SPEAKERS
Sia Aston
MC
Sia was Chief Press Secretary to former Prime Minister John Key from beginning 2014 to end 2015. In that role, she was also on call to all Ministers and their staff. As a result, there’s really not much in the way of crisis management that Sia hasn’t dealt with.
Over 10 years, she has provided calm assurance to senior leaders confronted with the worst situations. She then became Director of Communications for the State Services Commission where she also held a leadership role as Head of Communications for the public service Sia’s weathered three elections. The first was as a political reporter in 2018, then as senior press secretary to a frontbench Minister in 2011, and finally, as John Key’s top campaign advisor and media manager in 2014.
With a background as a TV political reporter and producer, Sia also provides consultancy service to communication experts, amandamillar&company as she understands both sides of the news and communications divide. That means she can provide advice on anything from how to tell a good story, to how to get in the news cycle – or get out of.
Dr Alan Bollard
Board Chair, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga
Dr Alan Bollard is a Professor of Practice at Victoria University of Wellington. He has extensive experience as a senior public servant. He has previously held roles as the Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and Chief Executive and Secretary to the New Zealand Treasury. He holds a PhD in Economics and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Auckland University.
Ross Copland
Chief Executive, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga
Ross has experience in the design, procurement, financing, and delivery of infrastructure having worked in commercial construction and property on both sides of the Tasman. Ross holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with First Class Honours, a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA.
Geoff Cooper
General Manager - Strategy, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga
Geoff has a background in global policy having worked for the United Nations, the United States Treasury and the Federal Reserve. He is a former Chief Economist for Auckland Council, where he worked on infrastructure, housing, regulation and financial policy. More recently, as Chief Economist at PwC, Geoff has contributed to the economic appraisal of a range of large infrastructure projects, including Wellington’s Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme, Auckland Light Rail, Hamilton to Auckland High Speed Rail and Queenstown’s Way to Go programme. Geoff holds a Master of Economics with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland and a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University.
Blake Lepper
General Manager - Infrastructure Delivery, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga
Blake has a background in the delivery of major infrastructure projects. He has hands on experience across the project lifecycle including in strategic planning, business case development, design management, procurement, and commissioning. He joined Te Waihanga after a number of years supporting the Government on the recovery and regeneration of Christchurch following the 2010/2011 earthquakes. He has a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Science.
Hon. Grant Robinson
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Finance, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Racing, Minister for Sport and Recreation
MP for Wellington
Grant Robertson was born in Palmerston North and lived in Hastings before his family settled in Dunedin.
He studied politics at Otago, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in 1995. At university he was the President of the Otago University Students Association and became Co-President of the New Zealand University Students Association.
Grant joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1997 where he managed the New Zealand Overseas Aid Programme to Samoa. He was then posted to the United Nations in New York, working on global environment and development issues.
On his return to New Zealand, Grant became an advisor to former Prime Minister Helen Clark. Following this, he took a business development role with the University of Otago, working with researchers, investors and businesses to develop and commercialise the university’s world-leading research.
Grant’s belief in social justice and a desire to see every New Zealander achieve their potential led him to politics, and he has been the Member of Parliament for Wellington Central since November 2008. In Opposition, Grant held a range of portfolios, including Finance from 2014 to 2017.
After the 2017 election, Grant was appointed Minister of Finance, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. Additionally, in June 2019 he was appointed as the Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission. After the 2020 election, Grant became Deputy Prime Minister and retained the Finance and Sport and Recreation portfolios. He was also appointed Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Racing.
Gary Taylor
Chairman & Executive Director, Environmental Defense Society
BA, MA(Hons) CNZM, QSO
Gary has extensive experience in corporate governance, having been the Chairman of the Auckland Area Health Board, the Climate Change and Business Centre (Australia) and the Peoples Centre Health Trust. He has been a director of Watercare Services Ltd, Infrastructure Auckland, the Queen Elizabeth National Trust, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority and the Hobsonville Land Company. He has also been a city and regional councillor. Gary is an experienced environmental policy analyst and consultant and is currently Executive Director of EDS.
Gary was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours.Chris Parker
Principal Advisor at the Treasury, in Housing and Urban Growth
Chris was previously Chief Economist at Auckland Council, and consulted at NZIER and Hyder. Chris focuses on housing affordability, urban policy, infrastructure, local government, and cost-benefit analysis.
