To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BANGA, Ms Franceska
For services to business and the community
Ms Franceska Banga is an internationally recognised venture capital investment specialist, and is recognised as a pioneer in state sector venture capital investment in New Zealand.
Ms Banga is the outgoing chief executive of the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, and through this role has overseen partnerships with 10 venture capital funds, 15 angel investment networks, and has been involved with direct and indirect investments into more than 200 high growth companies. She has contributed her business expertise in other forums such as the New Zealand Capital Markets Development Taskforce, and chaired the New Zealand Private Equity and Venture Capital Association Board. She has been the Chief Advisor Strategy for the Ministry of Research, Science, and Technology, and Health Director for the Treasury. Her expertise is also recognised internationally, and she is a member of the International Public Policy Forum on Venture Capital, and is a trustee of the International Centre for Entrepreneurship Foundation. Ms Banga has also used her expertise to benefit charity and not-for-profit organisations, and is a Trustee for the Fred Hollows Foundation, and was previously an independent director for the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind, which she assisted in the transition to a stand-alone trust.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BARNETT, Mr Stewart Arthur
1For services to agriculture and business
Mr Stewart Barnett is a retired businessman who has been involved in New Zealand’s meat industry through his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Primary Producers Co-Operative Society (now Silver Fern Farms Ltd) and as Director of Marlborough Seafoods and of Blue River Dairy Ltd.
Mr Barnett has served on a number of industry boards, at both a local and national level, and is a strong supporter of community activities. He has contributed to meat industry policy matters nationally and globally, and has been a member of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board and Deer Industry New Zealand. He served as a Trustee and chaired the Building Committee for the Carisbrook Stadium Charitable Trust, which was responsible for overseeing the construction of the rugby stadium now known as Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. Most recently Mr Barnett has acted as Project Director on the Rangi Ruru Project – a rebuild of Rangi Ruru Girls’ School after the Christchurch earthquakes. This Project was a Gold Medal winner at the NZ Commercial Projects Awards and won an Excellence Award at The Property Council of New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BELL, Mrs Heather Irene
For services to education
Mrs Heather Bell has contributed more than 30 years to education nationally and internationally.
Mrs Bell was involved with the Education Review Office (ERO) in leading national reviews of challenging schools, helped establish an inaugural national framework for schools reviews and representing ERO at international conferences and exchanges. She was President of the West Auckland Principals Association in 1987 and 1988 and is currently an Executive member. She has been an organiser and speaker for Auckland Reading (now Literacy) Association seminars. She has convened and helped plan national literacy conferences in Auckland. She established and conducted New Zealand Literacy Association (NZLA) national leadership workshops from 2001 to 2011. She served as President of NZLA from 1988 to 1990 and again from 2004 to 2006, the only NZLA member to have served two terms as President. She established and has convened South Pacific Conferences on Reading, and represented the NZLA in establishing the South Pacific Literacy Education Course, later taken over by UNESCO. She was a member of the International Reading Association’s (IRA) Board of Directors from 2011 to 2014 and was the only New Zealander to serve as Chair of the IRA’s International Development Coordinating Committee.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BENNETT, Mr David Winston Aitken
For services to business and the community
Mr David Bennett, along with his wife Marion, established Pacific Helmets (NZ) Ltd in 1982, and over the decades have grown the company into a significant business exporting safety helmets internationally.
Until recently Mr Bennett served on various international Standards committees as an expert contributor to setting helmet Standards. What began as a manufacturer of motorcycle helmets in times of car-less days has developed into a business designing and manufacturing safety helmets for emergency services personnel. The school helmet programme in the 1980s and 1990s led to the compulsory wearing of cycle helmets, saving hundreds of lives and reducing thousands of head injuries. Today Pacific Helmets also make special helmets for quad bike riders. Mr Bennett is committed to ensuring the business remains in Whanganui in order to retain employment there. The company supports a number of charitable causes, and employs a number of staff who have physical handicaps that preclude them from some other forms of gainful employment. He serves on a number of boards and organisations, was recently instrumental in helping the City Mission restructure, and in 2011 was Chair of the organising committee for the centennial reunion of the Whanganui Technical College, now City College. Mr Bennett is an elder in the Presbyterian church, and has been instrumental in the seismic restoration of the Westmere Presbyterian Memorial church.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CLARK, Mr Maurice Cruikshank
For services to heritage preservation and the construction industry
Mr Maurice Clark has been the Proprietor and Managing Director of McKee Fehl Constructors since 1986.
