To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ADAMS, Mr Paul Hunter
For services to business and philanthropy
Mr Paul Adams is a highly successful civil engineer, businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is one of New Zealand's leading developers of land, housing, commercial property and community amenities.
Mr Adams has developed a range of joint venture partnerships with Māori, which has helped support and enrich local Māori communities, such as the development of the old Dominion Museum in Wellington, conversion to Massey University in partnership with Wellington Tenths Trust, the Tikei Mall in partnership with Palmerston North Māori Reserve Trust, and a partnership with Ngati Toa on a major housing development in Porirua. He has held a number of significant directorships over a 35 year career and within these positions he has rescued projects from receivership and overseen developments that have contributed to community and economic growth. He has provided ongoing support to a number of charitable causes and community organisations including Hospice, IHC, Riding for the Disabled, childhood education, healthcare, eldercare, Women's Refuge, and many local sports and Rotary clubs. Mr Adams has made a number of significant charitable donations, including for the development of a crèche in Tauranga for mothers needing help, expansion of Waipuna Hospice in Tauranga, and the donation of residential lots for Habitat for Humanity and IHC.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BOYS, Professor Emeritus John Talbot
For services to science
Distinguished Professor Emeritus John Boys has contributed to science and engineering for more than 30 years.
Professor Boys is highly regarded internationally for his fundamental research into Inductive Power Transfer Technology and for the commercial impact it has made beginning with a major Japanese company in applications including LCD displays, computer chips, industrial car assembly, and the charging and powering of electric vehicles. More than 20 years ago he discovered a resonant self-tuning power supply and with colleague Grant Covic invented a new floor mounted system for car assembly adopted by major car manufacturers. In the 1990s his inductive charging system for buses was deployed in Europe. In 2009 his team took the first prototype electric car inductive charging system to the world's largest EV trade show. His team is currently researching wind and solar powered EVs and the use of the technology is spreading in robotics, roadway lighting, medical devices and home appliances. The work of Professor Boys and his team has brought more than $70 million in research funding to Auckland University, transformed the fortunes of several national and international companies, and contributed to the green economy worldwide.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CAMERON, Mr Robert Laurence
For services to business
Mr Robert Cameron has contributed to finance, business and public policy for 45 years.
Mr Cameron served 12 years with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Treasury where he made a significant contribution to the development of state owned enterprise policy. He led the investment banking division at Fay Richwhite and Company, advising on some of New Zealand's largest commercial business restructurings and capital market transactions. In 1995 he established one of New Zealand's foremost investment banks, Cameron Partners. He has brought corporate finance disciplines to public sector businesses, thus contributing to the improved performance of the New Zealand economy. As Chairman of the Capital Markets Development Task Force he led recommendations that transformed New Zealand's capital markets, including the creation of the Financial Markets Authority. He is a past Member of Victoria University's Advisory Boards for the Faculty of Commerce and Administration, of the School of Government and the Chair of the New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation. Mr Cameron is a Director of KEA, has enhanced Special Olympics New Zealand's funding and extension of its activities and assists the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute in raising funds for cancer research.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CHUNN, Mr Michael Jonathan (Mike), ONZM
For services to music and mental health awareness
Mr Mike Chunn is the CEO and founder of the Play It Strange Trust, established in 2004 to encourage song writing in secondary schools. The Play It Strange song writing competition has launched several contestants, such as Kimbra and Annah Mac, onto national and international success.
Mr Chunn was an original member of Split Enz in the early 1970s and later played in Citizen Band until the early 1980s. He served as General Manager of the Australian Performing Rights Association from 1992 until retiring in 2003. Having struggled with agoraphobia he has been involved in the promotion of mental health awareness, especially men's mental health. He has contributed to singer/songwriter Ryan Edwards' men's mental health awareness campaign established in 2011. Edwards' album 'Whirlwind' featured Mr Chunn on bass and proceeds from album sales have funded a website where men can share their experiences and a series of postcards featuring quotes from prominent men who have dealt with mental health issues.