Stephen Selwood
Commissioner, Tauranga City Council
Stephen is a professional director and an expert in infrastructure vision, strategy and policy.
He also provides public policy advice to the infrastructure sector as a director of Selwood Infrastructure Advisory; and is managing director of Rapt Ltd an online and bricks and mortar retail gift, decor and fashion business based in Auckland.
In his former roles as founding Chief Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand and member of the Board of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission – Te Waihanga, Stephen demonstrated a proven record of leading and influencing policy at both a Government and industry level. This included galvanising support from disparate public and private sector parties into a common vision centred on national benefit.
In 2019, he received the Infrastructure New Zealand leadership award for his contribution to the industry in New Zealand.
Stephen describes himself as a thought-leader and an agent for positive change, who will bring a deep understanding of integrated urban development and infrastructure planning, funding and delivery to his city governance role.
Dr Paul Chapman
Senior Fellow, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Vice President, Association for Project Management
At Oxford, Paul is Academy Director for the UK Government’s Major Project Leadership Academy, MPLA. At the Association for Project Management, the Chartered body for the project profession, Paul serves as Vice President having completed a six year term as Board Director and Chair of the Professional Knowledge and Standards Committee.
Tony Meggs, when CEO of the UK government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority describes the MPLA as, “the best leadership programme in the UK, and the best project delivery programme in the world”. Since its inception in 2012 the MPLA is credited with improving the success of UK government’s £500 billion portfolio of major projects.
Paul also designed and led the “Sponsoring Major Projects Ministerial Programme” for UK Government Ministers, a unique programme to equip Ministers to discharge their duties as major project sponsors, and co-directs the ‘Orchestrating Major Projects’ Programme which engages Director Generals and CEOs of arms-length bodies across UK Government to act as sponsors and improve the operating environment that enables the delivery of major projects. His work with the UK government extends to developing and delivering workshops for the Civil Service’s permanent secretaries, for Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, EU Exit project teams and with individual departments to bring together senior politicians and their senior officials. Prior to this, Paul set up Oxford’s MSc in Major Programme Management and ran this as Director of Graduate Studies for its first seven years.
Paul recently published research on Major Project Risk with his Australian co-author Cuong Quang, and with inflation proving 2022’s #1 issue in economics his paper on the effect of inflation on transport infrastructure projects continues to attract attention. He is currently researching the historical performance of antipodean transport infrastructure projects
David Norman
Executive Director - Infrastructure, Investment and Economic, GHD
David is an Executive Advisor in Economics and Strategy at GHD. Prior to that, he served as Chief Economist at Auckland Council for 4.5 years, where his role was to provide independent, even-handed advice to elected members and council staff on issues as diverse as housing affordability and homelessness, zoning rules, Easter trading bylaws, funding tools that incentivised development, and COVID recovery. Prior to Auckland Council, David was Industry and Regional Economist at Westpac, Senior Economist at the Building and Research Association NZ (BRANZ), an Associate Director at PwC and an Economist at BERL. Prior to embarking on his economics career, David lived and worked in Taiwan and China for 7 years.
He holds a post-graduate diploma in Management, a B.A. in Economics and Mandarin Chinese, and a B.Sc. in Genetics and Psychology.
James Kilty
Chief Exective, Powerco
James is responsible for leading our team to deliver customer, financial and operational targets.
James joined Powerco in 2021. He has over 20 years’ experience in the energy industry behind him. Prior to joining Powerco he was Deputy Chief Executive of Contact Energy. In addition to his Deputy CEO responsibilities, James’ role included specific responsibility for development and demand growth, helping to drive the decarbonisation of New Zealand’s economy. James was a Director of Simply Energy, a commercial and industrial decarbonisation services business, and the Chair of Western Energy Services, an innovative geothermal resource and well services business. James was Chief Generation and Development Officer from October 2014 and was responsible for commercial end-to-end activities of development, fuel, generation and trading. Prior to that James held leadership roles across the full range of Contact Energy’s business activities.
