New Board Members For Antarctica New Zealand

Antarctica New Zealand is pleased to welcome two new Board members.

Independent Director, Jenn Bestwick and Environmental Manager, Neil Gilbert have joined the organisation. The appointments were announced in today’s New Zealand Gazette.

Mrs Bestwick is an independent Director with a background in business and management consulting. She is Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission, Chair of the Resilience to Nature’s Challenges National Science Challenge, Board member for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and has worked for Ngāi Tahu Holdings Group as General Manager, Strategy and Planning.

Dr Gilbert has more than three decades’ experience in environmental management. He has worked in policy and management roles for central government in the UK and New Zealand and has spent many years developing environmental and health and safety systems in Antarctica.

The five current Antarctica New Zealand Board members will remain with the organisation. Sir Brian Roche and Tony O’Brien have been reappointed for two years, and Dame Therese Walsh for a further three years. Dr Helen Anderson and Rob Morrison remain on the Board.

Sir Brian says the two new members have important strengths.

“Neil and Jenn both bring valuable skills in this exciting time, as Antarctica New Zealand gears up for its biggest ever undertaking - the Scott Base Redevelopment. Neil has a significant leadership record in national and international Antarctic forums, and Jenn has a broad range of experience to draw upon including complex capital and organisational change,” he says.

The new board members have been appointed for three-year terms.

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