HONOURS AND AWARDS
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Queen's Birthday 2002
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
COOPER, Mr Robin John (Rob)
For services to Māori health
Mr Rob Cooper has made a significant contribution to Māori health, education and social developments since the 1980s.
Mr Cooper was Chief Executive of the Ngati Hine Health Trust, a health and social services provider in Northland between 2005 and 2013, and is now the Emeritus Executive. The Trust has won several awards and in 2012 opened an internationally acclaimed Early Childhood Education Centre in Kawakawa. He chaired the Māori reference group for Housing New Zealand and oversaw the development of social housing in Moerewa. For many years he worked with the National Council of Māori Nurses, facilitating numerous positive developments. From 2001 to 2004 he was Executive in Residence at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Māori and Pacific Health at the University of Auckland. He created the policy framework and role of Tumuaki to preside over all Māori matters within the Faculty and designed the award-winning Whakapiki Ake student recruitment programme. In 2007 and 2010 he was appointed to the Auckland and Waitemata District Health Boards and incorporated the separate Māori Health Committees into one. Mr Cooper was appointed as Inaugural Chair of the Whanau Ora Governance Group in 2010.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GATTUNG, Ms Theresa
For services to business and philanthropy
Ms Theresa Gattung is an internationally recognised New Zealand business leader.
As Chief Executive and Managing Director of Telecom New Zealand from 1999 to 2007 Ms Gattung was the first woman to lead a large publicly-listed New Zealand company. She is currently chair of AIA Australia Ltd, Australia's largest Group Life Insurance company. She contributed to the New Zealand publishing community as Chair of the New Zealand Advisory Group for the 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair, which led to a dramatic increase in New Zealand books' rights sales. She has been a member of the New Zealand Growth and Innovation Advisory Board, Chair of Telco Technology Services and is the co-founder, Chair and Managing Director of My Food Bag Ltd, a consumer-focused high-end home cooking products company. She is chair of the Wellington Board of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and raised more than half the funds needed to relocate the Branch to new premises from her business networks. She is co-founder and Trustee of the Eva Doucas Charitable Trust which raises funds from sales of used clothing for charities supporting women such as Women's Refuge and New Horizons for Women Trust. Ms Gattung has offered mentoring services for women in business leadership roles.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HEFFERNAN, Dr Martin Douglas (Doug)
For services to the electricity industry
Dr Doug Heffernan has contributed to the electricity industry for 40 years.
Dr Heffernan was chosen to help restructure the New Zealand Electricity Department into the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. Appointed Chief Executive of Waitemata Electric Power Board in 1991, he then spent six years as Chief Executive of Power New Zealand, leading it through corporatisation, merger and NZX listing. As Chief Executive of Mighty River Power from 1998 to 2014 he led the company through a period of sustained growth and evolution from a hydro-only operator to a diversified electricity generator and retailer with a significant geothermal business. Mighty River Power is now a multi-award winning company and one of the world's largest geothermal power station owners. He has led a unique partnership approach to geothermal development with aligned economic, social, environmental and cultural interests and direct economic participation from numerous Māori land trusts and other commercial partners. Under his leadership the company has also worked with community organisations to provide practical solutions for low income customers to help avoid power disconnection. Dr Heffernan has been a director of Tuaropaki Power Company, and Chair of Rotokawa Joint Venture Limited and the Nga Awa Purua Joint Venture.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MCCULLY, The Honourable Murray Stuart, MP
For services to foreign policy
The Honourable Murray McCully has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2008 and has provided leadership in the achievement of New Zealand's key foreign policy objective, securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
It is 20 years since New Zealand last held a seat on the United Nations Security Council. In October 2014 New Zealand won its bid in the first ballot, securing a seat on the Council for 2015/2016.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MOLLER, Mr Christopher John David (Chris)
For services to business and sport
Mr Chris Moller has been at the forefront of New Zealand's key industries since the late 1980s contributing services to sport, dairy, capital markets, tourism, transport, renewable energy and infrastructure.
