24 July 2008
New members for GIAB announced
Twelve new members representing some of New Zealand’s leading businesses and research organisations have been appointed
to the government’s Growth and Innovation Advisory Board, Economic Development Minister Pete Hodgson announced today.
The board provides independent advice to the government.
Pete Hodgson said the new appointments, and the reappointment of eight existing members including re-appointed chair
Stephen Tindall, are intended to increase the Board’s influence, so that it could take a more strategic, over-arching
approach to economic growth and productivity issues.
“The board plays a valuable role in bringing together key decision makers and thinkers in government and business, and
is already a very important source of advice to the government on growth and innovation issues. I believe that there is
scope for increasing its influence – especially in enhancing the dialogue between business and government on key
strategic issues facing the New Zealand economy,” said Pete Hodgson.
“Those reappointed, combined with the new members bring a wealth of experience and skills across a wide range of fields,
as well as excellent national and international networks,” he said.
The new board meets for the first time on July 24.
A full list of the new and re- appointments and brief biographies is appended.
The new appointments to GIAB are:
Jo Brosnahan, chair Landcare Research
Andrew Ferrier, chief executive Fonterra Co-operative Group
Prof Roger Field, chair NZ Vice Chancellors’ Committee
Bryan Gould, chair Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
Sam Knowles, chief executive Kiwibank Limited
Dr Peter Lee, chief executive officer Auckland UniServices Limited
Jonathan Ling, chief executive Fletcher Building Limited
Prof Philip McCann, Economics Professor Waikato University
Nick Main, chair Deloitte and NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development
Jon Mayson, chair New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Sue Suckling, chair National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited
Mark Tume, professional director.
Those reappointed to GIAB for another three years are:
Stephen Tindall (GIAB Chair), founder The Warehouse Limited and Tindall Foundation
Rick Christie, professional director
Dr Brian Easton, economist
Helen Kelly, president New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Jeremy Moon, chief executive Icebreaker NZ Limited
Phil O’Reilly, chief executive Business New Zealand
Sam Robinson, chair AgResearch Limited
David Shand, chair Tertiary Education Commission.
GROWTH AND INNOVATION ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER PROFILES
Stephen Tindall, Chair
Stephen Tindall is the founder of The Warehouse and the Tindall Foundation. He founded The Warehouse in 1982 and grew
the company into a billion dollar business before stepping down as Managing Director in 2001.
He now focuses on the Tindall Foundation and environmental and sustainability type projects. The Foundation invests in
identifying and funding a number of diverse initiatives in business, education and sport, designed to stimulate
innovation and excellence in New Zealand society. The Foundation has been involved in providing venture capital to youth
leadership in the community and enterprise.
Mr Tindall’s private venture capital company K1W1 has invested in over 100 young start up businesses and entrepreneurs
who are aiming at providing export revenues for New Zealand from innovation and growth technologies.
Mr Tindall is Chair of the Climate Change Leadership Forum, the Broadband Investment Forum and is a Co-Founder and
former Chair of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development. He is a founding member of The New Zealand
Institute, Co-Founder and Director, Kiwi Expats Abroad (KEA) and a Council Member of the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development.
He is a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit awarded in 2007.
Jo Brosnahan
Jo Brosnahan is a professional director and a consultant in leadership and strategy. She has had a career focused around
the transport and infrastructure sectors, environmental sustainability and resource management. Ms Brosnahan is Chair of
Landcare Research Limited, Chair of Leadership NZ and a Director of Housing New Zealand, Hobsonville Land Co and of the
Testing Laboratory Registration Council.
A Harkness Fellow, Ms Brosnahan was a chief executive in local government for 14 years, initially with the Northland
Regional Council and then with the Auckland Regional Council.
Rick Christie
Rick Christie was the founding Chair of the Growth and Innovation Advisory Board and he is the former Chair of
AgResearch and the Science and Innovation Advisory Council. Mr Christie is a professional director and company chairman
with appointments in both the private and public sectors.
Mr Christie spent 21 years in the oil industry in New Zealand and overseas. After nearly nine years in the export
sector, including six years as Chief Executive of Tradenz, he joined diversified investment company Rangatira Ltd as
Chief Executive. He retired from Rangatira Ltd in 2003 to become a fulltime independent Director.
