Board of Directors

1 July 2010

Board of Directors

Mr Tony Nowell (Chairman) is a professional company director and Founding Director of Valadenz Limited, a trade and export development company. Previously he was the CEO of Zespri International, and positions he held before then included Managing Director of Griffin’s Food Limited and Regional Vice President of Sara Lee Asia. Mr Nowell brings extensive experience in governance and international trade and development to the Board. His governance experience includes roles such as Chair of the Food and Beverage Taskforce, Deputy Chair of Leadership New Zealand, Chair of NZ Packaging Accord Governing Board and he is a member of the Export Advisory Board of Business of New Zealand.

Ms Alison Andrew (Deputy Chair) has held leadership positions in industries that include chemicals, dairy, paper and forest products, and oil and energy. She has deep experience in operating businesses, growing businesses and turning businesses around. Based in Auckland she is the General Manager of Orica Chemnet NZ, a role she took on in October 2009 after almost 2 years as CEO of Lexicon Systems Ltd, an Australasian marketing and advertising company. Previously she held a number of senior executive positions at Fonterra Co-operative and Fletcher Challenge. She has an MBA and BE (Hons) in chemicals and materials.

Mr Peter Berg, ONZM, (Director) is President of the New Zealand Forest Owners Association Inc., Deputy Chairman of Tane’s Tree Trust, a Board member of FITEC the New Zealand forest industry training organisation, a member of the Auckland Conservation Board, Chairman of Pentarch Forest Products Limited, Chairman of New Zealand Forestry Limited, Chairman of Berg Forests Limited, on the Board of the Wood Council of New Zealand (WoodCo) Inc., New Zealand section Chair of the Commonwealth Forestry Association, and a member of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry Registration Board.  Previously Mr Berg held various Chief Executive and other senior positions in the forestry sector and public service both in New Zealand and offshore. Mr Berg holds a BSc and BForSc (Aberdeen) and is a member of the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association and Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry, where he was recognised as Forester of the Year 2006. In 2010 he was awarded the Kirk Horn Award, the NZ Institute of Forestry’s supreme award for outstanding contributions to forestry.

Mr Sheldon Drummond (Director) has served on the New Zealand Forest Owners Association Executive for two terms. He is the General Manager Forests for Juken New Zealand Ltd and is stationed in Gisborne. He has a good appreciation of radiata processing and marketing as well as forest management in NZ. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Wood Processing Strategy and the subsequent benefits such as rural roading and labour and skills strategies which have assisted East Coast and Northland forestry over the past two years. Mr Drummond is a long standing member of the East Coast Forest Industry Group and maintains a keen participation in local and national forest issues. He has sound contacts and relationships throughout the industry and Government.

Mr Chris Karamea Insley, Te Whanau a Apanui and Ngati Porou (Director) has extensive experience in plantation forest management in New Zealand and has spent time living and working in the US and Canada. He is highly active in working nationally with Maori to develop scalable economic development strategies and particularly how to embrace research and development, innovation and technology to enable these programs. He is a Director on Ngati Porou Seafoods Limited, the Tairawhiti Regional Development Trust, and the International Global Change Institute. He has a Bachelor of Business Studies, Post-Graduate Diplomas in Marketing and Logistics and Business Research and an MBA from Waikato Management School. As well he has completed executive development programs in international finance and global strategy. He is a member of the Institute of Directors, the New Zealand Institute of Forestry and the Institute of Leadership and Management (London).

Mr Michael Ludbrook (Director) is a Chartered Accountant and an experienced director and management consultant specialising in assisting clients with major strategic change, planning, and organisational improvement initiatives. Mr Ludbrook has more than thirty years experience in most business disciplines including finance, information technology, strategic planning, engineering, manufacturing, wholesale/retail sales and marketing, organisational performance improvement, and project management. This experience has been gained in Australia and New Zealand Automobile, Electricity, and Health industries. At the end of 1999 Mr Ludbrook set up a consulting practice and in addition has taken on a number of Director/Chair appointments. These positions include include Chair of Norfolk Southern Cross Limited, Director of Da Vinci Robot Limited, Director of Maritime NZ, Director of Aerocool Limited, Chair of Norfolk Investments Limited, and past Chair of the Waikato District Health Board.

Dr Brian Rhoades (Director) is a business advisor and professional director with extensive management and governance experience. Dr Rhoades started his career as a lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Canterbury, moved into manufacturing and company management with the AHI/Carter Holt Harvey Group, and is a former Chief Executive of Sealord Products Ltd. His widespread governance experience includes chairing the New Zealand Food and Beverage Exporters’ Council, and serving on the boards of a broad range of listed and unlisted companies and not-for-profit organisations. He is currently Chairman of the Forest Industries Training and Education Council (FITEC) and Ngai Tahu Seafood Ltd, and director of Brian L Rhoades and Associates Ltd and Superlink Developments Ltd. Dr Rhoades holds BE (Hons) and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering and is a Fellow of IPENZ and the Institute of Directors.

Ms Judith Stanway (Director), a qualified accountant, is the Business Management Partner of BDO Rotorua. Ms Stanway is Chair of BDO New Zealand, a large chartered accountancy and business advisory firm, and a Fellow of the NZ Institute of Directors. She has worked with the forestry sector for many years, including holding Director’s positions on companies involved with timber processing and distribution. She also has governance experience in tourism and charitable trusts.