This year’s panel of independent judges is made up of three experts in safety and business.
Francois Barton - Chairperson:
Francois Barton is the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum – New Zealand’s largest CEO membership group, representing a coalition of more than 440 CEOs who lead more than 25% of our national workforce, and committed to building cultures that enable people and business to thrive. Francois motivating belief, developed and confirmed by more than 20 years of working with business and across government in policy, strategy and regulation, is that progress only comes when leaders confront difficult realities together. Prior to joining the Forum, Francois held roles at MBIE, the Department of Labour, and established and ran WorkSafe NZ’s national programme team, which has delivered major safety campaigns in construction, agriculture, forestry and manufacturing. This is why Francois was one of the founders of the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum back in 2009 and is immensely proud and privileged to have been Forum Chief Executive since 2015.
Mark Worsfold MNZM:
Mark Worsfold MNZM is currently serving as the Program Director for Strategic Maritime Partnerships at Babcock International Group PLC. He joined Babcock in November 2022 after 35 years of service with the Royal New Zealand Navy, where his most recent role was Logistics Commander (Maritime).
Throughout his career, Mark has been involved in a number of significant deployments, including Operation Enduring Freedom in the Persian Gulf in 2004. He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2016 for his services to the New Zealand Defence Force.
In his role at Babcock, Mark is responsible for the safe delivery of New Zealand’s Maritime Fleet sustainment services programme, leveraging his extensive experience to enhance operational effectiveness and leadership.
Dr Keith Turner CNZM:
Dr. Turner was a member of the Transpower’s Board of Directors from December 2021. He was appointed as the Chair of the Board in May 2022, with his term concluding on June 1, 2025.
Dr. Turner has over 50 years of experience in the electricity industry, having held senior executive positions at Meridian Energy, the former Electricity Corporation of New Zealand, and its predecessor NZ Electricity Department. Since 2008, he has served as a professional Chair, Deputy Chair, and Director on major New Zealand and Australian Boards, including Auckland International Airport, Transgrid (NSW), Chorus NZ, Spark Infrastructure, NSW State EnergyCo, and Fisher & Paykel.
In 2018, Dr. Turner was appointed as a member of the Interim Climate Change Committee by the New Zealand Government, where he began crucial work on how Aotearoa transitions to a net zero carbon economy by 2050.
Dr. Turner holds a PhD in electrical engineering, is a Distinguished Fellow of Engineering New Zealand, and has been awarded the Sir William Pickering Medal for Engineering Leadership. In the 2024 New Years Honours, Keith was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM), for services to the electricity industry.
Judging criteria
The judges of the STAR Awards will assess nominations against these criteria:
- How well the nomination fits the category
- How informative the supporting information was
- How significantly the action, innovation, initiative or programme contributed to reducing risks and hazards
- Evidence that the action, innovation, initiative or programme had a positive impact on health, safety and/or wellbeing
- The extent to which the action, innovation, initiative or programme went beyond expected business-as-usual
- How strongly the nomination demonstrated the commitment shown to health, safety and/or wellbeing.