Appointments to WorkSafe Board

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse today announced two new appointments to the WorkSafe New Zealand Board.

Stephen Reindler and Nikki Davies-Colley will join the board from 16 December for three year terms.

 “These appointments bring to the Board strong governance skills and experience in sectors which WorkSafe is particularly focused on,” Mr Woodhouse says.

“Stephen Reindler is a very experienced director and engineer who has led health and safety programmes in large manufacturing, engineering, and transport companies.

“Nikki Davies-Colley brings her governance experience in the farming, forestry and energy sectors and her health and safety initiatives have become models for others in those industries.”

Chair and Deputy Chair of the WorkSafe Board, Gregor Coster and Ross Wilson, have also been reappointed.

“Both Gregor and Ross have shown a strong commitment to implementing the reforms introduced by the Health and Safety at Work Act.

“Gregor is an experienced health sector leader and has led the board from its establishment in 2013. Ross will continue to bring an employees’ perspective and a sound understanding of employment and workplace health and safety law.”

WorkSafe is a Crown agent and has an independent board, with five to nine members appointed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety.

Note for editors:

Stephen Reindler

Mr Reindler has a background in large-scale infrastructure and heavy industry manufacturing. He is a director of Meridian Energy Ltd, Naylor Love Enterprises Ltd, Broome International Airport Group, Resolve Group Ltd, Yachting NZ and Chair of Waste Disposal Services JV. He was previously a director of the Port of Napier, Stevenson Group Ltd, an advisory director of Glidepath Ltd, a member of the Transfield Services Ltd Advisory Board, and is a former president of the Institute of Professional Engineers NZ. Mr Reindler has led occupational health and safety programmes at Auckland Airport and BHP Steel.

Nikki Davies-Colley

Ms Davies-Colley and her husband have farmed cattle and sheep for over 30 years and owned companies involved in forest management and harvesting in Northland for 25 years. She is Chair of Northpower, a founding director of the merged Farmlands Co-operative Society Ltd, its subsidiary Farmlands Finance Ltd, and chairs the Farmlands People & Performance Sub-Committee. She is also a director of Landcorp Ltd and chairs the People and Safety Sub-Committee of that company. Ms Davies-Colley has implemented a number of initiatives to improve health and safety in her various organisations.

Gregor Coster

Professor Gregor Coster, has chaired the WorkSafe Board since its establishment in 2013. He has served on six Crown agency governance boards over the past 20 years, including Pharmac and the Counties Manukau District Health Board where he led significant health care reforms. He is currently a board member of the ACC. Professor Coster serves on the Bevan Commission in Wales providing health and social service advice to the Welsh Government. He is currently Professor of Health Policy and Chair of the Improving Health and Wellbeing in our Communities theme at the Victoria University of Wellington.

Ross Wilson

Ross Wilson is a self-employed mediation, arbitration and labour consultant. He is a former president of the NZ Council of Trade Unions. Of Scottish and Ngāi Tahu descent, Ross has governance experience which includes Chair and Deputy Chair of the ACC, and director of the Port of Wellington, KiwiRail, and NZ Railways Corporation. He is a lawyer with a strong interest in employment and workplace health and safety law and practice.