17 October 2000
APEC Business Advisory Council Appointees Announced
Sir Dryden Spring has been appointed as the incoming Chair of the New Zealand delegation to the APEC Business Advisory
Council (ABAC), Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today.
The other two New Zealand representatives to have been appointed to ABAC are Peter Masfen, Chairman of the Montana
Group, and Wendy Pye of Wendy Pye Ltd.
APEC Leaders agreed in 1995 to establish a permanent independent source of business advice for APEC. Philip Burdon has
been New Zealand’s chair since 1995. Sir Dryden’s two-year term will commence when Mr Burdon steps down immediately
after this year’s APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Brunei in November. Mr Masfen and Ms Pye will also commence two-year terms of
appointment at the same time, replacing outgoing ABAC members Douglas Myers and Fran Wilde.
"ABAC plays an important role in providing a direct business input to APEC," Helen Clark said.
ABAC representatives from all twenty-one APEC economies meet several times a year to discuss the APEC work programme and
make suggestions. They produce an annual report, and have an opportunity to discuss this with the Leaders of APEC
economies at the annual APEC Leaders’ Meeting.
Sir Dryden Spring, a former Chairman of the NZ Dairy Board, is Chairman of Goodman Fielder New Zealand, Ericsson
Communications (NZ) Ltd and WEL Energy Group Ltd. He is also Deputy Chairman of the Goodman Fielder group, and has a
range of senior directorships.
Peter Masfen is Chairman of the Montana Group, New Zealand’s largest wine producing and exporting company, while Wendy
Pye is the founder of a highly successful company producing and exporting reading and other educational materials.
“We are fortunate to have been able to engage the services of these three outstanding business people to boost New
Zealand’s profile at APEC,” Helen Clark said.
Ends