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General Management team

Our General Management Team direct the day-to-day operation of the company.

Patrick Strange

Chief Executive Officer

Patrick joined Transpower in 2007.  He has held a number of senior executive roles in the energy sector in the United States and New Zealand including Fletcher Challenge Energy, Chief Executive of Vector Limited, and directorships of Contact Energy Limited and Mighty River Power. Patrick holds a PhD in Engineering and has led several industry-wide initiatives.  He also farms beef and sheep on an East Coast station.

 

Cynthia Brophy

General Manager Corporate Affairs and People and Performance

Cynthia joined Transpower in 2006 from ANZ National Bank where she was General Manager Corporate Affairs. She has held a wide range of roles within corporate affairs. Cynthia has also held senior roles at Tower Corporation, Coopers&Lybrand and Airways Corporation. Cynthia holds an MA from Illinois State University.

 

Responsibilities: Corporate and stakeholder relations, communications, community relations, media and web management, organisational culture, staff development, recruitment.

Mike Carter

General Manager Grid Projects

Mike joined Transpower in 2008 with an international career in project management. A power engineer by trade, Mike spent  all his previous career with National Grid of the UK, developing and delivering projects in Australia, India and the UK, most recently as Project Director for the Basslink Interconnector between Tasmania and Victoria.

Responsibilities: building grid enhancements – project management, procurement, supplier and contract management, environmental approvals.

Howard Cattermole

Chief Financial Officer

Howard was appointed Chief Financial Officer in November 2011, after five years as General Manager of Corporate Services. Prior to this he was Regulatory Strategy Manager. Howard originally joined Transpower’s Pricing Team in 2000 after a career in the UK, first in the oil exploration industry and then in investment banking. He holds a degree in Mathematics and an MBA from London Business School.

Responsibilities: Finance, treasury, regulatory, risk management, business development.

Kieran Devine

General Manager System Operations

Kieran was appointed  as General Manager System Operations in 2004 from the position of General Manager Service Delivery, which he’d held since joining Transpower in 2002. He has over 30 years’ experience in the electricity industry in New Zealand and internationally. His previous roles have included General Manager Generation for ECNZ, where he managed over 95% of New Zealand’s electricity generation system, and General Manager, Beca Power for engineering consultants Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner.

Responsibilities: System Operator – managing supply with demand, system maintenance.

John Clarke

General Manager Grid Development

John was appointed General Manager Grid Development in 2008, following ten years with the Transpower System Operator.
 
John is a professional electrical engineer and has had a varied career within the electricity sector including numerous senior management roles with Transpower. His role with the System Operator included responsibility for grid operating security planning, as well as leading operational management initiatives of tight supply situations on the grid. He is also a member of the National Winter Group.

Responsibilities: Developing the Grid - planning the national transmission grid, developing grid upgrade plans, managing the regulatory approval and pricing processes, and working with customers to develop their connection points.

Bob Simpson

Chief Engineer National Grid

Bob is a professional electrical engineer with over 35 years’ industry experience. Bob has held a number of senior roles with Transpower, NZED and Electricorp, and also provided technical and managerial consulting services to the electricity industry in New Zealand and overseas.

Bob is President of the Electricity Engineers Association Executive, and a board member of the University of Canterbury Engineering Excellence Trust and Electric Power Engineering Centre. Bob holds ME (Electrical), CPEng, CEng, FIET and FIPENZ qualifications.

Responsibilities: Ensures engineering quality is appropriate and is delivered safely and effectively.

Jim Tocher

General Manager Information Services & Technology

Jim joined Transpower in 2003 from Ericsson Synergy, where he was Chief Executive. He has extensive international experience as a strategic consultant in the IT and Telecommunications sector having worked on assignments in Europe, North and South America and Asia-Pacific. Prior to joining Ericsson Synergy, Jim was a senior executive at Telecom in the wireless technology division.  Jim holds a BE in Civil Engineering and an MBA.

Responsibilities: Maintenance and development of Transpower’s information services and technology.

David Knight

General Counsel and Company Secretary

David was appointed General Counsel and Company Secretary in August 2007.  Prior to joining Transpower, David was General Counsel at Telecom NZ.  David holds an Honours degree in law from the University of Auckland, and a Masters degree in law from Harvard Law School, which he attended as a Fulbright scholar.  Prior to his career in law, David was involved in the wine industry, including periods as a winemaker, wine merchant and wine judge.

Responsibilities: General Counsel and Company Secretary.

Garth Dibley

General Manager Grid Performance

Garth joined Transpower in September 2010 from Meridian Energy where he was General Manager External Relations. During his career at Meridian, Garth held a number of roles including asset maintenance and management. Prior to his role at Meridian, Garth was employed by ECNZ with the Northern Generation Hydro group for two years as the Technical Manager.  He has also worked previously with thermal and gas turbine plants at Huntly Thermal Group where he was Engineering Manager. Garth has a degree in Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration.

Responsibilities: Maintaining the performance and operation of our grid assets such as substations and transmission lines, and property management related to our assets.