Michael Singleton
Project Director - Central Otago Airport
Michael joined Christchurch International Airport in 2012. He is a member of its Executive Leadership Team leading CIAL’s project to explore the potential for new aviation infrastructure in Central Otago. Prior to taking up this role Michael was General Manager Corporate Affairs & General Counsel, where he was responsible for a range of areas including regulatory strategy, legal services and government relations. He has extensive experience both in New Zealand and overseas on governance matters and wider industry issues across a range of sectors.
Graham Mitchell
CEO, Crown Infrastructure Partners
Graham Mitchell is CEO of Crown Infrastructure Partners, which is a New Zealand Government owned corporation who partners with private sector, iwi and local government to deliver infrastructure for the benefit of New Zealanders. Crown Infrastructure is responsible for funding and managing Government infrastructure investment programmes in digital connectivity being fibre-to-the-home in urban areas and wireless broadband and mobile in rural areas. Supporting emergency services in upgrading their mission critical communications network, funding and financing urban development infrastructure, overseeing and implementing the COVID-19 infrastructure stimulus recovery programme and the investment into local government 3 water infrastructure. Prior to his current role, Graham was CEO at Private Equity and Venture capital funded technology businesses and was also a senior executive of Telecom NZ in New Zealand and Australia.
Berenize Peira
Social Outcomes Manager, Link Alliance
Berenize involvement with the City Rail Link Project started in 2014 as a representative for her Iwi Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua. She accepted a role with City Rail Link in 2016 as the Social Development Advisor and wrote the CRL Social Outcomes Strategy. She was seconded to the Link Alliance in 2019 as the Social Outcomes Manager.
Berenize has enjoyed a variety of work opportunities starting in horticulture (market gardener) transitioning to hospitality (kitchen hand) with a bit of time spent in manufacturing (factory worker) and the primary industries (milking cows and working as a deck hand on fishing boats (scallops and prawns)).
As a mature student Berenize undertook a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Te Reo Māori. In her second year she decided to do a conjoint degree and graduated with a BA Hons and LLB. This was followed up with a LLM Hons a PG Dip in Education and a 1st Dan degree in Kyokushin Karate.
Gaining tertiary qualifications broadened the career pathways which eventually led to employment in the construction industry.
Berenize has a passion for helping people and being the Social Outcomes Manager at the Link Alliance allows her to empower others to be more.
Rhyan Wardman
Chair and Director, Sounds Air Group
Rhyan is Director and Board Chair of the New Zealand regional airline, Sounds Air. Rhyan has developed Sound Air’s zero-emissions strategy, identifying a pathway to make the airline more sustainable.
He is also Head of Environment & Engineering at Wellington UniVentures. Rhyan is responsible for identifying research commercialisation activity across engineering, materials science, physics, industrial design, architecture and environmental sectors at Victoria University - Te Herenga Waka.
He is a Board Director for Wellington-based tech start-up, Marama Labs, and co-founded The Coterie and acquired the iconic Seresin Estate Winery in Marlborough. Rhyan is a member of the Institute of Directors.
Fraser Whineray
Chief Operating Officer, Fonterra
Fraser is responsible for Fonterra’s New Zealand manufacturing site and global supply chain operations, innovation and R&D, IT and safety, quality and regulatory teams.
He joined the Co-op from Mercury, a 100% renewable electricity retailer and generator, where he was the Chief Executive from 2014 and held executive roles since joining the company in 2008.
Fraser is no stranger to the dairy industry. He started his career as a graduate of the New Zealand Dairy Board’s technical training programme and spent time at manufacturing sites that are now part of our Co-op, and also in Fonterra’s export markets. He has also worked in the investment banking and forestry industries, both in New Zealand and internationally.
Fraser is a keen advocate for astute long-term decisions that leverage New Zealand’s competitive advantages, including its people, for sustainable growth.
Fraser holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge, a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Canterbury University and a Diploma in Dairy Science and Technology from Massey University.
Mark Thomas
CEO, NextSpace
Mark is a visual computing and design veteran of 30 years with multiple patents to his name. His previous company, Right Hemisphere, developed Digital Twin Solutions for Boeing, NASA/JPL, SpaceX, Gulfstream, Caterpillar, Chrysler and many others.
Right Hemisphere created the Adobe 3D PDF technology and U3D format, licensing them to Adobe as part of work with Boeing on their “Model Based Definition” strategy, an early version of Digital Twin technology.
