Home > About us > ESR Board of Directors

ESR Board of Directors

ESR has an independent Board of Directors responsible for its strategic direction and operational performance.

Responsibilities include:

acting on behalf of, and being accountable to, the Shareholding Ministers (the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Crown Research Institutes);
fulfilling regulatory expectations in the Companies Act 1993, the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992, and the Public Finance Act 1989;
establishing strategic policy;
guiding and monitoring the business affairs of the company on behalf of shareholders;
identifying business risks;
reporting to shareholders; and
overseeing the management of the organisation.

In association with management, the Board determines a Statement of Corporate Intent (SCI) and a Strategic Plan for the coming year. These two documents encompass the vision, mission and strategy statements for ESR as well as its business policies.

The SCI focuses on core business areas, as well as financial and non-financial performance measures and targets. The Strategic Plan details the organisation's planned business initiatives.

The Board produces Half-Yearly and Annual Reports which detail the performance against SCI targets. These documents are tabled in Parliament and thereafter made available to the public. The Directors are required by the Companies Act 1993 to prepare financial statements for each financial year. These statements are presented in the Annual Report.

Dr Susan Macken - Chair

Dr Macken has BSc and BCom degrees from Auckland University, and a PhD in Economics from Cambridge University. After graduation she worked for the World Bank as an economist undertaking a variety of assignments in different parts of the world. Dr Macken held various high level roles at Fletcher Challenge before becoming CEO of Problem Gambling Foundation, then CEO of the Auckland Regional Development Strategy. Since then she has been a Company Director and Business Consultant. Her directorships have included Landcare Establishment Board, Hutt Valley Health, Southern Cross Healthcare, NZ Racing Industry Board, NZ Trade Development Board and NZ Institute of Research into Aging. Dr Macken's current directorships include Fertility Associates, Bank of New Zealand and Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board.

Dr Garth Carnaby

Dr Garth Carnaby is based in Christchurch and is principal of his own consultancy and research company, G.A. Carnaby & Associates Ltd. He recently retired as the Chief Executive of Canesis Network Ltd. Earlier in his career Dr Carnaby was involved in conducting and leading projects that applied mathematics and physics to the industrial utilisation of the New Zealand wool clip. He has ventured outside of science and research into governance and executive roles in international product marketing, business development, technology commercialisation and education. Dr Carnaby has recently been appointed as the Chair of the Marsden Council (he was Deputy Chair from 2002). He is also a sitting Council Member on the Academy and Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Dr Carnaby holds Doctorates from Leeds, UNSW, and De Montfort Universities and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of NZ.

Professor Stephen Chambers

Professor Stephen Chambers is a graduate of the University of Otago. He studied at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on a Commonwealth Scholarship and later undertook postgraduate research in the United States. He established the Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS service at Christchurch Hospital when he returned to New Zealand in 1987. Stephen is currently Professor and Clinical Director of Infectious Diseases and Professor in Pathology at Christchurch School of Medicine. He has served on numerous academic and professional committees. Stephen has also served on several national committees for the Ministry of Health and Health Research Council, including the AIDS Medical and Technical Advisory Committee, the Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee and Polio eradication committee for the World Health Organisation. He has also served as a member of the medical and executive committees of the Pacific Leprosy Foundation for over ten years.

Dr Judith Johnston

Dr Judith Johnston is based in Wellington and the Managing Director of her own management consulting company, Judith Johnston Limited. Judith has many years of experience in the public and private sectors, including experience working for the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Department of Health. She has also served on a number of medical research and government related committees and is currently a Lay Member on the Pharmacy Council.

Dr Mere Roberts

Dr Mere Roberts is a New Zealander of Maori (Ngati Apakura, Ngati Hikairo) and pakeha descent. Her PhD was on the origin and ecology of the parasites of the kiore rat, and she also has a Post graduate Certificate in Medial Parasitology from the University of Queensland. Mere recently resigned from The University of Auckland where she taught in the Faculties of Medicine and of Science. She is currently Head of the Faculty of Science at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi. Mere has served on a number of Government Committees including six years as a member of the Maori Advisory Committee to the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) and is currently the Principal Investigator on a FRST funded project investigating Maori values concerning genetically modified organisms. She has also been a Director of the Auckland Museum Trust Board and the Board of Forest Research.

Ross Peat

Mr Peat has a wealth of experience in the IT/software industry. He spent nine years with IBM New Zealand followed by 14 years at Microsoft New Zealand, the last four as Managing Director. Ross is a member of the Auckland Regional Economic Development Forum, a member of the AucklandPlus Advisory Board and a foundation member of the Committee for Auckland. His directorships include Healthsoft Ltd and Healthsoft Australia Ltd, Falcon Ventures (Canada), and several New Zealand IT start-ups.

Elizabeth Hickey

Elizabeth Hickey has a background in accounting. She has a BCom and MCom (First Class Hons) from Auckland University. She is a member of the New Zealand Securities Commission, past Chair of the Accounting Standards Review Board, and past Chair of the Financial Reporting Standards Board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of NZ. Ms Hickey's directorship experience includes time on five not-for-profit sector organisations, and also with Genesis Power, Radio New Zealand and Ernst & Young NZ. She is currently a director of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Directors

Susan Macken (Chair)
Dr Garth Carnaby
Professor Stephen Chambers
Dr Judith Johnston
Dr Mere Roberts
Ross Peat
Elizabeth Hickey