Minister announces 18 new SOE board appointments

State Owned Enterprises Minister Simon Power today announced 18 new appointments and 11 reappointments across 12 SOEs and one airport company.

“I’m pleased to be making a range of strong new appointments in this round, but I also want to acknowledge the retirement of Airways Corporation chair Con Anastasiou.

“Mr Anastasiou, who is retiring at the end of July, has served on the Airways board since 2000 and has led the company with considerable success as chair since January 2005. I thank him for his dedicated service over that time.”

The deputy chair at Airways, Susan Paterson will take over as chair. She has served on the board since 2006, and has been deputy since May 2008. She is a member of the Electricity Authority, a director of Housing New Zealand, and a former director of Transpower. She has also had private sector governance experience, including at Abano Healthcare Group, Les Mills, and Goodman (NZ) Ltd.

“I look forward to working with Ms Paterson to maintain Airways’ strong performance,” Mr Power said.

Airways board member David Park has been appointed deputy chair.

Mr Power said two other deputy chairs will be moving on from their SOE boards in this appointment round.

Lorraine Witten will replace Janine Smith as deputy chair at Kordia. Ms Smith is leaving to concentrate on her role as chair of AsureQuality. Ian Fraser will replace Ian Donald as deputy chair of Transpower.

“I would like to thank Janine Smith and Ian Donald for their service.

“I’m also pleased to introduce a strong group of recognised directors and business executives to add to the existing expertise on SOE boards.”

New directors on SOEs are:

On Landcorp: John Brakenridge (CEO of the New Zealand Merino Company).

On Meridian: Peter Wilson (chair of Westpac New Zealand), John Bongard (former CEO of Fisher & Paykel Appliances), Anake Goodall (former CEO of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu).
On Kordia: John Quirk (company director and principal of corporate advisory firm Howard and Co).

On KiwiRail: Rebecca Thomas (CEO of Mint Asset Management), Dr Kevin Thompson (former CEO of Opus Consultants).

On Metservice: Te Taru White (former CEO of the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute).

On Quotable Value: Raewyn Lovett (Partner in law firm Duncan Cotterill), Ian Holland (director and former deputy head of European Sales for Morgan Stanley), Roger Bridge (Property business owner and Director of NZ Venture Investment Fund).

On Transpower: Don Huse (former CEO of Auckland International Airport), Keith Tempest (former CEO of Trustpower). 

“These directors have a broad range of commercial experience and I expect them to make a significant contribution to delivering on the Government’s goal of better commercial performance from our SOEs.

“The quality of the appointments highlights the Government’s continuing ability to attract some of the country’s most experienced governance professionals to serve on SOE boards, as well as developing the next generation of talent.” 

Mr Power thanked retiring board members for their contributions and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Full details of the changes, which will take effect from 1 May are set out below.

Composition of SOE boards by 1 May 2011:

Key: * - subject to due diligence    Bold – new appointments    Italics - reappointments

Airways Corporation of New Zealand

Susan Paterson (chair)
David Park (deputy chair)
Tony Briscoe
Terry Murdoch
Susan Huria
Susan Putt
Graeme Reeves

AsureQuality (no changes)

Janine Smith (chair)
John Ashby (deputy chair)
Sarah Herrod
Joanna Perry
Sam Robinson
Dean Nikora
Jane Lancaster
Hamish Stevens
Dianne Kidd

Christchurch International Airport

David Mackenzie (chair) – non-Crown appointment
Catherine Drayton – non-Crown appointment
Philip Carter – non-Crown Appointment
George Gould
Ann Harper – Non-Crown appointment

Dunedin International Airport (no changes)

Richard Walls (chair) – non-Crown appointment
Kathy Grant
Geoff Thomas
Stuart McLauchlan – non-Crown appointment

Electricity Corporation of New Zealand

Victor Wu (chair)
Grant Graham
Daphne Rawsthorne

Genesis Power

Rt Hon Dame Jenny Shipley (chair)
Joanna Perry (deputy chair)
Dr Nicki Crauford
Graeme Milne
Rukumoana Schaafhausen
Barbara Elliston
John Dell
Denis Wood
Rob Fisher

Hawke’s Bay Airport
John Palairet (chair) – non-Crown appointment
Tony Porter – non-Crown appointment
Jim Scotland
Stuart Webster

Invercargill Airport (no changes)
Merv Cook (chair) – non-Crown appointment
Alastair McKenzie – non-Crown appointment
Martin Walton
Tommy Foggo

Kordia Group
David Clarke (chair)
Lorraine Witten (deputy chair)
John Allen
Rhoda Holmes
John Quirk
Ken Benson
Debbie Birch

Landcorp Farming

Hon Jim Sutton (chair)
Warren Larsen (deputy chair)
John Brakenridge
Bill Baylis
Marise James
Basil Morrison
Traci Houpapa
Jane Mitchell

Meridian Energy

Chris Moller (chair)
Peter Wilson (deputy chair)
Catherine Drayton
John Bongard
Steve Reindler
Anake Goodall
Mary Devine
Anne Urlwin

Meteorological Service of New Zealand

Sarah Astor (chair)
Greg Cross (deputy chair)
David Houldsworth
Carolyn Harkess
James Koh
Te Taru White

Mighty River Power (no changes)

Joan Withers (chair)
Trevor Janes (deputy chair)
Parekāwhia McLean
Keith Smith
Sandy Maier
Mike Allen
Prue Flacks
Jon Hartley
Tania Simpson

New Zealand Post (no changes)

Hon Dr Michael Cullen (chair)
Justine Smyth (deputy chair)
Pip Dunphy
Murray Gribben
David Willis
Alan Dunn
Jackie Lloyd
Temuera Hall

KiwiRail

John Spencer (chair)
Paula Rebstock (deputy chair)
John Leuchars
Dr Kevin Thompson
Mark Tume
Bob Field
Rebecca Thomas

Quotable Value

Phil Lough (chair)
Derek Walker (deputy chair)
Bryan Hemi
Ian Holland
Raewyn Lovett
Gary Traveller
Roger Bridge

Solid Energy New Zealand

John Palmer (chair)
John Fletcher
Alan Broome
Michelle Smith
John McDonald
Simon Marsters
David Patterson
Adrienne Young-Cooper

Timberlands West Coast
Dr Russ Ballard (chair)
Sue Merriman

Transpower New Zealand

Mark Verbiest (chair)
Ian Fraser (deputy chair)
Keith Tempest
Don Huse
Dr Don Brash
Mike Pohio
Maury Leyland
Abby Foote