‘Stellar’ lineup for new WREDA Board
17 November 2014
‘Stellar’ lineup for new WREDA Board
The eight people selected to the inaugural Board of the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) are a “stellar” lineup of New Zealand business, research and academic leaders.
That’s the summary of the Board’s first Chair, Peter Biggs, who says the Board will provide powerful and inspired direction to WREDA. Mr Biggs has announced the eight new directors today.
The new agency will bring together the region’s Grow Wellington economic development agency with existing city tourism and venues agencies, and major events activities.
Mr Biggs, himself a well-known marketing and cultural entrepreneur, has returned to Wellington following eight years in Melbourne and only this month took up the appointment as Chair.
He says the main task is to “hit the ground running” - organising WREDA as an entity while at the same time pushing the new body to start contributing to – and leading – work to get the region’s economy moving faster.
He says the Board is healthy and diverse across gender and experience. “We had a huge range of extremely capable contenders - and it was an extremely difficult decision to choose the final line-up. It’s very gratifying to know that the Wellington region has such a depth of talented people prepared to commit themselves to the prosperity of the region and its people.”
Mr Biggs says the Board – which is expected to meet for the first time in December – faces a range of opportunities and challenges. “We want to help the region to become internationally competitive across a range of industries and sectors. We’ve also got big, aspirational, projects like an airport runway extension that we want to champion and get built.”
Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Fran Wilde and other regional leaders have welcomed the appointment of the directors.
Mayor Wade-Brown says the calibre and number of applicants through the advertised process were high. “This important agency will increase local jobs, income and the visibility of our Capital. We have world-class film, IT, education, arts, food, eco-tourism and much more in a diverse welcoming region. WREDA is charged with bringing the world to Wellington and Wellington to the world. The Board, led by Peter Biggs, is well-positioned to make a real difference.”
Chair Wilde says the Wellington region has some serious challenges and some serious opportunities. “This board will play a significant role in making sure we can harvest the opportunities, building on the base established by the three organisations it will replace."
Mayoral Forum Chair and Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy says: “We’re expecting great things from this great group of people. They have a rich mix of talent and skills that will be of great benefit to the region.”
The directors
Dr Helen
Anderson
Governance experience
includes:
• Chair, Wellington Branch
Committee, Institute of Directors,
2014-present
• Chair, (previously Deputy Chair)
Building Research Association of New Zealand, from
2011
• Chair, External Advisory Group, Department of
Internal Affairs, July 2013-present.
• Director,
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, July
2011-present.
• Chair, Risk and Assurance Committee,
Land Information New Zealand,
2010-present.
• Independent Director, DairyNZ, May
2010-present.
• Chair, Fulbright New Zealand, December
2009-present.
Executive leadership
background:
• Chief Executive, Ministry of
Research, Science and Technology (MoRST)
2004-2010.
• Chief Science Advisor, then Acting CEO of
MoRST, 1997-2004.
• Earlier background as a seismology
research scientist, before becoming Director, Earth and
Ocean Sciences at the University of Otago/Institute of
Geological Sciences in 1994.
Matt
Clarke
Governance experience
includes:
• Director, Nelson Airport
Limited.
• Previous Director roles in various airport
entities.
Executive and Commercial Leadership
Background:
• Chief Commercial Officer,
Wellington Airport, since 2010.
• Matt joined Infratil
in 2006 and was based in the UK as the CEO of Infratil’s
Kent International Airport until 2010, when he returned home
to New Zealand.
• Previously held the role of Chief
Executive, Rotorua Airport.
Sarah
Gibbs
Governance experience
includes:
• Trustee, Positively Wellington
Tourism Trust. Chair of Audit and Finance
Committee.
• Non-Executive Director of Trilogy
International and Chair of REM Committee.
• Board
Member, Export New Zealand.
• Advisory Committee
Member, Marmont Capital.
• Other governance involvement
within the cosmetics industry.
Commercial and
executive leadership background
• Joint
founder and Chief Executive of Trilogy International Ltd,
since 2003.
• Sold the natural skincare company to
Ecoya in 2010, which has retained and traded under the
successful Trilogy International brand. Retained an equity
holding and has ongoing governance
involvement.
