News Release

Friday 8 June 2012

Directors announced for Rotorua economic development CCO board

ROTORUA 08.06.12: Rotorua District Council has announced the appointment of five directors for the inaugural board of the new CCO (council controlled organisation) tasked with driving the district’s future economic development for the next three years.

The board members are John Green (chair), Dr Warren Parker, Jane Nees, Michael Barnett and Tony Marks.

Rotorua mayor Kevin Winters said the five board members appointed to date provide Rotorua with a very high-powered, well connected and hugely experienced resource.

“The new directors come with a wide range of local, national and international backgrounds and very broad experience, and they provide a mix of strategic management and governance skills that will be immensely valuable for Rotorua’s economic future.

“Each has an outstanding track record and collectively they have the potential to give real clout to the important task of implementing our sustainable economic growth strategy. Rotorua is very fortunate to have these busy and highly regarded people offering their valuable time to the task of lifting the city’s economic performance.

New board chair, John Green, said he was very pleased with the make-up of the board and was looking forward to getting the directors together very soon so they could start driving the economic themes identified in the economic growth strategy.

“There are real opportunities for Rotorua to develop a reputation as a ‘can do’ place for business investment and the CCO board structure means we have the freedom to apply a commercially focused approach for making things happen for the district.

Mr Green said that two more directors were yet to be confirmed and those appointments would be finalised after further discussions had taken place with Te Arawa business leaders, to ensure a strong iwi business perspective was available to the board.

He said the board was likely to hold its first meeting in early July and recruitment of a CEO would be high on the agenda.

Rotorua District Council has allocated a budget of $850,000 for the CCO’s first year of operation and $800,000 for each of the two subsequent years After three years the future of the CCO is to be the subject of a formal review The board will report regularly to the council on progress against a set of performance indicators in line with the statement of intent established for the CCO.

CCO BOARD MEMBER PROFILES:

John Green - chairman (Rotorua)

Okere Falls-based John Green is a professional company director and chartered accountant. He is a director of Quayside Holdings Group which owns the Port of Tauranga. He is also on the board of Canterbury of New Zealand, ANZDL Shipping Lines, Vox Retail Group (Australia), Alliance Textile Group, Repco Group, Union Shipping Group and Hellaby Holdings. Mr Green is chair of the Lakes Water Quality Society, and has previously held positions with Price Waterhouse in Johannesburg, London, San Francisco, Sydney and Wellington.

Dr Warren Parker – director (Rotorua)

Dr Parker is CEO of Rotorua-based crown research institute company Scion. He was previously CEO of Landcare Research Ltd for more than five years, and has held roles with the University of Queensland, AgResearch Science, and Massey University. Dr Parker has a PhD in Animal Science, has been the recipient of a number of academic awards. He has served on science panels and advisory boards in New Zealand and Australia, and as a director on a number of technology start-up companies.

Jane Nees – director (Tauranga)

Ms Nees is an elected member of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and chairs the Bay of Plenty Regional Transport Committee. She is a member of the Chartered Professional Engineers Council and director of the Port of Tauranga company Quayside Holdings Ltd. Ms Nees is project manager for Mt Maunganui company International Merchants Ltd, a former CEO of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce and former senior executive with Tauranga City Council.

Michael Barnett - director (Auckland)

Mr Barnett is well known as the chief executive of the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce, and is a director of the Auckland chamber of Commerce, NZ Chambers of Commerce & Industry, and the International Chamber of Commerce (NZ) Arbitration Committee. He chairs the Auckland Business Forum, EEO Trust, Local Government Forum and Auckland Regional Partnership, and is a member of Auckland Council’s Business advisory panel and Auckland Council Employment Initiative. He was previously an elected member of the Auckland Electricity Consumer Trust, Auckland Regional Council and deputy chair of Mercury Energy.

Tony Marks – director (Auckland)

Mr Marks chairs the Rotorua Tourism Committee and is the former chief executive of Pacific Blue Airlines. He previously served as CEO for Origin Pacific Airways and Zespri International and for nine years was general manager commercial for Air New Zealand. Mr Marks is also on the board of a number of companies including Polynesian Blue Airlines, House of Travel and Ngai Tahu Tourism Ltd. He previously chaired the Marketing Council of New Zealand, was a member of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, and played a role in developing AREDS – the Auckland Regional Economic Development Strategy.

[ENDS]

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