Mr Clark is a veteran engineer, developer and builder who has been responsible for the restoration of several iconic heritage buildings in Wellington, including the 1908 Public Trust building, 1938 former Government Life Building, and the 1940 former Defence building on Stout Street. The Defence building project in particular has seen New Zealand firsts for in situ structural testing and has led to innovative construction procedures with adaptive reuse of existing materials. He has worked with heritage experts to ensure the highest heritage values are maintained in the refurbishments. Other strengthening and refurbishment projects have included the 1904 Victoria University Hunter Building, the 1876 Law School (Old Government Building), the Beehive, Victoria University Rankine Brown Building and the Museum of Wellington City and Sea. He is a Board member of the Wellington Civic Trust and is an advisor to the Wellington Citizenship Trust. He and his wife are core supporters and inaugural donors for the Holocaust Centre and supporters of the New Zealand Festival of the Arts. Mr Clark is a significant supporter of the Downtown Community Ministry by way of purchasing, strengthening and upgrading the Sisters of Compassion’s building in Luke’s Lane for DCM’s and other charitable service provider’s use.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
COUTTS, Ms Elizabeth Mary
For services to governance
Ms Elizabeth Coutts has made a significant contribution across the public and private sectors, working across the fields of health, primary industries, and investment.
Ms Coutts was the first woman to be appointed as Vice President of the National Council of the Institute of Directors. She has served on numerous boards, trusts and committees, most notably as a Director of Air New Zealand Ltd, PHARMAC, and the Health Funding Authority; as Chair of Industrial Research Ltd; as Deputy Chair of the Public Trust Board; and as a member of the Commerce Commission, Sport and Recreation New Zealand Board, and an Earthquake Commissioner. She has acted as a strong role model for other women looking for leadership roles, and has applied her extensive governance and commercial experience to the not-for-profit and charitable sectors through her involvement with the Auckland Youthline Charitable Trust, and a number of local and national sporting organisations. Due to her extensive experience and impact, Ms Coutts has been made a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CROFTS, Mr Charles Stuart Temane Moeroa
For services to Māori
Mr Charles Crofts led Ngāi Tahu through critical stages of the Ngai Tahu Deed of Settlement as the first Kaiwhakahaere of Te Runanganui o Ngai Tahu between 1993 and 1996.
Mr Crofts was then an integral member of the team of principals mandated by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to manage the negotiations process, and was personally charged with maintaining tribal cohesion during negotiations. After a series of commissions of inquiry, two years of Waitangi Tribunal Hearings and four years of direct negotiations with the Crown, the Ngāi Tahu Settlement Act was signed in 1998. Mr Crofts is currently Chair of Koukourarata Rūnanga, Director of Koukourarata Development Company, a member of the Canterbury Water Management Committee and the Lyttelton Port Company and Kaumatua for the Christchurch City Council. He has previously been Chair of Tutehuarewa Māori Komiti, Port Levy Māori Komiti, Koukourarata Rūnanga, and Te Ngai Tauhuriri Rūnanga. He was a member of the original Nga Upoko ki Waitaha, the Heads of Waitaha rūnanga, which managed the relationships between local rūnanga and the Regional Council in the early 1990s. Mr Crofts has been a Director of Canterbury Museum and Koukourarata Mataitai.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DWYER, Ms Finola
For services to the film industry
Ms Finola Dwyer is a double Oscar nominated and BAFTA award winning film and television producer who is co-owner of Wildgaze Films, one of the United Kingdom’s leading independent film development and production companies.
Ms Dwyer entered the film industry as an editor at the National Film Unit in 1977, moving to Television New Zealand in 1980 where she worked as an editor, primarily on ‘Country Calendar’. During the 1980s she freelanced as an editor, sound editor and post production supervisor on a number of early New Zealand feature films and television productions, such as ‘Came A Hot Friday’ and ‘The Quiet Earth’, before turning to producing. She conceived and produced the award-winning documentary ‘Raglan by the Sea’ and New Zealand’s first successful chat show, ‘McCormick Country’. In 1988 she was appointed to the Board of the New Zealand Film Commission and served one term before moving to the United Kingdom in 1990. Over the past 24 years she has been a producer on a wide range of internationally acclaimed feature film and television productions. Her recent productions have included ‘An Education’, ‘Quartet’, and ‘Brooklyn’. She is the former chair of the BAFTA Film Committee and a BAFTA Trustee. Ms Dywer maintains regular contact with the New Zealand film industry and offers mentorship and advice to New Zealand filmmakers nationally and abroad.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ETCHEVERRY, Ms Prudence Shirley (Pru)
For services to people with leukaemia and blood cancer
Ms Pru Etcheverry has been CEO of Leukaemia and Blood Cancer (LBC) New Zealand since 2003.
