The father-of-two will work in the Finance Department with accountant Richard Otter and accounts assistant Pualani Jacquemet as OFC activities continue to increase with various programmes both on and off the field.
Although his appointment as a permanent member of staff at OFC’s Auckland-based secretariat was confirmed only this month, he is no stranger to OFC having recently completed a six-week audit of the confederation as part of his role with previous employers Lynch Phibbs.
A member of New Zealand’s College of Associate Chartered Accountants, Naik also worked as an accountant with Majestic Textiles, an Auckland manufacturer of floor textiles, after spells in the Middle East and his native India.
The 57-year-old has extensive experience of working with a range of companies and has handled various financial functions such as accounting, banking and taxation.
OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas says Naik will be a valuable addition to the team.
“Mangesh comes highly recommended and we are delighted to have him on board. He is a qualified accountant and can work in a fast-paced environment, as well as having an understanding of football,” Nicholas says.
“These are exciting times with three OFC tournaments – the U-17s, beach soccer and U-20s – already having taken place this year, as well as the conclusion of the O-League, which proved very popular and continues to grow as a competition,” he says.
“We are looking forward to the OFC Futsal Championship kicking off next week in Fiji plus the Pacific Games in New Caledonia this August which marks the first stage of OFC’s qualification process for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. All in all, Mangesh is signing up at an ideal time.”
Naik is pleased to join OFC and can’t wait to start making progress.
“This role presents a new and exciting challenge for me. I’m looking forward to leading the OFC finance team while also working closely with our member associations through the Financial Assistance Programme.”
“I hope to make a positive difference as the confederation continuously strives to improve policies, procedures, organisational structures and strategic planning to support the growing game across the Pacific.”