Cecilia Robinson: Family, Education, Career and Business Story

Introduction

Cecilia Robinson is a Swedish-born New Zealand entrepreneur known for building several well-known businesses. She founded Au Pair Link, helped create My Food Bag, and later co-founded Tend Health with her husband and business partners.

As of August 2026, she serves as Founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health. She is also a non-executive director of My Food Bag and holds a directorship at Pie Funds.

Her work has mainly focused on childcare, food delivery, healthcare, and business leadership. In the 2026 New Year Honours, she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to business and women.

Readers interested in other notable founders and New Zealand business leaders can also explore more profiles on NZBeat.

Who Is Cecilia Robinson?

Cecilia Charlotte Louise Robinson is an entrepreneur originally from Sweden who later built her career in New Zealand.

She moved to New Zealand in 2005 and went on to launch businesses that became widely recognised across the country.

Her best-known ventures include:

• Au Pair Link
• My Food Bag
• Tend Health

Her career stands out because she has worked across very different industries while continuing to hold leadership and board positions.

Cecilia Robinson Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full name	Cecilia Charlotte Louise Robinson
Origin	Sweden
Based professionally	New Zealand
Profession	Entrepreneur and business leader
Current main role	Founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health
Husband	James Robinson
Children	Thomas, Leila and Charlie
Known for	Au Pair Link, My Food Bag and Tend Health
Honour	Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Other roles	My Food Bag director and Pie Funds director

Early Life and Origin

Cecilia Robinson spent the first 19 years of her life in Sweden.

Before entering business, she considered a career in law. She has said that she was accepted into law school in Stockholm more than once, but she eventually chose travel and other opportunities instead.

Her life later took her to the United States, where she worked as an au pair.

That experience became important because it later helped inspire the business idea that started her entrepreneurial career.

She eventually travelled to New Zealand, where her brother was already living, and moved to the country in 2005.

Education

During the early years of Au Pair Link, Robinson was studying full-time at the University of Auckland while also working full-time as a receptionist.

Public information confirms that she studied at the university. However, reliable sources do not clearly confirm a completed university degree.

For that reason, it is safer not to describe her as holding a specific degree unless stronger official information becomes available.

Cecilia Robinson Family

Family has played an important role in both her personal and professional life.

Husband James Robinson

Cecilia is married to James Robinson.

James is not only her husband but also a long-term business partner. They worked together on Au Pair Link and My Food Bag and now lead Tend Health.

At Tend, Cecilia and James serve as Co-CEOs.

She has also spoken publicly about meeting James on her first night in New Zealand.

Their partnership later developed into both a family relationship and a long-running business partnership.

Children

The couple have three publicly named children:

• Thomas
• Leila
• Charlie

Robinson has spoken openly in business interviews about balancing company leadership with raising children.

Parents and Family Background

She has shared some information about her parents.

Her mother is Swedish.

Her father is from the United Kingdom and was born in India.

This background influenced the food she experienced while growing up. She has described a childhood home where Swedish dishes were mixed with British and Indian food traditions.

Reliable public sources do not clearly provide her father’s name, so it should not be added as a confirmed fact.

She has also publicly mentioned a brother who was already living in New Zealand before she moved there.

Starting Au Pair Link

Robinson’s first major business was Au Pair Link, which she founded in 2007.

The idea was closely connected to her own experience working as an au pair in the United States.

She started the company from a small two-bedroom apartment in Auckland.

At the time, she was managing several responsibilities. She was studying, working as a receptionist, and building the new company.

Au Pair Link later grew into a major au pair service in Australasia.

The company also became notable in New Zealand’s early childhood education sector.

Au Pair Link was later acquired by Evolve Education Group.

The sale gave Robinson experience in building and exiting a growing company before she moved on to another major business idea.

My Food Bag

In 2012, Robinson became one of the co-founders of My Food Bag.

The founding group included:

• Cecilia Robinson
• James Robinson
• Nadia Lim
• Theresa Gattung
• Carlos Bagrie

The company delivered meal ingredients and recipes directly to customers.

Cecilia and James became co-CEOs of the business.

She has said that she and James initially invested NZ$60,000 of their own money, while the total founder investment was around NZ$250,000.