Ms Etcheverry has worked tirelessly to grow the organisation from a team of three part-time people to a mid-size not-for-profit generating a consolidated annual income in excess of $6 million. She has advocated for patients to have the access to the best possible care and treatment and has been instrumental in ensuring a number of drugs receive funding in New Zealand. She was instrumental in establishing the first Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Research Centre at the University of Auckland in 2014 as well as a Support and Wellbeing Room in the Motatapu Ward at Auckland City Hospital the same year. She has developed a number of significant income streams, which include iconic fundraising events such as Shave for a Cure, the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge, SKYCITY Dining for a Difference, and the 100 Hole Golf Marrowthon. She leads by example and has personally completed Shave for a Cure and the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge. She served as Chair of CANGO, a national Cancer NGO working group, and is Chair of the Governance Advisory Group for the Auckland Regional Tissue Bank. Ms Etcheverry is also Chair of the International Lymphoma Coalition.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FITZJOHN, Dr Trevor Paul
For services to radiology
Dr Trevor FitzJohn is one of New Zealand’s leading Radiologists, responsible for the introduction and maturation of several radiology services to New Zealand and the Wellington region.
Since 1986 Dr FitzJohn has been a Consultant Radiologist for Capital and Coast District Health Board. He was a Radiologist and Managing Director of Wakefield Radiology from 1992 to 2004, before becoming Chairman of Pacific Radiology Ltd. He oversaw the installation of the first MRI scanner in the greater Wellington region. He introduced Interventional Neuroradiology to the region and was a central figure in establishing minimally invasive treatment of Aneurysms and other neurological conditions in New Zealand. He introduced PACS Electronic Image Storage to New Zealand. He initiated radiology involvement in the treatment of Vascular Anomalies and since 1996 has been co-Chair of the Centre for the Study and Treatment of Vascular Birthmarks. He was a central figure in introducing Positron Emission Topography (PET) scanning to New Zealand, establishing the first PET scanner in Wellington. He set up New Zealand’s first Cyclotron in Wellington to manufacture the Radioisotope FDG, which previously had to be flown in from Melbourne, allowing PET scanning facilities to become feasible around the country, of which there are now five. Dr FitzJohn has been Chairman of Cyclotek Pharmaceuticals since 2010.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GAO, Professor Wei
For services to science and engineering
Professor Wei Gao is a world-renowned academic, and is one of New Zealand’s leading material scientists and engineers.
Through his work, Professor Gao has made a significant impact in helping to address the environmental, industrial, and technological challenges facing New Zealand and the rest of the world. He has taught at the University of Auckland for more than 23 years, where he supported 50 PhD and 40 Masters students, and has been offered positions as an honorary professor in many top-ranked overseas universities. He has established wide international research collaborations with universities and institutes in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, China, Japan, Australia, Singapore and Korea, ensuring that New Zealand research is influential on a global scale. He has been awarded four Standard Marsden Grants, the James Cook Fellowship, and a number of other New Zealand and international awards, medals and fellowships. He has more than 720 scientific publications and 14 patents. Professor Gao is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and has served as the Chairman of the New Zealand Chinese Scientists Association since 2012.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GREENWOOD, Mr Mark Joseph
For services to biosecurity
Mr Mark Greenwood has developed a highly respected reputation in the international biosecurity community as an expert in fumigation and through his efforts he has positioned New Zealand as a global leader in this field.
Mr Greenwood is the owner and Managing Director of Genera Limited, 100 percent New Zealand family-owned business which provides biosecurity treatments. He has been a stable employer for more than 40 years and has built his company to a stage where it operates at ports throughout New Zealand and Australia, and has joint ventures in Fiji, New Caledonia and Thailand. Genera was the first company to offer fumigant recapture in New Zealand and also pioneered the world’s first use of in-transit fumigation of log ships using phosphine gas, which has saved thousands of tonnes of methyl bromide from being released into the atmosphere. He has overseen the introduction of several other alternative forms of biosecurity treatment such as cylinderised phosphine and chemical-free heat treatment. He instigated the formation of STIMBR (Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reducation), an action group set up to research alternatives to methyl bromide. He is also the New Zealand representative of the International Maritime Fumigation Organisation. Mr Greenwood sponsors pest control for 10 hectares of Stewart Island through Genera.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HANDCOCK, Inspector Patrick James (Pat)
For services to the New Zealand Police and the community
Inspector Pat Handcock has been involved with the New Zealand Police since 1974.
