New appointments

A round-up of comings and goings in the New Zealand transport industry….

New arrivals at New Zealand’s biggest company, Fonterra, are Ian Palliser, managing director group optimisation and supply chain; Maury Leyland, group general manager strategy; Paul Campbell, group general manager mergers and acquisitions, and Todd Muller, managing director co-operative affairs. Allan Turnbull becomes managing director Latin America and former RD1 chief executive Sarah Kennedy becomes managing director of Fonterra Nutrition.

A senior management rejig by new chief executive Theo Spierings sees CFO Jonathan Mason and  Manufacturing GM Gary Romano continuing in their roles, along with Kelvin Wickham , China and Indian markets; Mark Wilson, Asean, Middle East and North African markets and John Doumani, New Zealand and Australian markets. The new structure applies from 1 August.

Housing New Zealand Chairman Patrick Snedden has been appointed to the board of Ports of Auckland.  He replaces veteran director Rob Campbell, who stepped down in March when the company became embroiled in a long running dispute with the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

Suva based shippiong agent Transan Fiji has announced significant office expansion  including the appointment of a kiwi to head operations.  New Zealander Stephen Blade has been appointed general manager, Mr Blade has 28 years of experience in the shipping industry.

Transam Fiji was set up in 2007 as a joint venture between locally owned freight and transpiort company Williams & Gosling Ltd, PDL and Reef Shipping. It is the agent of Reef and PDL which are the biggest operators in the region with eight ships between them.

“It’s a different Transam Fiji than when we started,” Mr Blade said. “We started with five staff, and now have 26 who look after multiple ships, multiple clients and a lot more trade within the Pacific.

New Pacific routes had been established, with more frequent calls to regional islands such as the Marshall Islands and Kiribati, all linking through Fiji, which was asumming the hub role.  THe expanded company will continue to operate from the Williams & Gosling building in Suva..

CentrePort Wellington commercial manager Jon Kelly is to commence a secondment in the newly created role of Transport Systems (TSL) chief executive from April 1.

Having established himself as part of the port leadertship team, Mr Kelly will now demonstrate these skills in his new role. TSL is a key part of the port’s growing joint venture portfolio, which provides empty container storage, servicing, sales and hire in the lower North Island.

CentrePort CEO Blair O’Keeffe said that Mr Kelly is to remain the key contact for all port-related commercial matters until his secondment. A new commercial manager will be announced soon, as well as appointee to the recently vacated account managers role.

Tony Mildon has been appointed Maersk Line New Zealand director of sales, replacing Campbell Smith who is moving to Turkey to be sales director of Maersk Line’s Black Sea operations.

The new chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturer’s Association is Kim Campbell. Mr Campbell’s most recent position was as executive chairman of Pharma Industries Incorporated, but he has been involved with a number of manufacturing and exporting industries, including Trigon Plastics, Masport, New Image, and for the past 13 years, the Hong Kong based Zuellig Group.

Before heading overseas, Mr Campbell was a director of EMA, President of the Export Institute, a councillor for Business New Zealand, and he has served on various public and private company boards over a career spanning 35 years.

Former Real Estate Agents Authority chief executive and registrar Keith Manch is to become the new Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) chief executive and director from early December. He replaces Catherine Taylor who is moving after five years in the position. Mr Manch has 20 years public service experience in various regulatory, compliance and enforcement functions, more latterly as deputy secretary at the Department of Internal Affairs. He is a graduate of Victoria University, and an alumni member of the New Zealand Government Advanced Leadership Programme.  He has attended several advanced management programmes at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania and at Harvard University.

Experienced transport industry executive Roger Gower has been appointed as chairman of PrimePort Timaru following the incumbent Sid McAuley’s decision to vacate the position. Mr Gower has held senior management roles with Air New Zealand, and Tranz Rail, and held previous directorships with Ports of Auckland, Charles Group, Auckland Regional Transport and several transport companies. Mr McAuley will continue as a board member at PrimePort Timaru.

Albany Port, Western Australia has appointed Sean Bolt as its new harbourmaster. Mr Bolt, 52, has held chief executive positions in New Zealand with Pacific Forum Line, Port Marlborough and C3 and was a former container terminal manager at Port of Tauranga. He holds a masters degree in trransport and a master mariner foreign going certificate. Mr Bolt’s role will include pilotage, controlling all maritime matters at the port and provding advice on technical maritime issues to CEO Brad Williamson and the Board.

