Tertiary Education Institution council members reappointed

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today announced 15 reappointments to six Tertiary Education Institution councils. These include appointments to three newly-reconstituted university councils, and three leadership positions at institute of technology or polytechnic councils.

“I welcome the reappointment of these council members in recognition of the high-quality governance and leadership they have been providing to their institutions,” Mr Joyce says.

Mr Joyce has announced 12 ministerial appointments to three newly-reconstituted university councils, all of whom are currently serving as council members under the old, larger council model. The appointments are effective from the date of each university council’s new constitution.

The reappointments to tertiary education institute councils are:

• University of Waikato: the reappointment of Mervyn Dallas, Ian Fitzgerald, Simon Graafhuis, and Mike Pohio as members;
• The University of Auckland: the reappointment of Michael Daniell,  Andrew Ferrier, Sir Ralph Norris, and Peter Kiely as members;
• Massey University: the reappointment of Michael Ahie, Dr Helen Anderson, Colin Harvey, and Ben Vanderkolk as members;
• Eastern Institute of Technology: the reappointment of Michael Morgan as Deputy Chair;
• Southern Institute of Technology: the reappointment of Sarah Brown as Chair; and
• Unitec Institute of Technology: the reappointment of Dianne Kidd as Deputy Chair.

University of Waikato
Mervyn Dallas is a business consultant and Interim Chief Financial Officer at Compac Sorting Equipment. He has also worked in senior financial roles at Zespri International Ltd and the SkyCity Group. He is experienced in shipping, commercial banking and the hospitality industry. Mr Dallas is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland. He has been a Ministerial appointee on the council since 2011, and is a member of the Finance Committee.

Ian Fitzgerald is an experienced company director and advisor. He is a Chartered Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and holds a number of directorships with private and public entities. Mr Fitzgerald professional interests are in corporate governance, organisational performance and financial business analysis. He has strong financial skills and considerable experience and expertise at a strategic level. Mr Fitzgerald has been a Ministerial appointee on Council since 2013, and is a member of the Risk Management Committee.

Simon Graafhuis has been the Chief Financial Officer of Gallagher since 2008 with responsibility for the global finance function. His career has also included a variety of finance, organisational change and project-related roles with LIC, Fonterra and New Zealand Dairy Group. He is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. Mr Graafhuis is an alumni of the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies, has been a Ministerial appointee on Council since 2015, and is a member of the Risk Management Committee.

Mike Pohio’s career has been defined with a mix of governance and senior executive roles including most recently a successful eight year period as CEO of Tainui Group Holdings Limited (TGH). His career has also included senior management positions at Port of Tauranga, Fonterra, NZ Dairy Group, Glencoal Energy, Elders Pastoral and Allied Farmers. Mr Pohio is Chairman of BNZ Partners Waikato, and a Director of Transpower, NIWA, and Bay Radiotherapy Services. Mr Pohio has been on the University of Waikato Council as a Ministerial appointment since 2013, and was elected Pro-Chancellor in 2015.

The University of Auckland
Michael Daniell has been the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited since 2001. He has previously held various positions in Fisher & Paykel’s Healthcare division, including product design engineer and technical manager and has more than 30 years of international healthcare business experience. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical engineering with Honours from The University of Auckland.

Andrew Ferrier runs his own investment business, Canz Capital Ltd, with investments in New Zealand, Canada and the USA.  He was CEO of Fonterra from 2003 to 2011 and prior to that served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of GSW Inc. in Toronto. Mr Ferrier also spent 16 years in the sugar industry, working primarily in Canada, the USA, the UK, and Mexico. Mr Ferrier is currently Chair of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Board, Chair of Orion Health Ltd and a board member of Bunge Limited in White Plains, New York, and other private, advisory, and not for profit boards in Canada, the United States and New Zealand. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick and a MBA from Concordia University.

Sir Ralph Norris (Ngāti Hine) had a 40-year career in banking, retiring as the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) in 2011.  Sir Ralph was also the Chief Executive and Managing Director of Air New Zealand Ltd (2002–2005), and CEO and Managing Director of ASB Bank Ltd (1991-2001). He is a former Chair of the Business Roundtable. He was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009, and a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business in 2006. Sir Ralph is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management, and Fellow of the New Zealand Computer Society. His current governance roles include Chair of Fletcher Building Limited, director of Fonterra (until November 2015), and director of Origin Energy Ltd. In 2012, the University of New South Wales conferred on him an honorary Doctorate of Business.