Inspector Handcock held a number of roles with Police Criminal Investigation Branches in Napier, Auckland and Palmerston North before becoming Area Commander for Palmerston North in 2004. He took on an expanded role in 2013 when the Palmerston North area became the Manawatu Policing area to include Tararua, Horowhenua and rural Manawatu. He was Chairperson of the Palmerston North Safety Advisory Board (SAB) from 2005 to 2014 and during this time he developed the Board into a strong multi-agency team, growing the Board until all government agencies were represented. Under his leadership SAB initiated, implemented and supported more than 30 community safety projects, many of which are now recognised as best practice internationally. These projects included engagement with refugee and migrant communities to protect them from becoming marginalised and the victims of crime, initiatives to reduce burglaries and in particular safety education programmes for tertiary students, and the sponsorship of a major research project looking at alcohol ‘pre-loading’ before a night out and the associated harms. Inspector Handcock was a driving force behind Palmerston North achieving International Safe City Status in 2014, having seen a steady crime rate reduction over eight years.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HARRIS, Ms Danielle Pikihuia
For services to Māori and health
Ms Danielle Harris is CEO of Tanenuiarangi Manawatu Inc, the mandated iwi authority for Rangitāne O Manawatu, and has been the Principal Negotiator for the iwi’s Treaty claim since 2007, leading to the signing of a Deed of Settlement in 2015.
Ms Harris manages and is a Trustee of Whakapai Hauora (Best Care), the health and social service arm of Rangitāne O Manawatu, and is Deputy Chair of the Manawhenua Hauora Board. She also oversees Kia Ora FM 89.8 Trust and Te Hotu Manawa o Rangitāne o Manawatu. She is the Rangitāne O Manawatu representative on the Manawatu River Accord. She has been a Board member of the MidCentral Primary Health Organisation since 2010. She was a member of MidCentral District Health Board from 2001 to 2008, serving on a number of committees. Ms Harris was a member of the Establishment Committee for the Manawatu Primary Health Organisation in 2004 and 2005 and from 2009 to 2012 was on the steering group for Better Sooner More Convenient Health Services for Central primary Health Organisation.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAYTHORNTHWAITE, Mr Peter Frank
For services to design
Mr Peter Haythornthwaite has played a key role in devising and implementing the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Better by Design programme and the establishment of the Best Awards for New Zealand design.
Mr Haythornthwaite formed Peter Haythornthwaite Design in 1979, which he sold to his staff in 2000. He created arti-fakt-s in 1981, which competed internationally by design. He and his creativelab team helped design LOMAK (Light Operated Mouse and Keyboard), which enables physically impaired people to use computers more easily. Launched in 2007, LOMAK is in New York’s Museum of Modern Art permanent design collection. In 2002 he researched and co-authored the Massey University Design Industry Scoping Review, which led to the establishment of the Design Taskforce on which he served. He is past President of the Designers Institute of New Zealand. As an educator he has played a role in launching the careers of many successful design graduates. With his partners at Equip Mr Haythornthwaite designed and helped develop the BBD Design Audit programme, which fed into the establishment of the D2B (Design to Business) Integration initiative for the State Government of Victoria.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
IEREMIA, Mr Neil
For services to dance
Mr Neil Ieremia founded his own dance company Black Grace in 1995 with ten male dancers of Pacific, Māori and New Zealand heritage and as Artistic Director and Chief Executive has since turned Black Grace into a highly recognisable and iconic cultural brand.
For its 20th anniversary in 2015 Black Grace toured New Zealand from Kaitaia to Oamaru with “20 for 20”, performing in 20 venues for $20 tickets at the door, allowing a wide range of New Zealanders to experience their work. Black Grace has toured internationally to Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Australia. In 2004 they made their United States debut, performing a sold out season at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, with a subsequent return to the Festival in 2005. The company has since toured regularly in North America. Black Grace received critical acclaim for its performances in the 2014 “NZ at Edinburgh” showcase at the Edinburgh festivals. Mr Ieremia has choreographed work for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Opera New Zealand, New Zealand Wearable Arts and the Holland Dance Festival. His recent work has included ‘Passchendaele” with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, part of the Salute season commemorating the First World War.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KELLY, Mr Christopher Morton (Chris)
For services to agriculture
Mr Chris Kelly has been a leader in New Zealand’s agricultural sector and is currently Chair of Beef and Lamb Genetics, a director of Crown Irrigation Investment Company and Chancellor of Massey University.