Fonterra has announced Theo Spierings has taken up the appointment as CEO. Mr Spierings, who led the Dutch farmer co-operative, Royal Friesland Foods into a merger with Camoina in 2008, will take over from September 26. He has 25 years  knowledge of the global diary industry, having worked in a variety of management, supply, operations and marketing positionsd across a number of geographies. Aged 46, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foodtechnology and a MBA. He currently lives in The Netherlands.

Carolyn Tremain is the new New Zealand Customs Service CEO and Comptroller. Ms Tremain  was formrerly deputy commissioner service delivery in the Inland Revenue Department, a positon she hoeld since 2007. She has been appointed for a five year term, starting September 19.

Waterfront cargo logistics company, ISO Ltd has appointed Jillian Emery as training development officer. Ms Emery who has worked in ths sector in both Australia and New Zealand will manage training programmes and health and safety issues as the company expands.

ISO is based in Tauranga and has operations in 10 ports throughout New Zealand. It handles over 10 million tonnes of cargo anunually and engages more than 500 people under contract with employer, New Zealand Associates.

ANZCo Foods Chairman Graeme Thomas Harrison, shown at right, has been named Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, just a year after being recognised by the nation’s farmers as the agribusiness person of the year.

The Queens Birthday honour was accorded to the founder and principal of ANZCo  for 20 years as the company’s managing director before taking over the chairmanship in 2004.

ANZCo was originally a meat producers board subsidiary, marketing lamb in North Asia, and was set up by Sir Graeme, then Meat Board deputy chief executive,  when he went to Japan in 1984 to organise the first foreign owned meat importing company in that country. Sir Graeme, from a mid Canterbury farming family, was briefly with the Department of Trade and Industry  before joining the Meat Board.

Jim Doyle has been named as the New Zealand Shipping Federation’s new executive director, replacing Sam Buckle. Mr Doyle recently completed a two year contract with Tranzqual, the commercial land transport industry training organisation (ITO), where he worked with five sector groups - ports and stevedoring; freight forwarding; road transport; and bus, coach and taxis, to develop sector skills strategies. He previously spent 17 years as the executive director of the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics New Zealand.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has announced the appointment of Phil Abraham as its new general manager for New Zealand. Mr Abraham has an extensive background in shipping and freight forwarding. He is currently based in South America with Inchcape Shipping. He will be joining MSC on July 11, based in its Christchurch office.

Helen Cull, QC is the new deputy chief commissioner to New Zealand’s top accident investigation body. Transport Minister Steven Joyce has announced Ms Cull would take on the role at the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (Taic), which is tasked with investigating the most serious transport incidents.

Mr Joyce said he was pleased to appoint someone of Ms Cull’s experience, saying she had “in-depth knowledge of administrative law principles as they apply to Taic”. Ms Cull previously was a member of the Commerce Commission. Mr Joyce thanked outgoing deputy chief commissioner Pauline Winter for her nine years of service with the Taic.

Pacific Forum Line (PFL) chief executive Sean Bolt has announced his resignation. He has held that position for two years, but is now wanting to “regain a better work life balance.”  He is considering other options currently. PFL Chairman Patrick Fepulea’i said that chief operating officer Henning Hansen had become the line’s acting CEO. 

Elizabeth Bentley has left Carpenters Shipping after one year. She has been replaced by Rufus D’Cruz, who will be supported by general manager Ben Pike. Wholly owned parent company MBf Holdings Sdn Bhd, Carpenters Shipping began in Asia in March last year and made its inaugural call to Tauranga two months later.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce has appointed Peter Cowper to the Maritime New Zealand board. Mr Joyce said Mr Cowper, appointed for a three-year term starting from May 1, had commercial experience, as well as governance expertise.

Mr Cowper is a director and trustee of the Porirua Digital Trust and formerly a non-executive director of Infinity Solutions Ltd. He was also co-founder and director of Quorum Group Ltd, an organisational and leadership effectiveness partnership. Mr Joyce also acknowledged the work of outgoing board member Adrienne Young-Cooper.

Fonterra CEO Andre Ferrier, at right, has announced his intention to step down from his position in the second half of 2011. Mr Ferrier, a Canadian, has headed Fonterra for the past eight years.

