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Board of directors

As a State Owned Enterprise, Transpower’s Board is appointed by its shareholders – the Government.

Mark Verbiest

Chairman
 
Mark is a professional company director and strategic advisor. Mark has previously been a partner of Simpson Grierson, and was a senior executive at Telecom New Zealand for over seven years. He currently holds directorships with AMP Haumi Management Ltd, Freightways Ltd, Government Superannuation Fund Authority, Southern Cross Medical Care Society and Southern Cross Health Trust, Willis Bond Capital Partners Ltd and Aptimize Ltd. Mark is also a member of the Securities Commission and a consultant to Simpson Grierson.

Ian Fraser

Deputy Chair

BE (Hons) Dist FIPENZ. Ian Fraser was appointed to the Transpower Board in May 2007. After graduating in Engineering at Canterbury University, Ian has worked as a consulting engineer and in the construction industry. He has been a Director of Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner Ltd since 1985 and has served on a number of industry Boards including the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, the Association of Consulting Engineers (President 2000 to 2002) and was a Director of Mighty River Power from 1999 to 2006 (Deputy Chair 2005 to 2006).

Abby Foote

Abby has an extensive legal background and experience in the areas of finance, mergers and acquisitions, and telecommunications, both in New Zealand and in the United Kingdom. Abby has previously served as a director and chair of Mike Pero Mortgages and as Chief Executive of internet-based financial services company, Fundit Limited.  She has also held senior positions at Telecom New Zealand, Cable and Wireless Plc and the Pharmaceutical Management Agency.

Mike Pohio

Mike Pohio has been Chief Executive of Tainui Group Holdings since 2006. Prior to that he was Container Terminal Manager at the Port of Tauranga. Mike has also worked for Fonterra and its Hamilton based predecessor, the New Zealand Dairy Group. Mikes roles for Fonterra and its antecedents have included Group Financial Controller, General Manager of Glencoal Energy, Regional General Manager for Anchor Products, and Manager of Merger Benefits.   He has tribal linkages to Te Arawa (Ngati Pikiao) and Ngai Tahu.

Maury Leyland

BE (Hons) MIPENZ. Maury has been a senior executive at Fonterra since 2005 and is currently leading a large transformation across Fonterra’s commodity supply chain. Previous roles within Fonterra have included General Manager New Zealand Logistics and Associate Director Strategy and Growth. Prior to that, she spent 9 years with the Boston Consulting Group as a strategy consultant working with large companies in New Zealand and Australia with a particular focus on operations. She was a member of the design team for Team New Zealand during the successful 1995 America’s Cup campaign in San Diego. Maury is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Auckland.

Don Huse

Don is a director of AMP NZ Office, Cavalier Corporation, OTPP New Zealand Forest Investments and Sydney Airport Corporation. He was chief executive officer of Auckland International Airport from 1998 until he retired in 2008; chief financial officer of Sydney Airport Corporation from 1998 to 2003; and chief executive of Wellington International Airport from 1991 to 1998. From 1990 to 1999, he was a director of TransAlta New Zealand and of its predecessor entities. His earlier career included chief executive and senior financial management roles with the Cable Price Downer and Steel and Tube groups.

Keith Tempest

Keith is now a professional company director having worked for 24 years in the electricity industry, the last 8 years as Chief Executive of TrustPower Limited. Keith was involved in most aspects of the electricity industry reforms of the 1990s including the establishment and governance of the wholesale electricity market, the corporatisation of the electric power boards and the establishment and design of the current market rules. Keith is a Director of Crown Fibre Holdings Limited, Port of Tauranga Limited, NZ Bus Limited and UltraFast Broadband Limited.

Alastair Scott

Alastair is Chairman of the Crown Health Financing Agency and Henergy Eggs Limited, and is a current trustee of the Wairarapa Regional Irrigation Trust and the Scout Youth Foundation.  He is also a council member at Massey University.

Alastair was Managing Director at Credit Suisse First Boston and member of the senior executive.  He was a member of the senior executive for Meridian Energy at its formation in 1999.  Alastair has also been on the investment advisory committee of venture capital firm, NO8 Ventures and a member of two of the investment companies' boards.