Mr Moller was CEO of the New Zealand Rugby Union and was appointed a Councillor of the International Rugby Board. He was a driving force behind the 2011 World Cup bid. He was appointed to the Board of New Zealand Cricket in 2008 and was elected Chairman in 2011, becoming a member of the International Cricket Council Board. He worked with Cricket Australia to negotiate a revenue and cost sharing arrangement for the hosting of the Cricket World Cup 2015. He previously worked in the dairy industry for 15 years. He held the position of Deputy Chief of Fonterra and oversaw the merger of the New Zealand Dairy Group, Kiwi Dairies, and the New Zealand Dairy Board's (NZDB) ingredients business, of which he was previously Managing Director. He served on the Board of NZX Ltd for a number of years and has been Chairman of the New Zealand Transport Agency since 2009. Mr Moller is the current Chairman of Sky City Entertainment Group and was appointed as Chairman of Meridian Energy in 2010.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MORRIS, Mrs Beverley Jean, QSO
For services to early childhood education
Ms Beverley Morris has contributed to early childhood education in New Zealand.
Ms Morris has been involved in the development of what has become the early childhood education sector from the early 1950s. She helped to establish the Newtown Playcentre in Wellington and, in the late 1960s, wrote and awarded the first national diploma for Playcentre. Her presentations to and discussions with young people led to her book 'Understanding Children' in 1967, which has been revised and updated several times. She was the President of the Playcentre Federation from 1976 to 1977, and the President of the National Council for Adult Education from 1981 to 1983. She worked at Victoria University in the Centre for Continuing Education for 22 years, until her retirement. Ms Morris has been a life member of the Playcentre Federation for more than 30 years.
HONOURS
Companion of the Queen's Service Order for Community Services, New Year 1988
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RYALL, The Honourable Anthony Boyd Williams (Tony)
For services as a Member of Parliament
The Honourable Tony Ryall was first elected to Parliament as the Member for the East Cape electorate in 1990 and retired from politics in 2014.
Electorate boundary reorganisations saw Mr Ryall represent the Eastern Bay of Plenty from 1993 to 1996 and the Bay of Plenty electorate from 1996 to 2014. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Government led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley from 1997 to 1999, holding the portfolios for State Owned Enterprises, Local Government, Youth Affairs, and Justice. During the National Party's time in Opposition from 1999 to 2008 he was Spokesperson for Law and Order and Health. From 2008 he served as Minister of Health, focusing on performance in areas such as elective surgery, emergency departments, cancer treatment waiting times, and preventative health areas such as immunisation. He was Minister of State Services until 2011 when he also became Minister for State Owned Enterprises. Along with the Minister of Finance, Mr Ryall oversaw the partial sale of three state-owned electricity generators and Air New Zealand through National's government share offer programme.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WALSH, Emeritus Professor Patrick John (Pat)
For services to tertiary education
Emeritus Professor Pat Walsh has served nine years as Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington and 33 years as an academic and university leader.
As Vice-Chancellor he led the establishment of an Engineering School focussed on digital engineering and of the New Zealand School of Music, and implemented the successful merger with the Wellington College of Education and a triple international accreditation for the Victoria Business School. The University's outreach into the Asia-Pacific region has increased with the establishment of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre, the India Research Institute, and new partnerships in Indonesia and other ASEAN countries. He has strengthened partnership with Māori and Pacific communities including the appointment of New Zealand's first Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika). Under his leadership Victoria University was rated first in national research rankings amongst New Zealand Universities in 2012. He was Director of Victoria University Industrial Relations Centre, and Head of the School of Management, leading a successful MBA programme. He has served industrial relations, human resources and education leave bodies. As Chair of Universities New Zealand he helped develop a strategy for building positive university-government relationships. Professor Walsh is currently Chair of the New Zealand Indonesia Council and the Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities.