Our People

Jeff joined the Port Taranaki Board in July 2022 and became chair in June 2023. He has vast international governance experience across engineering, infrastructure, project management, and supply chains. A former director of Powerco Ltd, he was also on the Board and is a former chair of both Geelong Port and leading container port stevedores Patrick Terminals. He has also been a director and former chair of Arc Infrastructure, which owns and operates Western Australia’s bulk rail network, and Linx Cargo Care Group, the owner of C3 Logistics. Jeff is a member of the Australian Institute of Directors and Institute of Directors (NZ), and is a member of the NZ Institute of Engineers.  

Charlotte is Chair of the Taranaki Regional Council, Port Taranaki’s sole shareholder. She is a chartered director and holds a variety of governance roles. She co-chairs the Taranaki Regional Skills Leadership Group, chairs the port’s Health, Safety and Environment Governance Committee, and is a member of the Tertiary Education Commission’s Vocational Education Operational Leadership Group. She is also a trustee for the Taranaki Trails Trust and Pukeiti Trust Fund. She has worked in a variety of management, regulatory and strategy roles across Powerco Ltd, Venture Taranaki, the Ministry for Social Development in Wellington, and the Department for Work and Pensions in London. Charlotte joined the Port Taranaki Board in November 2016.

Urenui born and bred, Jamie (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Maru, Te Āti Awa, Taranaki Tuturu) has held a range of governance positions across iwi development, agribusiness, fishing, health, investment, housing, Māori development, tourism, philanthropy, and education. He is chair of Māori Television, Taranaki Mounga Project Ltd, the Tourism New Zealand Board, and Ka Uruora Trust, and is a director of a number of iwi investment entities, including Pūainuku Limited Partnership. Jamie has had a number of Government appointments, including to the State Services Commission Advisory Group in 2020. He joined the Port Taranaki Board in July 2022.

Kathy is a professional director, and was appointed to the Port Taranaki board in December 2017. With more than 12 years’ executive experience at Lyttelton Port, she has also held executive roles with Telecom/ConnecTel and Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation. Kathy is the Chair of the NZPM Cooperative and a director on 2 Degrees, and Shipowners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (Luxembourg). She is also a trustee of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. Kathy is a Member of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow Chartered Accountant of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. 

Steve has executive and governance experience across aviation, technology, ports, energy, and resource management. He is a director of Top Energy Limited and chair of specialist environmental and planning consultancy Mitchell Daysh Limited. Steve was Wellington International Airport chief executive from 2012 to 2022, is a former chief executive of Queenstown International Airport, former general manager of Powerco Energy Services, and was general manager at Lyttelton Port Company. A member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, Steve joined the Port Taranaki Board in June 2023.

Wendie was appointed to the Port Taranaki Board in April 2023 and has experience as a director, trustee, executive, and business consultant. A former director of Napier Port, she is chair of Hawke's Bay Airport, and a director of TAB New Zealand, Eastland Group Limited and Auroa Energy Limited. In 2023, she was appointed to the Hawke's Bay Regional Recovery Agency, which was established in response to Cyclone Gabrielle. Wendie is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

Simon joined as Port Taranaki Chief Executive Officer in October 2021, following a career spanning professional services, engineering, aviation, and governance. He has a background in corporate strategy, operations and performance improvement, having held senior management positions at Air New Zealand, and having worked at Deloitte and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. Before taking up the role at Port Taranaki, Simon operated consulting practice Orua Strategic Advisory, which worked with boards and senior executives on strategy, transformation, operations, technology development and performance improvement. A chartered member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, Simon has had significant governance experience as a director of a number of companies, including Public Trust, WRAL Group (Hamilton Airport), Sounds Air Group, and Airwork Holdings Limited. 

Allan leads the Finance team, which covers accounting, risk and compliance, treasury, tax, internal audit, procurement and company secretariat functions of the business. Allan joined the company in 2015 as Commercial Manager, before taking on the Chief Financial Officer role in 2017. Before joining Port Taranaki, Allan held senior roles in the energy industry with experience in leading teams, joint venture governance, acquisitions, contract negotiation and management, project delivery and new business. He also has experience in investment banking, strategy consulting and the government sector.

Ross has responsibility for leading the commercial, marketing, customer and community aspects of the Port Taranaki business, including managing the company’s property portfolio. An experienced senior financial and commercial executive, before joining Port Taranaki in 2019, Ross was chief executive of Illion Tenderlink for eight years. A former chartered accountant, Ross has worked across a broad range of commercial, financial and management roles. This has included management accountant and then Taranaki onshore asset finance manager at Fletcher Challenge Energy, chief operating officer at online health management software company Doctor Global, and chief financial officer with KCL Property Ltd.

John joined the company fulltime in 2020, having previously assisted with Port Taranaki risk reduction projects. His role is to lead, guide, direct and manage the infrastructure, asset and maintenance functions of Port Taranaki. It includes the development and implementation of long-term infrastructure strategies, policies, planning and practices that support the company’s strategic goals and objectives. During a long career at Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd, including as former general manager of operations, John undertook a variety of roles covering delivery of strategic and operational outcomes. He has significant experience in a range of technical competencies, including oversight of engineering, maintenance, HSE, quality systems and projects.

As General Manager Operations, Alex leads the group of teams that cover pilotage and marine management, tugs and launches, and landside operations such as cargo services, wharf services, security and communications, the Newton King Tanker Terminal, and cranes.