• Previous mergers and acquisition
experience gained in the United Kingdom with JP Morgan and
Deutsche Bank.
• Early background as a chartered
accountant, with audit roles in New Zealand, Hong Kong and
South Africa.
Professor Grant
Guilford
Governance experience
includes:
• Director, Board of UniServices
Limited, 2012-2014.
• Chairman, AgResearch Science
Advisory Panel, 2012-2014.
• Director, Board of
Genomics NZ Limited, 2009-2014.
• Director, Board of
Landcare Research Limited, 2009-2012.
Executive
and academic leadership background:
• Vice
Chancellor, Victoria University of Wellington since
2014.
• Management and academic head, responsible for
ensuring the university carries out its statutory and
contractual functions in teaching, research and community
service.
• Dean, Faculty of Sciences, University of
Auckland, 2009-2014.
• Head, Institute of Natural
Sciences, Massey University, 2009.
• Head, Institute of
Veterinary, Animal & Biomedical Sciences, Massey University,
1998-2009.
Richard
Laverty
Governance experience
includes:
• Director, Xenos
• Director,
Golden Ticket Limited
• Member, Angel HQ
Wellington
Executive leadership and commercial
background:
• General Manager Strategy,
Performance and Partners, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
(NZTE), 2011-present.
• General Manager Capital, NZTE,
2011-2013.
• Operations Director – ICT, Creative &
Services, NZTE, 2010-2011.
• Regional Director –
Europe, Middle East, Africa, NZTE,
2005-2010.
• Founder, owner and Director, Xenos,
2004-present. A business that manufactures and exports
aseptic bottling systems.
• Substantial leadership
background in Fonterra/NZ Dairy Board 1997-2004. Held roles
across marketing, global sales and strategy, as well as
regional and operational leadership
positions.
Paul
Mersi
Governance experience
includes:
• Chair, Grow
Wellington.
• Member, Audit & Risk and CEO Performance
Committees.
• Independent non-executive Director, Brook
Asset Management Limited (a Macquarie Group company). Member
of Audit and Due Diligence
Committees.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Governance
Board member for a number of years.
Professional
and commercial background:
• Self-employed
Independent Consultant, Paul Mersi Consulting, since
September 2010.
• Member of NZ Government-appointed
Savings Working Group.
• Assisted Financial Services
Council of NZ's Board and management with its strategy and
structure.
• Consultant to Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment on savings-related public policy
issues and to Commission for Financial Literacy and
Retirement Incomes on savings-related tax policy
issues.
• Previously was a Partner at PWC (1994-2010),
largely focusing on taxation and financial services sector
issues.
Thomas
Pippos
Governance experience
includes:
• Director, Deloitte New Zealand
Board.
• Member, Deloitte Asia Pacific Leadership
Council.
Professional and executive leadership
background:
• National Chief Executive,
Deloitte, 2011 – present.
• National Managing Tax
Partner, Deloitte.
• Managing Tax Partner,
Deloitte.
• Partner within Deloitte for 13
years.
• Tax Policy Advisor, Minister of Revenue and
Finance (on secondment)
Lorraine
Witten
Governance experience
includes:
• Chair, Kordia Limited, since
2008.
• Chairman, Starnow, since November
2012.
• Director, Positively Wellington Venues, since
December 2011.
• Board member and Chairman, Programme
Review Committee, NZTE, 2004-2011.
• Chairman, Sapphire
Currency Fund Limited, since 2006.
• Chairman, Pulse
Business Solutions and Callsouth Limited,
2004-2007.
• Director, Health Benefits Limited,
2000-2002.
• Chairman, Finance and Audit Committee,
Capital Coast Health Limited 1998-2000.
• Director,
Healthlink South Limited, 1996-1998.
Core
professional background/executive leadership/commercial
background
• Founder, Shareholder and Managing
Director, Simply Security Limited, since
2007.
• General Manager, NZ Mobile, Telecom New
Zealand, 1997-2003.
• Group Financial Controller,
ENZAFRUIT New Zealand, 1997.
• CFO and Company
Secretary, Canterbury International
1994-1997.
ENDS