My Food Bag grew rapidly.

By the time the couple stepped away from their CEO roles in 2018, Robinson said annual revenue was approaching NZ$160 million.

Private equity firm Waterman Capital had acquired a majority stake in the company in 2016.

She later returned to the board.

As of August 2026, she remains a non-executive director of My Food Bag.

Tend Health

The next major stage of her career came through healthcare.

Robinson co-founded Tend Health in 2020.

The company was created with James Robinson, Dr Mataroria Lyndon, and Josh Robb.

Tend combines physical medical centres with digital healthcare tools.

Its services are designed to allow patients to access general practice healthcare through both clinics and technology.

Cecilia and James have explained that they see Tend differently from some of their earlier companies.

Instead of creating the company with an early sale in mind, they have spoken about building a long-term healthcare business in New Zealand.

Tend Health and The Doctors Acquisition

Tend entered a major new growth phase in 2026.

Green Cross Health agreed to sell its medical division, known as The Doctors, to Tend Health.

The announced transaction value was about NZ$270 million, subject to adjustments.

The deal included 65 medical centres.

As of 31 March 2026, those centres had about 413,000 enrolled patients.

The transaction was completed on 31 July 2026.

This made the acquisition one of the biggest developments in Tend’s history and significantly increased the size of the healthcare group led by Cecilia and James Robinson.

Current Business Roles

As of August 2026, Robinson holds several important positions.

She is:

• Founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health
• Non-executive director of My Food Bag
• Director of Pie Funds

She has also been involved in work connected with women in leadership and safer digital environments for young people.

Her career now combines company management, healthcare growth, board work, and business advocacy.

Awards and Recognition

Robinson has received several recognised business awards during her career.

Her honours include:

• EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013
• NEXT Businesswoman of the Year in 2014
• Supreme Winner of the Women of Influence Awards in 2017
• Spark New Zealand Innovator of the Year in 2024

Her most important formal national honour came in the 2026 New Year Honours.

She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and women.

Work Supporting Women and Healthcare

Her public work is not limited to running companies.

She has supported women in leadership and women-led businesses.

She has also funded scholarships for Māori and Pacific women training to work in healthcare.

Through Tend, she has been connected with initiatives focused on women’s health in New Zealand.

These activities were among the contributions recognised when she received her ONZM honour.

Is Cecilia Robinson a New Zealander?

Robinson was born and raised in Sweden and moved to New Zealand in 2005.

Reliable New Zealand government material describes her as a Swedish-born New Zealand entrepreneur.

Her adult business career has been closely connected with New Zealand, where she founded and helped lead her major companies.

Why Is Cecilia Robinson Famous?

She is mainly known for creating and growing businesses in New Zealand.

Her public profile comes from three major ventures.

Au Pair Link introduced her as an entrepreneur.

My Food Bag made her more widely known in the consumer and food-delivery sector.

Tend Health later moved her career into primary healthcare and health technology.

Her work across these companies has made her a recognised figure in New Zealand entrepreneurship.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cecilia Robinson do now?

As of August 2026, she is Founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health.

Who is Cecilia Robinson’s husband?

Her husband is businessman and entrepreneur James Robinson. They have worked together on several companies.

How many children does she have?

Cecilia and James have three publicly named children: Thomas, Leila and Charlie.

Where was she born?

She is originally from Sweden and spent the first 19 years of her life there.

When did she move to New Zealand?

She moved to New Zealand in 2005.

Did she attend university?

She has publicly said that she studied full-time at the University of Auckland while building Au Pair Link. Reliable sources do not clearly confirm a completed degree.

What companies did she create?

Her best-known ventures are Au Pair Link, My Food Bag and Tend Health.

What is her current role at My Food Bag?

As of August 2026, she is a non-executive director.

Final Words

Cecilia Robinson built her career by turning personal experiences into practical business ideas.

Her journey began with Au Pair Link, expanded through My Food Bag, and later moved into healthcare through Tend Health.

She now combines company leadership with board responsibilities and work supporting women in business and healthcare.

Her story is closely connected with modern New Zealand entrepreneurship, while her Swedish background remains an important part of her early life.