow.
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Feb–May 2013
Board Secretary (New Zealand Dance Advancement Trust)
Jul 2012–Feb 2013
Acting General Manager
2011–Present
Web Developer & Tech Adviser
The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC) are dedicated to producing and presenting inspiring new dance for New Zealand and the world. NZDC’s vision is to create new connections to dance by staging compelling works in highly engaging ways that not only entertain but resonate emotionally with the audience.
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February 2013
Assistant Producer
Indian Ink Theatre Company is one of New Zealand’s most successful theatre companies with a reputation for “total theatre which offers humanity and psychological insight in a package of good plain laughs, luminous performances and brilliant staging” (Dominion Post, NZ).
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Apr 2010–Feb 2012
Company Secretary (New Zealand), Group Legal & Secretariat (formerly Corporate’s Secretary’s Office – NZ)
Jan 2009–Mar 2010
Assistant Company Secretary, Group Finance & Secretariat – NZ (Suncorp-Metway Ltd)
Jan 2010–Nov 2011
Administrator, Corporate’s Secretary’s Office – NZ
Suncorp Group includes leading general insurance, banking, life insurance, superannuation and investment brands in Australia and New Zealand. The Group has around 16,000 employees and relationships with nine million customers. It is a Top 20 ASX listed company with over AUD$93 billion in assets.
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2013
Director, Short+Sweet New Zealand Ltd
2009–2010 & 2013
Associate Producer, Short+Sweet Festival Auckland
2013
Director, Short+Sweet New Zealand Ltd
Festival Producer, Short+Sweet Festival Auckland (Dance, Song & Theatre)
2009–2012
Production/Stage Manager, Short+Sweet Festival Auckland (Theatre)
Short+Sweet New Zealand Ltd produces performing arts festivals of ten minute theatre, dance and song. The Auckland festival annually presents up to 40 plays, 40 dance pieces and 10 short musicals over 4 weeks, involving up to 50 directors, 40 playwrights, 40 choreographers, 10 composers and close to 300 performers.
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July 2007–Present
Founding Trustee & General Manager
2009–Present
Administration Officer
The Oryza Foundation for Asian Performing Arts is a registered charity established to facilitate, produce, promote and advocate for Asian performing arts. The Oryza Foundation’s core values reflect and align with its mission and vision: expertise, openness, understanding, nurturing, bridging, inclusivity and excellence.
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2007–Present
Web Consultant & Developer, Tech Adviser
The Michael Hill International Violin Competition aims to promote young violinists from all over the world who are launching their professional solo careers and are aspiring to establish themselves on the world stage; to recognise and encourage excellence and musical artistry, and to expand performance opportunities (including playing New Zealand repertoire).
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Nov 2006–Dec 2008
Company Secretary & Assistant to Managing Director (Sir James Wallace)
Wallace Corporation is a business with over 70 years experience of recycling and the reduction of waste. The recycling of agricultural waste products performs a valuable service for the environment – a creative, ingenious industry. Taking advantage of modern clean technologies is at the heart of Wallace Corporation’s future plans. Wallace Corporation employs up to 150 staff and is a significant exporter with over 80 percent of sales being to Europe, Australia, China and Southern Asia.
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Nov 2006–Dec 2008
Trust Secretary
The vision of the Wallace Arts Trust is to support, promote and expose New Zealand contemporary artists while providing the wider public with an inimitable cultural and historical resource of contemporary New Zealand art. The Trust financially supports many other Arts organisations in New Zealand. Sir James Wallace is patron, trustee or board member of some 20 such institutions.
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