The Dynamic Duo
Cecilia
Cecilia Robinson is a New Zealand business leader, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health – now one of the country’s largest primary healthcare providers. She was the founder and original creator of My Food Bag, one of New Zealand’s most successful consumer start-ups.
A serial entrepreneur and innovator, Cecilia now combines her Tend leadership role with governance positions, including Director of My Food Bag (NZX), Director of Pie Funds and Co-Chair of B416. Her work has been recognised through multiple awards, including New Zealand Innovator of the Year 2024, Supreme Winner at the Women of Influence Awards, NEXT Businesswoman of the Year, EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year and HER Businesswoman of the Year.
Cecilia is a thought leader and regular New Zealand Herald columnist, as well as a devoted mum to Thomas, Leila and Charlie. She is deeply committed to improving healthcare, supporting women in business and helping to solve the everyday challenges experienced by working parents.
James
James is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health and Cecilia’s partner in business as well as life. As co-founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health and My Food Bag, James has provided executive oversight of the marketing, digital, product, growth, operational and finance functions. He has extensive M&A experience, having led the sale processes for My Food Bag and Au Pair Link, as well as capital raises and acquisitions for Tend.
James understands the governance, risk and performance requirements of modern, high-growth, technology-enabled organisations. His experience spans healthcare, childcare and food, giving him a broad perspective on what it takes to build resilient, sustainable businesses.
He is Chair of The King’s Trust Aotearoa New Zealand and serves on the Board of Trustees of The King’s Trust Group Company, supporting the international network of King’s Trust charities. His work reflects a strong commitment to supporting young people and New Zealand’s future leaders.
We’re passionate about businesses that make a difference to our communities.
We’re interested in creating and growing businesses that make a meaningful difference to our communities across Aotearoa. We’re passionate about building innovative, ethical, and sustainable organisations that people love, and we have a particular understanding of the needs of modern working parents – having walked many miles in those shoes ourselves. We enjoy nurturing talent, inspiring belief in others and helping young entrepreneurs and leaders reach their potential.
Tend Health
Launched in October 2020, Tend Health is a healthcare and technology company integrating in-person and digital care through proprietary technology, AI-enabled productivity tools and data-driven insights — all delivered via a patient-centred digital platform. Tend is now New Zealand’s third-largest primary healthcare provider, with 24 medical centres across Aotearoa.
Tend Health was founded by Kiwi business leaders Cecilia and James Robinson following their own experiences navigating the health system, including the devastating loss of two babies late in pregnancy. After struggling to obtain timely, coordinated answers, they ultimately accessed care through a video consultation with overseas specialists — an experience that demonstrated what modern, connected healthcare could look like. That raised a simple but powerful question: why can’t everyone access care like this?
In 2019, they were joined by two co-founders — Dr Mataroria Lyndon and technology leader Josh Robb. With a strong focus on access and equity, Dr Lyndon joined as Director of Population Health & Equity. Tend is supported by a high-calibre board of experienced business and healthcare leaders, including Dr Lee Mathias ONZM, Dame Theresa Gattung DNZM and Marko Bogoievski.
My Food Bag
My Food Bag, an online food delivery service, was founded by Cecilia Robinson, who served as Co-CEO alongside James Robinson. Established in late 2012, Cecilia and James brought on Theresa Gattung (former Spark CEO) and celebrity chef Nadia Lim and her husband Carlos as co-founders, launching the business in March 2013.
With revenues exceeding $100 million within three years of inception and more than 50,000 customers, My Food Bag reshaped the online retail food sector and quickly became New Zealand’s third-largest food retailer.
In late 2016, My Food Bag was partially sold to private equity firm Waterman Capital. With household brands including Bargain Box and Fresh Start, the business continued to grow, winning the Supreme Business Excellence Award at the 2017 Westpac Auckland Business Awards. The Robinsons stepped back from their roles as Co-CEOs in 2018.
In March 2021, My Food Bag was listed on the NZX and ASX, in what was the largest IPO on the NZX since Genesis Energy in 2014. The Robinsons concluded their tenure on the Board in January 2021 ahead of the IPO and remain shareholders in the company today. In late 2022, Cecilia re-joined the My Food Bag Board to support the company’s ongoing performance and growth objectives.
Au Pair Link
The Robinson Duo’s first business, Au Pair Link was successfully acquired by NZX and ASX listed Evolve Education Group as part of its IPO in late 2014. Cecilia and James built Au Pair Link into one of the largest home-based Early Childhood Education providers in New Zealand.
Founded in 2006, the company became the first au pair agency to be licensed as a home-based Early Childhood Education (ECE) provider by the New Zealand Ministry of Education. An award-winning business, Au Pair Link featured in the Deloitte Fast 50 (ranked 12th in 2012) and IBM Kenexa Best Workplaces (2nd in the 2017 Workplace Awards), and at sale had around 650 children enrolled nationwide in its ECE service and nearly 1,000 au pairs arriving annually.
