Below are profiles of Air New Zealand's Directors.
On this page you will also find Air New Zealand's Board Charter, information about independence of Directors and nomination and selection information.
John Palmer, Chairman
ONZM, B.Agr.Sc, FNZID
Appointed 29 November 2001
Mr Palmer has considerable experience as a director and chairman of companies in the agricultural and finance sectors. Mr Palmer is Chairman of Solid Energy New Zealand Limited and serves as a director of AMP Limited, AMP Life Limited, Rabobank Australia Limited and Rabobank NZ Limited. Since 2001 he has led the board through a successful period of rebuilding Air New Zealand, and was named as Company Chairman of the Year in 2007 and 2009.
Roger France, Deputy Chairman
BCom, CA
Appointed 4 October 2001
Mr France is the Chancellor of the University of Auckland, a director of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited and Chairman of Tappenden Holdings Limited. He was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and one of its predecessor firms, Coopers & Lybrand, for over 15 years and was the Chief Financial Officer of two listed companies for 10 years. He was the Managing Partner of Coopers & Lybrand in Auckland for five years. Following the merger with PricewaterhouseCoopers, he led the firm's Corporate Value consulting practice in the Asia Pacific region and served as a member of its New Zealand Governance Board. As well as his role as deputy Chairman, Mr France brings strong financial analysis and business strategy skills to the Board and to his role as Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Paul Bingham
Appointed 1 July 2008
Paul Bingham is Managing Director of Black Cat Cruises Limited, an award winning cruise operator based at Banks Peninsula, near Christchurch. He is Chair of Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing Limited and was a board member of Tourism New Zealand until recently. Prior to his current position, he had a number of senior marketing roles at Tourism Holdings Limited and Air New Zealand Limited. He was a winner of the PATA Young Tourism Professional Award in 2003 and under his leadership Black Cat Group has won numerous accolades, including the Supreme Award at the New Zealand Tourism Awards in 2003 and the SKAL International Eco-tourism Award in 2004.
Dr James (Jim) Charles Fox
BE, M.Eng.Sci., PhD.
Appointed 21 November 2006
Dr Fox has more than 25 years experience as a public company director across a range of internationally based businesses. His particular track record is in the building of innovative, technology based companies in competitive international markets. After eight years working around the world with a large international management consulting company, he started his own technology based product and service company in 1987. Following the merger of Dr Fox's company with the then listed Vision Systems Limited in 1993, he took over as the CEO of the combined group. In December 2006, Dr Fox retired as the CEO of Vision Systems Limited following a heavily competed takeover of the company by a large USA based corporate which resulted in significant returns (close to $1 billion) to shareholders. Dr Fox is also a director of TTP Group (UK) Plc, Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia Limited, BIOTA Holdings Limited and Member of Council Monash University.
Warren Larsen
CNZM, BBS, CA, CMA, M.Ag.SC (Hons), FNZIM, AF Inst. D, DSc (Hon)
Appointed 27 February 2002
Mr Larsen is a director of a wide range of companies including Chairman of Centreport Limited and Deputy Chairman of Landcorp Farming, and maintains an active interest in aviation matters. Mr Larsen brings significant international business and marketing experience to the Board. He was formerly Chief Executive Officer of the New Zealand Dairy Board for nine years and Bay Milk Products for 10 years prior to that. Mr Larsen is Chairman of the Safety Committee. He is a graduate of Massey University where he qualified as a Master of Agricultural Science (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Business Studies. Mr Larsen holds professional accounting qualifications and is an alumni of the Insead Business School.
Janice Dawson
BCom
Appointed 1 April 2011
Jan has held the position of Chair and Chief Executive of KPMG New Zealand since 2005, and became a partner of the firm in 1986. She has also been influential within the region as Regional Board Member KPMG - Asia Pacific and a Board Member KPMG Australia and Councillor of KPMG International. With over 30 years' of audit experience in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada, working in both Auckland and Vancouver, she is lead relationship partner for a number of KPMG's significant New Zealand issuer clients. Jan’s work encompasses a wide range of services including audit, accounting advice, due diligence and risk, governance and litigation support. She has particular expertise in working with financial institutions, registered banks, infrastructure and network companies, software/IP and forestry organisations.
She was appointed Deputy Chair of Counties-Manukau District Health Board in November 2010 and is Chair of the Audit Committee. Jan has been a Member of the Capital Investment Committee of the National Health Board (since 2010), is Chair of the Audit Committee of the International Sailing Federation (since 2009) and President of Yachting New Zealand (since 2007 - and a Board member since 2006).
Jan holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland. She is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants New Zealand, a Member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand, a Fellow of FINSIA, a Paul Harris Fellow and a North Shore Business Hall of Fame Laureate (2010).
Antony (Tony) John Carter
BCA (Hons), BCom, CA, CMA
Appointed 1 December 2010
Tony was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand and attended the University of Canterbury where he studied chemical engineering, graduating with a Bachelor in Engineering with honours and a Masters in Engineering in 1980. He then went on to study at Loughborough University of Technology in the United Kingdom and graduated in 1982 with a Master of Philosophy degree. After leaving University, Tony worked for the family company, Carter Group Limited, in Christchurch until 1986 when he purchased a Mitre 10 hardware store in Christchurch. He then developed another Mitre 10 store, also serving as a Director of Mitre 10 New Zealand Limited and becoming Chairman of Mitre 10 New Zealand Limited in 1993. In 1994 Tony was appointed General Manager and Chief Executive designate of Foodstuffs (South Island) Limited, sold his interests in the Mitre 10 stores and resigned from their Board.
In 1995 he was appointed Chief Executive of Foodstuffs (South Island) Limited and served in that role until 2001 when he was then appointed Managing Director of Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited and Managing Director of Foodstuffs (New Zealand) Limited up until December 2010. The Foodstuffs Group is New Zealand's largest retail organisation and the second largest commercial organisation by revenue in New Zealand, with annual sales in excess of NZ$8 billion, employing 30,000 staff. Foodstuffs, which is 100% New Zealand owned and operated, is home to the PAK&SAVE, New World, Four Square, Write Price, On The Spot, Gilmours, Trents, Liquorland and Toops brands. The Group comprises of three autonomous regionally-based co-operatives and all retail stores are individually owned and operated under various franchises.
Tony is a Director on a number of New Zealand companies, Vector Limited (as of May 2007), Fletcher Building Limited (as of 1 September 2010), Fisher and Paykel Healthcare and Air New Zealand (as of 1 December 2010).
Board Charter
Independence of Directors
The Air New Zealand Board has agreed upon a test to assess each of its directors against specific criteria to determine whether they are in a position to exercise independent judgement. For details, see the Board Charter document above.
An independent director is one whom the Board affirmatively determines has no material relationship with Air New Zealand (either directly or as a partner, a substantial security holder or officer of an organisation that has a relationship with the Company) that could reasonably influence their judgement and decision making as a director. Directors are required to notify the the Board of all relevant information which may affect their independence.
A majority of directors of Air New Zealand's Board and Audit Committee are independent directors, including the Chairman.
Nomination and Selection Procedures
The Board is responsible for nominating members to the Board and for filling vacancies on the Board that may occur between annual meetings. In considering potential directors to commend to shareholders, the Board seeks to identify candidates with appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to contribute to effective direction of the Company, who can exercise an independent and informed judgement on matters which come to the Board and who are free of any business or other relationship that may interfere with the exercise of that individual judgement.
The Chairman and Deputy Chairman are selected by the full Board.