Right Hemisphere was funded by Sequoia Capital and ultimately acquired by SAP.
Mark now heads up Nextspace, a company spun off from Right Hemisphere in 2007 that is dedicated to creating the next generation of Digital Twin technology, centred around the latest in cloud and web computing services whilst incorporating all previous experience from this field
Dr Graham Scott
Director, Sapere Research Group
Graham Scott was Secretary to the Treasury 1986-1993 at a time of significant reforms to economic policy and public sector management.
After leaving the public service in 1993 he worked in a variety of government appointed positions, including Chair of the Central regional Health Authority, the national Health Funding Authority and was a commissioner on the Productivity Commission. In the private sector he chaired the company that formed the wholesale electricity market and has consulted across utilities and regulated industries. He has worked in 50 countries on governance, finance and public management.
He has a PhD in Economics from Duke University, Master of Commerce from Canterbury University, and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He was a Visiting Scholar at the International Monetary Fund and in 1997 he received the NZIER-QANTAS award for his contribution to economic policy. He was awarded the Order of the Companion of the Bath for his contribution to government reform.
He has taught and published extensively in his fields including a book on public sector management in New Zealand. His current interests are in fiscal policy, health services and social investment.
Chris Alderson
CEO, CHASNZ
Chris is now leading Health and Safety in the Construction sector through Construction Health and Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ). Chris has industry and technical experience which spans across construction, supply chain, operations, the dairy industry, aviation, logistics, information systems, finance and safety.
Chris is a key strategic leader with a strong people focus, having led and developed teams to achieve high levels of success, and is a recognised industry leader in safety-critical operations, where management of critical risk is vital to any business success.
Chris is a board member of Mates in Construction NZ, the charity dedicated to suicide prevention in the construction industry.
Dr Jo Horrocks
Chief Resilience and Research Officer, EQC
Jo joined EQC from 13 years in the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. There she led development of the National Disaster Resilience Strategy, as well as other strategic national policies and programmes.
Jo’s team help us understand New Zealand’s natural hazards risks better and take steps to reduce the impact of those risks. Everything from how house foundations on slopes behave in an earthquake, changes in a volcano’s plume that could indicate an eruption is coming, to technology for monitoring slow-moving urban landslides.
Jo is strongly motivated by tackling complex social issues and progressing improved outcomes for New Zealanders. Her future focus is ensuring scientific research results get to the right people making decisions on the policies and practices that make a difference for households and communities to translating science into easy to use knowledge for New Zealanders.
Dr Saeid Baroutian
Deputy Head of Research
Director of Sustainable Resource Recovery Postgraduate Programme,
Department of Chemical & Material Engineering,
The University of Auckland
Saeid Baroutian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland. Saeid leads the waste minimisation, resource recovery and circular economy research and education at the University of Auckland. His research interests lie in the area of Process Engineering and his expertise centres on the development and design of novel intensified processes for resource recovery and waste minimisation. He has published more than 100 articles in internationally notable and very influential journals and his research has been adopted by a number of companies. Saeid is the Director of Sustainable Resource Recovery Postgraduate Programme at the University of Auckland.
Angela Meyer
Director, Project Gender
At
the heart of all her work is a desire to empower women and change the status
quo. Angela Meyer consultancy skills have seen her work in London, Melbourne
and Tokyo. She is a three times nominee for the Women of Influence Awards (2016
and 2018, 2022) for her work supporting gender equity and identifying ways in
which businesses can improve gender relations in the workplace and help unlock
the power of the $28 trillion female economy. Angela has led high
performing teams in the corporate, arts and government sectors and is the
co-founder of the Ace Lady Network, Gender Justice Collective and Project
Gender. From 2016 - 2020 she was the founder and the director of Double Denim,
an internationally award-winning agency and is currently the Head of Marketing
at Auckland Council. In 2021 she developed and led ‘Trade Careers’ - a project
to get more women into the trades.
Belinda Storey
Managing Director of Climate Sigma and Whakahura
Belinda Storey - Managing Director of Climate Sigma and Whakahura: Extreme Events and the Emergence of Climate Change, a five year, $10M research programme funded by MBIE. Her research in this programme couples rainfall and river flow models with investment criteria to determine how extreme rainfall events affect the financial viability of river based infrastructure.
