WaikatoLink director takes up new opportunities

WaikatoLink director takes up new opportunities

Hamilton, New Zealand, 24 July 2013 – Long serving WaikatoLink director, Ross Townshend, is stepping down from the Board of Directors to take up a new career that will see him commuting from his Hamilton home to Christchurch and all over the world. Mr Townshend has been appointed CEO of Wools of New Zealand, a grower-owned company that has been set up to resurrect New Zealand’s wool industry.

WaikatoLink is the commercialisation and technology transfer company of the University of Waikato involved in identifying new ideas and technologies that can add value to society by taking emerging research and innovative technologies to the global marketplace.

Mr Townshend’s recent experience in the governance of start-up technology businesses, combined with his past experience in senior executive roles in the primary sector, will now be applied to Christchurch based Wools of New Zealand with a prime focus on our international carpet and wool market.

Mr Townshend said the new job was going to be busy - a huge challenge to restore wool to the profitable enterprise that it once was and he would no longer have time to give the WaikatoLink board the commitment it deserved.

WaikatoLink Chairman, Tenby Powell says, “Mr Townshend’s contribution to the Board of WaikatoLink over the past six years has been outstanding.”

“All WaikatoLink Directors hold additional governance responsibilities as Directors of our various subsidiary businesses adding significantly to their professional workload. Ross Townshend’s responsibilities have often required international travel and conference calls in the early hours of the morning with overseas based management teams,” says Mr Powell.

“Ross is leaving WaikatoLink in good heart with a range of new ventures on the horizon; we are very grateful for his professional contribution and work ethic in bringing many of these initiatives to life.”

WaikatoLink will conduct a search for an experienced Director with international commercial experience over the next few months.

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