Two new ambassadors have been appointed by the Government.  Long serving MP John Carter will be New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, and Malcolm Millar, currently deputy director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade economic division, will be New Zealand’s first Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

UAE is one of New Zealand’s top 20 trade partners, and Foreign Minister Murray McCully said that it was important to build on the relationship between the two countries. UAE would be one of the leading drivers of global economic growth in the coming decade, he said. Investing in a new embassy and opening a diplomatic mission  was part of the broader effort to strengthen ties with the countries which made up the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

Customs boss and former military man Martyn Dunne will be New Zealand’s next High Commissioner in Australia.

Mr Dunne, 61, has run Customs since 2004 and has chaired the World Customs Organisation after his 27 years in the New Zealand Defence Force. He rose to the rank of Major General and his military service included appointments with the New Zealand Special Air Service (SAS) and commanding Joint Forces. He also served in East Timor and commanded Dili operations during the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) deployment.

He is a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) and graduated from the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies and the Australian Command and Staff College. He also holds a Masters of Arts Degree in Strategic Studies from La Trobe University, Melbourne. Mr Dunne will start in the job in late March replacing John Larkindale, who is retiring.

Recent shipping and related appointments include Thomas Knudsen who, as new Asia Pacific Regional Head for Maersk, is responsible for operations in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He took up his Singapore-based post on 1 November replacing Jesper Praestensgaard who joins Hapag-Lloyd as Chief Commercial Officer.

New Zealand Shipping Federation executive director Sam Buckle, shown at top right, has stepped down after two and half years with the organisation to pursue other interests outside the shipping industry.

He has been active as an advocate for the industry, serving on various reviews and committees as well as representing shipping interests to government and local government. Until the next Shipping Federation meeting next month, administration will be covered by former manager Paul Nicholas.

A former shipping industry managing director with extensive local and international experience, Tony Gibson, at right, has been appointed Chief Executive of Ports of Auckland Ltd, to replace Jens Madsen who will leave the Port at the end of this month.

In making the announcement, Ports of Auckland Chairman John Lindsay said that Mr Gibson had the right combination of skills and vision to take the Port Company forward.

Mr Gibson has had 30 years experience in shipping and logistics, first with Seabridge in Wellington, and then with Nedlloyd and P&O Nedlloyd. He worked in various roles in Africa, Asia and Europe, including as European Director of Customer Operations, Rotterdam, before being appointed Managing Director, New Zealand and Pacific Islands in 2002. Following a takeover by Maersk, Mr Gibson served as Managing Director of Maersk, New Zealand for three years.

Northland Port Corporation has confirmed the appointment of Peter Griffiths and Rod McKay at its AGM last month. Mr McKay is a Northland farmer and former chairman of the Northland Harbour Board. He is the current chairman of Northland Stevedoring Services, and former director of AFFCo Holdings. Mr Griffiths is a new NPC director and holds five other directorships in oil and gas, aviation, energy and diving and salvage industries. He is a former managing director of BP New Zealand.

New Plymouth lawyer and company director John Auld has been appointed chairman of Port of Taranaki, replacing John Young who died last month. Mr Auld’s ssociaton with the port goes back to the 1970s when he acted for petroleum companies on the development of facilities to service oil and gas vessels. He was appointed to the board in 1994, and has acted as a deputy chairman and chairman of the board’s audit committee.

International businessman Peter Chrisp is the new head of NZ Trade and Enterprise. He has moved from Sydney where he was Australia regional president for the multinational Norske Skog. He replaces founding CEO Tim Gibson who left last year.

Picton Interislander Terminal Manager Tony Bascand is retiring after 50 years in the same workplace. He has seen the business go through various name changes - SeaRail, TranzRail, Toll and now Interislander. He joined SeaRail in 1984 after leaving school and working with Union Steamship Co in Picton, and then nZ Rail eventually becoming Picton Station Master.  Ill health has been a concern in recent years.

NZ Pacific Business Council (NZPBC) Chairman Gilbert Ullrich, the CEO of  Ullrich Aluminium, recently awarded the NZPBC’s annual Valedictory Award to Tom McNicholl, the founder of Reef Shipping and the Reef Group which he established in 1968 with French business partner Gaspard Ravell. Honouring Pacific business pioneers, the award recognises Reef’s development from one vessel to a nine vessel fleet operating throughout the South Pacific. From its pioneering transportation of fuel to the Pacific Islands, today Reef Shipping provides a full range cargo service from FCL containers to break-bulk.