Board and Senior Management

Structure

Incorporated under the Companies Act 1993, Rau Paenga is a Crown-owned company, listed under Schedule 4A of the Public Finance Act 1989 and is subject to the Crown Entities Act 2004, the Official Information Act 1982 and the Ombudsmen Act 1975. Its shareholders are the Minister of Finance and the Minister for Infrastructure, who each hold 50% of the share capital.

Board of Directors

The Board is committed to a high standard of corporate governance and regulatory compliance in guiding and monitoring the company’s activities.

Corinne Haines, CNZM, Chairperson

Corinne Haines has more than 50 years’ business experience and was at the helm of Trimble Navigation New Zealand Limited for nearly 20 years. She is currently CEO, City Missioner, at the Christchurch City Mission.

Corinne has a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Economics. She is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Christchurch born, Corinne has a passion for the city and the opportunities and lifestyle it provides for residents. She was awarded a special commendation at the 2014 Champion Canterbury Awards for her outstanding contribution to the Canterbury Community.

In 2015 she was a member of an Independent Panel which advised the Minister of Defence on the Defence White Paper 2015.

Corinne was named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to business in the 2016 New Year’s Honours.

Peter Townsend, CNZM, Director

Peter is a former chief executive officer of The Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, a position he held for 21 years.

He is currently committed to governance roles, which are predominantly based in Christchurch.

He was an inaugural board member of Ōtākaro Limited and chairs the Rau Paenga Audit and Risk Committee.

Peter is chair of Te Papa Hauora, The Health Precinct. He is also a board member of Warbirds over Wanaka Limited, and a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum Trust Board.

He is a fellow of The Institute of Directors, a life member of The Otago University Students‘ Association, and a life member of The Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce.

Peter is the Honorary Consul of Chile, for the South Island.

He has a BSc (Hons) and a Post Graduate Diploma of Business from Otago University. In 2014 Lincoln University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce, in recognition of his services to the business community.

In 2013 Peter was made a Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit.

Miriam Dean, CNZM, KC, Director

Miriam Dean has 38 years of legal experience as a former partner of law firm Russell McVeagh and is a long-standing member of the independent bar. She was president of the New Zealand Bar Association from 2011 to 2012. She has conducted a number of inquiries and reviews, including chairing the Government’s Electricity Price Review from 2018 to 2019 and Auckland Council’s review of its council-controlled organisations in 2020.

With 25 years of governance experience, Miriam is the current chair of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, as well as a director of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand. Past directorships include chair of NZ on Air, director of Crown Infrastructure Partners Limited, deputy chair of Auckland Council Investments and a member of the Auckland Transition Authority.

Miriam facilitated and reported to the Government on discussions with engineers on options for the repair, restoration or replacement of Christ Church Cathedral in 2017. She is also chair and a member, respectively, of the Legal Advisory Group and the Advisory Committee of the New Zealand Claims Resolution Service.

Miriam was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and law in 2013.

Paul Blackler, Director

Paul Blackler is the General Manager – Construction New Zealand at Ryman Healthcare and has 38 years’ experience in the construction industry.

He was deputy chairman of the Building Practitioners Board from 2005 to 2012. The Board played a key role in shaping the licensing system for building practitioners, and hears appeals against licensing decisions and complaints against Licensed Building Practitioners.

Paul has been actively involved in the post-quake regeneration of Christchurch. He joined Citycare in 2013 to manage the Building Construction division, before taking up the leadership of Citycare Civil in 2015.

He was Chairman of the Citycare JFC Joint Venture which has delivered many of the city’s most significant civil projects and was a board member of SCIRT (Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team) from mid 2017 to early 2019.

Stuart Shepherd, Director

Stuart has worked in the infrastructure and commercial property sectors for most of his career. He is a director and former chief executive of a private commercial property fund, Sustainable Property Investments, and is also the chair of Home Holdings Ltd Partnership, the investment arm of the Home Foundation, which aspires to a world where everyone has a home.

Stuart was a full time Commissioner and the economist on the Independent Hearings Panel for the Auckland Unitary Plan (2014-2016) and was Chair of the Independent Assessment Panel for the Government’s $1 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund (2017/2018).

He was a Director at the economic consultancy Sapere Research group for sixteen years where his practice focused on the application of price regulation to electricity, telecommunications and gas networks, and airports, and their business strategy. Stuart also worked on RMA reform and the design of infrastructure financing arrangements to unlock housing developments.

Stuart commenced his career at The NZ Treasury where he spent seven years in the early 1990s. An economist and chartered accountant, he holds a Bachelor of Management Studies (1st Hons) and a Masters of Commerce & Administration (1st Hons).

Brendon Green, Director


Brendon has 30 years’ experience in the development and delivery of large scale assets in New Zealand, Mexico and the United States.

He studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Canterbury and has held technical, project finance and commercial roles with the New Zealand Dairy Board, Contact Energy, GE Energy and Mercury Energy.

Brendon has an extensive background in the dairy, energy, forestry and water sectors, and has a depth of experience working within and with Maori. Brendon's whakapapa includes Ngati Hikairo and Ngapuhi.

Brendon's governance experience includes Watercare, Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute), Hiringa Energy, Workforce Development Council - Waihanga Ara Rau, Waikato Regional Skills Leadership Group, Tainui Kawhia Incorporation and Te Whakakitenga o Waikato.

He has held Board committee roles in Audit and Risk, Digital Transformation & Climate Change.

Senior Management

RP SLT Pics John
John O’Hagan

Chief Executive

RP SLT Pics Sue
Sue Squire

General Manager People

RP SLT Pics Sam
Sam Jack

General Counsel and Company Secretary

RP SLT Pics Kirstie
Kirstie McNulty

General Manager Te Pae

RP SLT Pics Ken
Ken Forrest

Director Corporate Services

RP Mark O Regan 20231006 3
Mark O'Regan

Senior Strategy Advisor

RP Richard O Reilly 2 20231006
Richard O'Reilly

General Manager Public Sector Engagement & Policy

Greg
Greg Wilson

Director Programme Delivery