As CEO of Landcorp Farming from 2001 to 2013 Mr Kelly introduced dairy and deer farming to the company, increased revenue to $230 million and drove significant improvements in training and environmental management. He has been Chair of the Project Governance Group for the TB Pest Management Strategy and under his leadership agreement has been reached with industry funders for a long-term funded eradication strategy. During his time as General Manager Corporate Planning and Global Manager Corporate Development with the New Zealand Dairy Board he was involved with or led a number of key initiatives that helped the development of the dairy industry in that period. He argued for the importance of industry-good mechanisms, leading to the establishment of Dexel and Dairy Insight. He personally drove the setup and became a Director of Farm IQ, a joint Crown/industry Primary Growth Partnership to enhance the red meat sector. Mr Kelly was appointed Chair of AgVax Developments Ltd, a subsidiary of AgResearch set up to commercialise research and development initiatives.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KELLY, Dr Niall Patrick (Patrick)
For services to children's health
Dr Patrick Kelly is a child protection paediatrician at Te Puaruruhau, the Child Protection Unit of Starship Hospital.
Dr Kelly devised and was a driving force behind the establishment of New Zealand’s first multiagency child protection service, Puawaitahi. Puawaitahi includes Child, Youth and Family (CYF) staff, specialist Police child protection staff, District Health Board nurses, social workers and paediatricians in one coordinated service for the three Auckland District Health Boards. Puawaitahi has since become the exemplar service of its kind in Australasia and is a hub for specialist training. Dr Kelly runs two major training programmes a year for physical and sexual abuse for trainees across Australasia. He has conducted several world leading studies into child abuse, including seminal papers on inflicted head injury and sexually transmitted infections in children. He is in strong demand for court cases as New Zealand’s foremost expert witness on child protection. He has been influential in developing policy and practice for CYF, Police and the health sector, for example CYF’s Gateway Assessments interagency protocol and informing ACCs’ approach to funding of sexual assault services for children and young people. Dr Kelly chaired the Paediatric Society of New Zealand Child Protection Special Interest Group from 2000 to 2012.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MARTIN, Dr Peter David
For services to tobacco control
Dr Peter Martin was a respiratory physician until his retirement in 2014 and made a long-term contribution to reducing smoking in New Zealand.
Practicing at Wellington Hospital in the 1960s Dr Martin noted high rates of lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in patients who smoked, leading him to conduct and publish research in support of tobacco control and the establishment of smoke-free environments. He was the first in New Zealand to initiate discussions with the British company, who at the time, supplied the cessation product Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), which was eventually brought to New Zealand. Currently $7 million is invested in NRT annually as part of New Zealand’s tobacco control programme. He established a pioneering stop smoking clinic at Wellington Hospital in 1985, providing group-based behavioural support and optional NRT and achieved high quitting rates. He became Quitline’s Medical Advisor in 2001, and remained in this part-time role until 2014. Dr Martin made a positive contribution to the development of Quitline’s leading evidence-based service by advising on behavioural support methodology, the use of NRT and other pharmacotherapies and staff training.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MATHESON, Ms Alexandra Mary Raine (Lexie)
For services to performing arts, education and LGBTIQ rights
Ms Lexie Matheson has made significant contributions across a range of fields, principally in performing arts and education.
As a teacher and principal in the 1960s and 1970s Ms Matheson ran gymnastics clubs, coached sport, liaised with parents of children with learning and behavioural challenges, run extra-curricular clubs and was active with professional education associations, well beyond the parameters of her paid employment. She has been Artistic Director of a range of theatre companies since 1980, most recently The Company of Angels in Auckland, staging close to 400 productions in her career and receiving numerous theatre awards. Her involvement with universities in Auckland have included overseeing the business management of the University of Auckland’s Maidment Theatre for eight years, various lecturer roles, the creation of the first undergraduate degree major in event management to be offered by a New Zealand University, and student support services. She has been recognised with a number of excellence in teaching awards. Ms Matheson has been an advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) communities for many years, including roles as Agender New Zealand Auckland Coordinator, Chair of the Hero Inc Board that organised the 2002 Hero Festival, a Transadvocates Trustee, and a founding member of Auckland Pride Festival Inc.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MURDOCH, Mrs Lesley Jean, MBE
For services to sport
Mrs Lesley Murdoch was a member of the committee which undertook in 1995 a sweeping review of New Zealand Cricket and from 1995 to 1998 served on the Board of NZ Cricket, stepping down to become the convenor of selectors for New Zealand Women’s Cricket.