As a Senior Research Fellow at the Climate Change Research Institute, Belinda focuses on the impact of escalating hazards on infrastructure, real estate, banking and insurance. She has developed a new model for valuing property in the face of climate change called “climate leases” and in 2017, she coined the term “insurance retreat” to describe the impact of climate change on the availability of residential and commercial insurance.
Christian Zammit
Hydrologist, NIWA
Sharon Zollner
Chief Economist, ANZ
Alison Andrew
CE, Transpower
Alison joined Transpower in 2014 as Chief Executive. She has held a number of senior executive roles across various industry sectors, most recently as Global Head of Chemicals for Orica PLC. She is currently a Director of Ports of Tauranga, and has also been a Director of Genesis Energy.
Prior to these roles, she held a number of senior roles at Fonterra Cooperative Group and across the Fletcher Challenge Group in Energy, Forests and Paper. Alison has a MBA from Warwick University, and studied Engineering (Chemicals and Materials) at Auckland University.
Professor Te Marie Tau
Pou Whakarae of Ngāi Tahu Centre at the University of Canterbury
Te Maire is the Pou Whakarae of the Ngāi Tahu Centre at the University of Canterbury. He took up the Director position of the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre in 2011, having previously been a Senior Lecturer in History at the University. Te Maire belongs to Ngāi Tahu, the principal tribe of the South Island, and lives in Tuahiwi, the largest village of that tribe. Te Maire is the Ūpoko (Director) of Ngāi Tūāhuriri (the tribal group of the Tuahiwi region in Canterbury).
During his years as an undergraduate and later as a postgraduate student at Canterbury, Te Maire helped iwi leaders with their land claim to the Waitangi Tribunal, with a particular emphasis on traditional food-gathering practices. As a specialist historian on oral traditions, tribal genealogies and indigenous knowledge systems, Te Maire was used as an expert witness and historian for the settlement of the Ngāi Tahu Claim - the largest settlement in its day between Māori and the Crown for lands wrongfully taken. Since then he has had a number of publications dealing with oral traditions and the relationship between indigenous knowledge systems and how they intersect with western science. Te Maire’s research interests include the philosophy of knowledge, oral traditions, myth, indigenous development and history
Kieran Brown
Partner, Polis Consulting Group
Muaupoko, Ngati Raukawa. Kieran is a Partner at Polis Consulting Group. Kieran is a thought-leader in complex systems strategy design, technology and innovation policy. He has been in senior roles with global consulting and research powerhouse Berkeley Research Group (BRG), and with the public sector practice of McKinsey & Company in London, UK and with major project management scholars at Said Business School, University of Oxford.
Kieran is a trusted Advisor at Te Waihanga. Kieran has worked on national infrastructure. public investment management, and industrial strategy with governments across EMEA, and with multilateral institutions in Washington, D.C on digital infrastructure and data policy issues.
Kieran holds a Masters in Public Policy degree from the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration (Hons, 1st) degree from Victoria University of Wellington. Kieran is also a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley Haas Business School USA, Visiting Faculty at GIBS Business School, University of Pretoria, an Affiliate of Koi Tu Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland, and Visiting Lecturer at University of Waikato.
Leilani Frew
Deputy Secretary Financial and Commercial, New Zealand Treasury
As Deputy Secretary Financial and Commercial, Leilani Frew is responsible for the Capital Markets and Commercial, Infrastructure and Urban Growth teams. Leilani joined the Treasury in May 2021.
Prior to joining us, Leilani was Chief Executive of the Infrastructure and Project Financing Agency (IPFA) for the national government of Australia. The agency drives the commercial and financial ability of the Australian Government as a significant investor in national infrastructure and major industry initiatives. She has held a number of board and committee positions including currently as an Advisory Board Member of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia.
With a career spanning over 25 years, Leilani is a respected and experienced commercial and finance professional having held a number of leadership positions in both the private and public sectors. Prior to joining IPFA, Leilani spent nearly five years leading NSW Treasury teams in the provision of commercial and financial advice to the NSW Government and its agencies delivering on the Government’s major infrastructure and services commissioning priorities and serving on a number of Government advisory boards and committees.
