Education New Zealand board appointments announced

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today announced five appointments to the Education New Zealand board.

Charles Finny has been reappointed as the Board Chair for an eighteen-month term. Mr Finny was the inaugural Chair of the Education New Zealand board and has been an effective contributor since Education New Zealand was established in 2011. Through his reappointment Education New Zealand will continue to benefit from his knowledge and experience in the international education sector and Education New Zealand’s business.

Philip Broughton, Richard Leggat and John Morris have each been reappointed for three-year terms.

Victoria Spackman has been appointed as a member of the board for a three-year term.

“Ms Spackman has substantial commercial experience and knowledge of working in export markets. Her mix of skills and experience will be an asset for Education New Zealand,” says Mr Joyce. 

Biographies

Charles Finny is a partner at Saunders Unsworth Ltd and was Chief Executive of the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce between 2005 and 2010. Prior to that he worked as a diplomat and trade official, this included postings in China, Taiwan and Singapore. He is a fluent Mandarin speaker. Mr Finny is a member of the Board of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the New Zealand Film Commission and Kawarau Estate Limited. He is also a member of the Victoria University of Wellington Council, an advisor to Metro Polytechnics and former Chair of the Local Government Forum.

Philip Broughton (Ngāi Tahu and Kahungunu) has 27-years’ experience as a chartered accountant, mentor and business advisor.  He became a partner in the firm of Polson Higgs on 1 January 1997, with responsibilities for training, consulting, and business services. His governance experience includes roles as president of the Otago Southland Employers Association, Chairman of Dunedin PHO, board member of the Advertising Standards Complaints Board, Chair of Te Kupeka Umaka Māori ki Araiteuru (Southern Māori Business Network), board member of the Business New Zealand Council, board member of Te Runaka Otakou Ltd, Kiwi Haka Ltd, and Whare Mahana Ltd.

Richard Leggat has a varied background across business, marketing and e-commerce. Mr Leggat worked for apparel manufacturer Lane Walker Rudkin before switching into the finance sector and working as a share broker, initially in Christchurch, followed by four years in London and then Auckland.  He is currently employed in a sales and marketing role for a leading provider of e-commerce solutions. Mr Leggat is the chairman of BikeNZ, the organisation that supports the development of cycling in New Zealand. He is also a founding committee member of the Eating Disorder Association of New Zealand and chairs the Parnell District School Board of Trustees. He has served on the New Zealand Tourism Board since 2010 and is the current Deputy Chair.

John Morris was appointed Headmaster at Auckland Grammar School in July 1993 after previously being Principal of Takapuna Grammar School for nearly four years.  Mr Morris resigned from his role with Auckland Grammar in September 2012. He is a current member of the Tertiary Education Commission’s Board of Commissioners. Mr Morris is founding Chairman of the Association of Cambridge Schools in New Zealand, a former Chairman of the Education Forum, an education lobby group and think-tank, and was a member of the University of Auckland Council for seven years. He is on the advisory panel for the new Pre-U qualification just introduced in the United Kingdom by University of Cambridge International Exams.

Victoria Spackman is Chief Executive, Director and co-owner of the Gibson Group. In this role, Ms Spackman is responsible for the leadership of the company, including its culture, strategy and growth. Currently, the Gibson Group works in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Denmark. The company’s aims include expansion into these and other export markets. Ms Spackman’s governance experience includes: board member of Screenrights, an Australian statutory company responsible for collecting and distributing royalties, and committee member of FirstBoards, a working group associated with the Institute of Directors which encourages high quality governance in small to medium enterprises and new companies. She has held other governance roles with Bats Theatre and the Screen Production and Development Association. Ms Spackman holds qualifications in arts and law. In 2012, she was awarded the LexisNexis Private Sector In-House Lawyer of the Year.