Peter Kiely is a founding partner in Kiely Thompson Caisley, a boutique corporate law firm, where he practises in employment law and industrial relations. He is a graduate of the University of Auckland in Law (1981) and Arts (1982). In 1999 he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Employment Law at Victoria University of Wellington. Mr Kiely is the Honorary Consul for the Slovak Republic, and has also been very involved in the promotion of business in the Pacific. His current governance roles include Chair of the Pacific Cooperation Foundation, International Development Advisory and Selection Panel (IDASP) member, and Chair of the Pacific Development and Conservation Trust. Mr Kiely served as Pro-Chancellor of The University of Auckland from 2012–2014.

Massey University
Michael Ahie BBS (Hons) is Chairman of Plant and Food Research Ltd, Chairman of ComplyWith, Chairman of the Food Safety and Assurance Advisory Council and a director of a number of companies including FMG, BCC Ltd and MIG Angels. He is a founding partner of AltusQ New Zealand Ltd.  Of Taranaki, Ngā Ruahine and Ngāti Ruanui descent, Mr Ahie has broad international business and governance experience with multinational companies. He held senior roles with Toyota New Zealand Ltd, the New Zealand Dairy Board and Wrightson Ltd.

Helen Anderson is an independent director, with current governance roles with DairyNZ, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, WREDA, FulbrightNZ, and the Building Research Association of New Zealand and she is on the National Council of the Institute of Directors. She chairs external advisory committees for the Department of Internal Affairs and LINZ and is involved in other advisory committees in the science, education and government sectors. She was Chief Executive of the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST) for six years and before that was MoRST's Chief Scientific Adviser for more than five years. Dr Anderson is a Companion of the Queen's Service Order, a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors, and a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Colin Harvey ONZM BAgSc, BCom is widely recognised for his contributions to the New Zealand agricultural industry. He founded and built Ancare into a multinational company. His contribution to industry affairs includes founding the Animal Remedy and Plant Protectant Association. Mr Harvey farms Lake McKay Station in Wanaka. He is a Director and investor in a number of agricultural and technology investments, the founding Chair of the Hobbiton JV theme park, Chair of Zelam Ltd, Country TV and Canterbury Fresh Lamb Ltd, a member of ReturnonScience, and former Chair of NZ Agritech. In 2008, Mr Harvey was made an Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit, and in 2009 a member of the North Shore Enterprise Hall of Fame.

Ben Vanderkolk LLB has been Crown Solicitor in Palmerston North since 1987.  His law firm conducts private and commercial litigation, arbitration and mediation in the Manawatu and throughout NZ. Mr Vanderkolk has served on the NZ Law Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and the Faculty of the New Zealand Law Society Litigation Skills Programme. He is presently Chair of the Te Awahou-Nieuwe Stroom Trust, and has held governance roles as Chair of the Manfeild Park Trust and of the New Zealand Netherlands Foundation. Mr Vanderkolk is also a member of the Bio Commerce Centre Trust at Palmerston North, and is a Ministerial appointed member and Deputy Chair of the UCOL Council.

Eastern Institute of Technology
Michael Morgan is Hawke’s Bay born and bred, with a wealth of local knowledge and contacts. He has been a partner of Carlile Dowling, a Napier law firm, since 2001. Mr Morgan is a past President of the Hawke’s Bay District Law Society and a former trustee of the Art Deco Trust and Opera Hawke’s Bay.

Southern Institute of Technology
Sarah Brown was appointed as Chair of the Southern Institute of Technology council in 2011 and has served as a council appointee since 2006. She is currently an Associate with Tavendale & Partners, specialising in general commercial and rural based legal work. Ms Brown is a member of the Institute of Directors, director of Electricity Invercargill Ltd, Southern Lakes English College, Roaring Forties Ltd, and a Trustee of the 1000 Days Trust.

Unitec Institute of Technology
Dianne Kidd has over 20 years’ commercial experience in New Zealand fund management and superannuation industries. She is a professional non-executive director, currently serving as Chair of the Kaipara Medical Centre Ltd and Helensville District Health Trust, and on the boards of AsureQuality and The Co-operative Bank. Ms Kidd has had a life-time interest in education, stemming from her secondary school teaching career, which included an active role in curriculum development and successful co-authoring of a series of text books. She was previously a chief examiner of University Entrance Economics.