Port Taranaki has a new Board chair and two new directors following the retirement of long-time directors Richard Krogh and David MacLeod.
Mr Krogh, who retired at the company’s June meeting this week, joined the Board of Directors in 2012 and had been chair since 2019. Mr MacLeod, who retired earlier this year, had been a Board member since 2001 and was chair of the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) from 2007-2022. The TRC is the 100% owner of Port Taranaki.
New Port Taranaki Board of Directors chair Jeff Kendrew said Mr Krogh and Mr MacLeod had made a significant contribution to Port Taranaki and their extensive experience and knowledge of the port sector would be missed.
“Both Richard and David have been hugely influential in the success of Port Taranaki across the past two decades. They have helped steer Port Taranaki safely through changes in the strategic direction of the port in response to trade and market fluctuations, enabling Port Taranaki to continue to be a key economic asset for the region.
“Most recently, they have provided important leadership as the port has started a journey to understand how it can support offshore wind energy production as New Zealand works to decarbonise in response to climate change,” Mr Kendrew said.
“We thank Richard and David for their much-valued expertise and commitment to Port Taranaki, and wish them well for the future.”
Mr Kendrew joined the Port Taranaki Board last July and has had vast experience, both internationally and in New Zealand, across engineering, infrastructure, project management, and supply chains, including port operations.
As Port Taranaki chair, he said he would call on his experience as a former chair of Patrick Terminals, one of Australia’s leading container port stevedores, and as a director and former chair of Australasia’s largest farm-gate to port bulk logistics and stevedoring/transportation company LINX Cargo Care Group.
“I’m excited to be taking on this position at what is not only a very important port for Taranaki, but all of New Zealand,” Mr Kendrew said.
“Port Taranaki is the country’s premier energy port, and with the energy industry going through much change, it’s an interesting and important time for Port Taranaki. The ports and shipping sectors are also shifting, with increased emphasis on the use of coastal shipping to move goods. As a Board we are focused on enabling our port to move forward and grasp opportunities that ensure it remains profitable and sustainable in the long term.”
With the retirements of Mr Krogh and Mr MacLeod, two new directors have joined the Board – TAB New Zealand director and Hawke’s Bay Airport chair Wendie Harvey, and Top Energy Limited director and former long-time Wellington International Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson.
A qualified lawyer, Mrs Harvey has experience as a director, trustee, executive, and business consultant. A former director of Napier Port, she is currently a director of Eastland Group Limited and Auroa Energy Limited, and recently was appointed to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Agency, which was established in response to Cyclone Gabrielle.
“I gravitate towards organisations or businesses that positively impact and make a difference to the wellbeing of a region, and I believe Port Taranaki is among those,” Mrs Harvey said.
“I think Port Taranaki’s strategy and interest in offshore wind energy production is exciting and ensures the port continues to be relevant and a key asset for the region.
“I’m really looking forward to bringing my background and experience in infrastructure across ports, electricity, and roading, to the Port Taranaki Board.”
Mr Sanderson has executive and governance experience across aviation, technology, ports, energy, and resource management.
As well as his position on the Top Energy Limited Board, Mr Sanderson is chair of specialist environmental and planning consultancy Mitchell Daysh Limited. He 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.
“It is a great pleasure to join the Port Taranaki Board, and a particular pleasure to be back in Taranaki, having lived in New Plymouth during my time with Powerco,” Mr Sanderson said.
“I have a strong infrastructure background and look forward to bringing that experience to the Port Taranaki Board and working with the management team.
“The future is challenging, as we transition to a net-zero carbon environment, but it equally brings new opportunities, which is exciting for Port Taranaki and the region.”
With strong leadership and governance across a range of industries, Mrs Harvey and Mr Sanderson were excellent additions to the Board, Mr Kendrew said.
“Wendie and Steve are very experienced and extremely well-respected, and will add to the depth and breadth of knowledge on the Port Taranaki Board.
“We look forward to Wendie and Steve helping lead the strategic direction of Port Taranaki in the years to come.”