Dr Brian Easton
Brian Easton is a researcher, writer, consultant and tertiary teacher. He was a director of the New Zealand Institute of
Economic Research between 1981 and 1986 and has published extensively on the New Zealand economy and public policy. He
is currently economics columnist for the New Zealand Listener and holds the 2007 J.D. Stout Fellowship, at the Stout
Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, to write an economic history of New Zealand.
Dr Easton has been a member of various government statistics, economics and policy committees. In 2004 he was a
Fulbright New Zealand Distinguished Scholar, which enabled him to study globalisation at the Centre for Australian and
New Zealand Studies, Georgetown University, and at Harvard University. In 2005 he was made a Distinguished Fellow of the
New Zealand Association of Economists. In 2007 he published ‘Globalisation and the Wealth of Nations’.
Andrew Ferrier
Andrew Ferrier is Chief Executive of Fonterra Co-operative Group.
During his career he has dealt continuously with free trade environments and heavily regulated environments having spent
sixteen years in the sugar industry in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico. He headed GSW Inc in
Toronto, Canada, a publicly traded Canadian company selling branded consumer building and water products.
Mr Ferrier is founding Chair of Global Dairy Platform, an international organisation whose mission is to provide insight
and guidance in the promotion of healthy consumption of dairy products.
Prof Roger Field
Prof Roger Field is Chair of the Vice Chancellors’ Committee and Vice Chancellor of Lincoln University, Canterbury. He
is involved with a large number of external organisations and bodies that support university education and research,
including the development of policy. This includes governance roles with education, research and technology companies.
Prof Field has made major contributions to international education development, particularly in Asia and Europe and been
involved in basic and applied research.
Bryan Gould
Bryan Gould is Chair, Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. He has a record of significant governance
experience, strong and relevant connections to the research sector and an excellent understanding of government
processes.
Mr Gould was a New Zealand Rhodes Scholar who served as a member of the UK parliament for sixteen years before returning
to New Zealand to become Vice Chancellor of Waikato University, a post which he held for 10 years until his retirement
in 2004. Under his leadership, the University of Waikato undertook several significant initiatives, including the
construction of the WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts, the establishment of the School of Maori and Pacific
Development, and the creation of the Waikato Innovation Park. He is currently a director of Television NZ and Chair of
the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence.
Helen Kelly
Helen Kelly was elected President of the NZ Council of Trade Union at the biennial conference in 2007. She had been CTU
Vice President since September 2003. She has a long history in the union movement, primarily in the education sector, as
an organiser for the Association of University Staff and has held several positions including Assistant Secretary in the
New Zealand Educational Institute.
Ms Kelly co-chairs the Workplace Health and Safety Council and is responsible for CTU international work through the
International Trade Union Congress and the International Labour Organisation.
Sam Knowles
Sam Knowles has held the position of Chief Executive, Kiwibank Limited, since its inception in 2001 and has considerable
experience in the banking industry.
Mr Knowles has been a senior manager for trading banks in New Zealand and Australia, specialising in areas including
strategic planning, retail services, marketing and business development. He is an executive member of New Zealand Post
Limited and holds a number of private sector board appointments.
Dr Peter Lee
Dr Peter Lee is Chief Executive Officer, Auckland UniServices Limited. Prior to joining UniServices, the research and
commercialisation company wholly owned by The University of Auckland, he spent most of his career in the United States.
Between 1988 and 2003 Dr Lee held executive positions with the $US30 billion International Paper Company, including
Global Director of New Product and Process Development and, from 1995, Vice President, Corporate Research and Product
Development. Dr Lee returned to New Zealand in 2003.
Jonathan Ling
Jonathan Ling is Chief Executive and Managing Director of Fletcher Building Limited, New Zealand’s leading building
materials company with operations in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, North America and Europe.
Prior to joining Fletcher Building in July 2003, Mr Ling was Executive General Manager of the Nylex Division, Austrim
Nylex Ltd. He was Chief Executive Officer of Visy Recycling for four years and prior to that Manager Corporate
Development with Pacifica Ltd where he led Pacifica's extensive business build up in Asia.
Prof Philip McCann
Prof Philip McCann is Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics, Waikato Management School at The University
of Waikato. He is a well respected, world renowned, economic geographer. Educated at Cambridge University his research
interests are in urban and regional economics, economic geography, transport economics, and international business
economics.