Peter Nunns
Director of Economics, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga
Tracey Kai
GM, Operations, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga
Tracey joined Te Waihanga in June 2020 after four years at New Zealand Rugby, where she was the GM, Communications. She has a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration and Master of Business Administration, and sits on the CHASNZ (Construction Health and Safety NZ) and Wellington Rugby Football Union (WRFU) Boards.
Gary Blick
Chief Economist, Auckland Council
Gary is Chief Economist at Auckland Council, where he is responsible for providing economic advice on the trade-offs of policy decisions and building wider understanding of Auckland’s urban economic issues and their implications.
Before joining Auckland Council in late 2021, Gary worked as a consulting economist at Sapere Research Group. Infrastructure-focused assignments included an independent cost benefit analysis for the Ministry of Transport on options for relocating the Port of Auckland’s freight operations.
Prior to consulting, he worked at the Treasury on fiscal strategy and the value for money of public services. He has also held roles at Stats NZ and the Ministry of Health.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Victoria University.
Josie McVitty
Senior Advisor, Infrastructure - NZ Super
Josie is Senior Advisor, Infrastructure at the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZ Super). NZ Super was created by the New Zealand Government in 2001 and is one of New Zealand’s largest institutional investors with a current portfolio of close to NZ$60 billion. Josie leads the infrastructure programme, setting strategy and overseeing the infrastructure investment activity of the fund. NZ Super has an active focus on increasing investment in infrastructure with particular consideration for opportunities in New Zealand.
Prior to joining NZ Super, Josie has spent her career in private equity and development finance, and has previously held roles with Actis in London, IHS Investments in South Africa and with the World Bank, where she supported policy and investment development in North Africa and South-East Asia.
Josie has an Executive MBA from INSEAD and degrees from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Harvard University and the University of Auckland.
Hon. Poto Williams
Building and Construction Minister
Hon Poto Williams is the Labour Member of Parliament for Christchurch East, where she lives. Poto became the MP for Christchurch East at a by-election in November 2013. She is now the Minister for Building and Construction, Minister of Police, Associate Minister for Children and Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing).
After gaining an MBA and Graduate Certificate in Research Methods from Manukau Institute of Technology and Southern Cross University, Poto has worked in and managing community health and community mental health services, residential disability services, working with single parent families, youth services, family violence and refuge. Working in mental health provided the opportunity to engage in strengths based, recovery focussed and client centred work, which has guided her practice ever since.
Poto is the very proud mother of Terai, grandmother of Bodhi and a member of a very large extended family in New Zealand, Australia and the Cook Islands
Nicky McIndoe
Partner - Kensington Swan
Nicky is the head of Dentons Kensington Swan's national Environment and Planning team. She has over 20 years' of experience advising on all aspects of planning and large infrastructure projects.
Nicky has a wealth of experience to draw from when infrastructure-related legal issues arise; including future-proofing, project scoping, adaptive management, transport noise management, alternatives assessments, construction management plans, and community engagement.
She has advised national and local government agencies carrying out large infrastructure projects, such as roads, reservoirs, bridges, ferry terminals, wharves, hydro-electric power schemes, electricity transmission lines, wastewater treatment plants and landfills.
Anna Kominik
Independent Director
Anna works at the intersection of business, technology, strategy and system thinking and has worked in organisations of all sizes and at all stages of the business cycle over her career.
Most recently, Anna was Asia Pacific Director of Wisk - sitting on the US executive and working with a multinational team to bring to market one of the world’s first self-flying electric air taxis. As well as her multi-jurisdictional market work, she also sat on the Australia Civil Aviation Authority’s Advanced Aviation Regulatory Workstream, helping to develop a certification pathway for new aviation technologies. Earlier this year, she was named as a global influencer for her work in helping shape the emerging electric vertical takeoff and landing industry.
Prior to Wisk, Anna established her own businesses, worked in Government and advised and implemented market strategies, regulatory engagement, brand building and community-led development for organisations in Aotearoa, Australasia and the US.
Anna is currently the independent Chair of the Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand (ERANZ), Chair of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship and Hillary Institute and advises in the New Zealand aerospace sector. Anna was a Commonwealth Foundation Emerging Pacific Leader and has a master’s degree from Northwestern University, Chicago. She has been recognised in Aotearoa and globally for her leadership and achievements in driving green innovations that create sustainable and distributed social and economic value.