Mrs Murdoch is currently a Board member of Netball New Zealand, with a special focus on netball in Canterbury post-earthquake. She has been an appointed member of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority Community Forum since 2011. She has been a Trustee of the New Zealand Community Trust Board since 2008, which distributes around $40 million annually to communities around New Zealand, primarily through sports-related grants. She is a well-known radio sports broadcaster having informed and entertained the public for the past three decades and currently hosts a weekly Saturday morning talk-back sports show for Newstalk ZB. She also provides commentary for hockey and netball games for Sky Sport and TVNZ, including coverage of the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and Netball World Championships. Mrs Murdoch served a term on the Board of New Zealand Hockey and was a long-time coach and mentor for the Marist Hockey Club Junior section in Christchurch.
HONOURS
Member of the Order of the British Empire, New Year 1987
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
O'REILLY, Mr Philip John
For services to business and governance
Mr Philip O’Reilly was Chief Executive of BusinessNZ for 11 years.
Mr O’Reilly transformed business lobbying from a focus on ideological industrial disputes to a wider conversation on what is best for New Zealand. He helped develop new entities including ExportNZ, ManufacturingNZ, Major Companies Group, Sustainable Business Council and the BusinessNZ Energy Council. He is Chair of the Business and Industry Advisory committee to the OECD, the first New Zealander to fill this role, and is New Zealand’s Employer Delegate to the International Organisation of Employers. He is a member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva. He has previously been an industrial advocate working with numerous industries and unions and was Executive Director of the Newspaper Publishers Association from 1989 to 1999, leading successful lobby efforts on press freedom and copyright issues, and driving the move to electronic formats for mainstream print media. As Chair of the Advertising Standards Authority he advocated for and achieved a move to responsible self-regulation in advertising in key sectors. Mr O’Reilly has chaired or been a member of numerous other boards and advisory groups.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PARRY, Emeritus Professor Bryan Ronald
For services to colorectal surgery
Emeritus Professor Bryan Parry is a respected leader in the surgical community of New Zealand and internationally.
Emeritus Professor Parry was one of the first surgeons in New Zealand to train in Colorectal Surgery. He was a Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Auckland before becoming Head of the Department of Surgery in 1995 and Chief of Surgery at Auckland Hospital, the first surgeon to take on this dual role in New Zealand. He is currently Clinical Director of the nutrition service at Auckland City Hospital. He has been an Examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), President of the Surgical Research Society of Australasia, and is a member of the Colorectal Surgical Section of the RACS. He was Chairman of the General Surgical Prioritisation development committee of the Ministry of Health tasked with developing tools for prioritising patients to surgical waiting lists. He was the Clinical Director (Adult) of the New Zealand National Intestinal Failure Service and played a central role in establishing this service. He has been the International Dean for the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. Emeritus Professor Parry has written 80 scientific publications and has addressed surgical societies nationally and internationally.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PERHAM, Mr William John (John)
For services to philanthropy and the community
Mr John Perham is the founder and Chairman of Crimestoppers Trust.
Crimestoppers is a charity, independent from Police, which offers nationwide channels through which people can provide information about crime and wrongdoing and be guaranteed anonymity. Commencing with the Trust’s first Chief Executive, Lou Gardiner, Mr Perham has built effective relationships with a wide range of partners in the public and private sectors. He has personally invested significant financial resources into the Trust and has spent several days a week for the past six years driving support for the Trust and its activities. To create a funding base for the Trust he developed an Integrity Line ‘commercial’ offering where, for a nominal annual fee, organisations in the private and public sectors can implement an anonymous whistleblower service for their staff, contractors and customers. Clients of this service now include several government ministries, Auckland Airport, New Zealand Post and Housing New Zealand. He has also been the driver behind the successful Safer Schools initiative which, over the past five years, has contributed to a substantial reduction in burglaries and property damage across the education sector. Mr Perham has previously held a range of executive positions, directorships, chairmanships and advisory roles with a number of public sector entities and private sector businesses in Australia and New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PRESLEY, Ms Annette
For services to business and women
Ms Annette Presley has made a significant contribution to job creation in Australia and New Zealand.