Prof McCann has previously held positions at the University of Reading, UK, University of Pennsylvania, USA, University
of Cambridge, UK as well as Visiting Professorships at the University of Tsukuba, Japan and Thammasat University,
Thailand.
Nick Main
Nick Main is Chair of Deloitte in New Zealand. He is an audit partner who specialises in financial audit. He leads the
Climate Change and Sustainability group for Deloitte in New Zealand and is a member of the Deloitte Global Corporate
Responsibility Council. He is a member of the Government’s Climate Change Leadership Forum.
Mr Main is Chair of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, Deputy Chair of the Excelerator (New
Zealand Leadership Institute) and a Board Member of the New Zealand Institute, the Committee for Auckland and the NZUS
Council.
Jon Mayson
Jon Mayson is Chair, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. He has extensive experience in exporting, international supply
chains and management and is a full time company chairman/director with a variety of New Zealand companies.
Mr Mayson was Chief Executive of the Port of Tauranga from 1997 to 2005, during which time the Port grew to be the
largest export port and established its Metro Port operation in Auckland. During his years in operational management Mr
Mayson undertook consultancy work for the Asian Development Bank and private consultants involving port privatisation
and development in South East Asia.
Jeremy Moon
Jeremy Moon is Chief Executive of merino outdoor clothing company Icebreaker, a brand launched in 1995 and now New
Zealand's largest adventure-wear exporter. Icebreaker clothing is now sold in 2000 stores in 30 countries and has been
listed on the Deloitte New Zealand "Fast 50" for two years. Icebreaker also won the 2003 Design in Business award.
Mr Moon is also the Chair of the Better by Design Advisory Board and a member of the Business Advisory Board for the
Otago University School of Business.
He is a member of the New Zealand order of merit, awarded in 2008.
Phil O'Reilly
Phil O'Reilly is Chief Executive of Business NZ, New Zealand's largest business advocacy organisation. He has a
background in business, advocacy and communications in enterprises in New Zealand and Australia.
During the 1980s he was Industrial Advocate, Auckland Employers Association Inc and in 1990 he became Executive Director
of the Newspaper Publishers Association of New Zealand. In 2000 he was appointed Head of Employment Policy and
Communication at Westpac Bank in Sydney before returning to New Zealand to his role at Business NZ.
Sam Robinson
Sam Robinson has extensive experience in the farming industry and strong links with the food and beverage sector. He is
a sheep and beef farmer in the Hawkes Bay and was a former Chair of Richmond Ltd.
Mr Robinson is Chair, AgResearch and a member of the Meat Industry Taskforce, a director of AsureQuality and a former
member of the Food and Beverage Taskforce.
In the private sector he is a director on the board of the Port of Napier, Farmlands Trading Society Ltd the Public
Service Investment Society and Centralines Ltd.
David Shand
David Shand has extensive international finance experience, working for both the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund, and he has worked with the OECD on public sector reform issues. He has held a number of senior positions
in state and federal government in Australia. In the 1970s, he spent six years in local politics as a Wellington City
Councillor.
Mr Shand is Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission and in 2007 chaired the Independent Commission of Inquiry into
Local Government Rates established by the Minister of Local Government. He is also a director of Meridian Energy Ltd.
In October 2007 he was one of three commissioners appointed to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Auckland Governance.
Sue Suckling
Sue Suckling has extensive experience as a governance practitioner. She is, and has been, a director of a large number
of private companies and public entities.
Ms Suckling is Chair and Director of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Chair of the New Zealand
Qualifications Authority and is a member of the Takeovers Panel and the Climate Change Leaders Forum. She was a former
Chair of state-owned enterprise AgriQuality Limited and was Deputy Chair of GNS Science.
Ms Suckling was awarded the OBE in 1996 for her contribution to NZ business.
Mark Tume
Mark Tume has had a career in the finance sector and has held senior roles in areas such as investment banking, capital
markets, asset and liability management, and risk control.
Mr Tume holds a number of directorships, including Transpower New Zealand Ltd, Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation, the New
Zealand Refining Company Limited, and Infratil Limited. He is a member of the Board of the Guardians of the New Zealand
Superannuation Fund and was a former President of the New Zealand Financial Markets Association.
ENDS