Current president of the New Zealand Institute of Directors Rick Bettle has been appointed the new chair of the Civil
Aviation Authority, says Transport Minister Annette King.
Mr Bettle, a professional company director of Wellington, is also Chair of Dominion Finance Ltd and Eastern Hi Fi Ltd,
and a director of Southport Ltd, Macquarie Goodman NZ and Synergy International Ltd.
Ms King has also announced a number of other appointments to Crown Entities in the transport sector.
Current Transit New Zealand chair David Stubbs has been appointed for a further two years and current board member Mike
Williams for a further three years.
Four new members have been appointed to the Transit board, with Wellington company director Bryan Jackson the new Deputy
Chair, taking over from Sir Tipene O'Regan whose term expired at the end of September. Mr Jackson has been on the board
of Land Transport New Zealand, is a former member of Transfund and has held directorships in the public and private
sector.
The other three new members are former Rotorua Mayor Grahame Hall, James Hill, a former managing partner of KPMG and
currently Chair of Manakau Water, and Ernesto Henriod, a civil engineer who has worked for the World Bank and also
lectured in engineering at Canterbury University. Mr Jackson has been appointed for two years, and the other three
members for three year terms.
Gary McIver, of Hastings, has been appointed to the Land Transport New Zealand Board for two years. Mr McIver, who has
just finished a term on the Transit, has an extensive background in commercial and general management.
Three appointments have also been made to the board of Maritime New Zealand. Deputy Chair Dave Morgan and member Ken
Gilligan have both been reappointed for three and two more years respectively, and a new appointee is management
consultant Michael Ludbrook, of Te Puke, who has served on a number of boards in the public and private sector. He has
been appointed for three years.
Ms King says the new and reappointed members bring a wealth of experience. "Transport is a key element in the
Government's economic transformation programme and it is important that directors appointed to Crown entities have good
governance and leadership skills as well as an empathy with the sector."
Until recently Mr Bettle was Chair of the New Zealand TAB, a position he had held for more than eight years. He was also
Chair of Capital Coast Health for four years, and from1995 to 1998 he headed the law firm of Kensington Swan.
Mr Bettle is well known for his involvement in the farming sector, having previously chaired New Zealand Lamb Co and
Wrightson Finance. He was the Managing Director of Wrightson from 1987 to 1991 and the CEO of Alliance Group (a large
South Island meat co-operative) from 1991 to 1995.
"It is great to be able to attract a person of Rick Bettle's calibre for this important role in CAA. He has worked as a
director in both the public and private sector and is an expert in governance issues. He is a company director with a
broad range of experience in a diversity of significant economic sectors," says Ms King.
"Mr Bettle is highly regarded by his peers and his wide knowledge and experience will ensure that CAA will be able to
meet the challenges it faces in the future."
ENDS