NZDIA Chair welcomes new Board

New Zealand Defence Industry Association Chair Andrew Ford announces the new NZDIA board, with one resignation, one new appointed member, one reappointed member, and one big year ahead.

To our members, welcome back to 2020 and I look forward to networking with you all at future members meetings and events in the course of the year. The strength of our association is in the continued commitment and participation of our members, and your Board is interested in hearing from you.

In the year ahead we will need to focus on setting a new strategic horizon for the Association, to address the public profile of Defence and Industry, and to look at initiatives to better reflect and include the diversity of our membership. More will follow on our future strategic direction and how you can participate.

Board Director resignation

I received a letter of resignation from Ross Browne as a Director of the NZDIA in January and the Board has accepted that resignation. Ross and his wife Sarah are expecting their first child in May and with an increasingly busy consulting practice. Ross has revisited his priorities for 2020 and does not have the time available to devote to the Association that he believes the role deserves. The Board thanks Ross for his time as a Director.

Appointed Directors

Our association rules allow the appointment of up to two additional directors to our Board for a fixed term to help provide balance of experience, diversity of thought and to contribute to particular strategic initiatives in the governance of the NZDIA. I advertised for volunteers from our membership to join the Board in a newsletter late last year following the AGM.

We had an excellent response with eight experienced members putting up their hands. The elected members of the Board followed a process to select preferred candidates, focussed primarily on the three aspects of experience, diversity and strategic initiatives.

Firstly, I’d like to thank all of those who volunteered, it puts me in good heart that there is clearly interest from our members in the future of our Association, and I would like to encourage all to consider putting yourselves up for the three vacancies that will be available for elected positions at the next AGM.

Secondly, Ross’ resignation has created a vacancy for the remainder of his term and therefore we have the opportunity to appoint two directors now or over the coming months and co-opt a third director.

Therefore, finally, I’d like to introduce you to our two new directors appointed/co-opted to our Board:

• Josie Fitzgerald of Aurecon, will rejoin the Board in a co-opted role for the vacancy created with Ross’ resignation. Josie will bring some good continuity, having previously been involved in an Appointed role on the Board. Josie has a keen interest in Women in Defence and STEM initiatives.

• Kerry Griffiths of AECOM, will join the Board for the first time as an Appointed Director. Kerry has a key interest in diversity, inclusion and sustainability all of which are focus areas for our Defence and National Security stakeholders.

I look forward to our returning and new director joining the remaining elected members of the board and engaging around the next strategic horizon for NZDIA.

The Board will make a decision about the remaining Appointed Director role over the next few months.

My thanks to the Board and Executive. As a general note, your board and executive continue to work hard in the interest of the NZDIA and I would like to extend personal thanks to the other existing elected members of your Board: Chris Saxby of Babcock, John Robson of Bridgewest (Provoke), and Jerry Szulinski of Lockheed Martin. And, of course, my thanks to Jennie Vickers your hard working Chief Executive.