Ms Presley started her first company, the IT recruitment firm Stratum, in 1987 at 24. She co-founded several successful telecommunications and information technology companies in New Zealand and Australia, including Call Australia, CallPlus and i4free. The CallPlus organisation includes Slingshot, Orcon and 2talk, and became New Zealand’s third largest telecommunications and broadband provider during her leadership. She was a leader in driving the unbundling of the local loop in New Zealand, which brought pricing down more than 50 percent and created competition. She works hard to encourage the next generation of women technology entrepreneurs, and is an investor and dedicated mentor to Creative HQ’s Lightning Lab XX programme that supports start-up businesses that have at least one female co-founder. She is also a philanthropist and was patron of the charity StepUP which gives business inspiration to teenagers, and has been actively involved in supporting other charities such as Dress for Success, Shine and Kidz First Children’s Hospital in South Auckland. In 2015 Ms Presley established her own charity Elicit – the dream catchers, a camp to inspire teenagers to strive for their dreams, a programme which she has already run in schools for ten years.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PRIME, Mr Samuel Kevin (Kevin), MBE
For services to conservation and Māori
Mr Kevin Prime has been a foundation komiti member of Nga Whenua Rahui since 1990, established to protect Māori land through the use of conservation covenants.
Mr Prime has been a Commissioner for the Environment Court since 2003. He has been Chair and is currently kaumatua for Foundation North, formerly the ASB Community Trust, having been involved since 2001. Under his leadership the Foundation set aside $20 million for its innovative Māori and Pacific Educational Initiative, which led to the support of 10 programmes to raise educational achievement of Māori and Pacific young people across Auckland and Northland including Manaiakalani and Motukairoa, both of which have been rolled out nationwide. As kaumatua he has played an important role in the development of the Foundation’s Māori Strategy. He is currently Chair of the local steering group for the Reconnecting Northland project, the first large-scale ecological restoration programme in New Zealand focusing on the wellbeing of people and the land. He was involved with the Ngati Hine kereru restoration programme until 2002 and the Bay of Islands College Board of Trustees until 2003. Mr Prime has been Chair of the Te Kahui Māori Advisory Bio-Heritage National Science Challenge.
HONOURS
Member of the Order of the British Empire, New Year 1991
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PURVIS, Mrs Annette Michelle
For services to athletics
Mrs Annette Purvis has been involved in all aspects and levels of athletics in New Zealand from grassroots to elite levels, and taken on local, national and international commitments to support the sport.
Mrs Purvis has served on the Board of Athletics New Zealand since 2004, and been the Board Chair since 2007. In this role, she was instrumental in developing and rolling out the ‘Transformation Project’ strategy for athletics which aims to make the Board more responsive to members’ needs, growth opportunities, foster financial sustainability, and create greater consistency between national and grass roots programmes. In her role she works with the New Zealand Children’s Athletics Association, Secondary Schools Athletics Association, New Zealand Masters Athletics and Oceania Athletics Association. She was a founding member of the Valleys United Athletics Club and outside of athletics serves on the Christchurch School of Gymnastics Board. Mrs Purvis helped organise the International Paralympic Committee World Athletics Championships staged in Christchurch in 2011, and is serving her second term as a member of the International Association of Athletics Foundations Women’s Committee, where she assisted Athletics New Zealand in becoming a signatory to the Brighton and Helsinki Declaration on Women and Sport in 2014.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
QUINN, Ms Catherine Agnes (Cathy)
For services to the law and women
Ms Cathy Quinn is Chair of Minter Ellison, one of New Zealand’s leading professional advisory firms, and has been a champion and mentor for aspiring businesswomen.
Ms Quinn is a member of New Zealand Global Women and a Trustee of Valens Group. She was a member of the Securities Commission for nine years, where she was also responsible for liaison at the governance level with the capital markets operator NZX. She was the co-author of one of the leading company and securities law texts in New Zealand, Morison’s Company and Securities Law. She was appointed as a member of the Capital Markets Development Taskforce in 2008 and oversaw significant recommendations to improve New Zealand’s securities law. She is recognised as a New Zealand expert on best practice corporate governance and pioneered the annual Minter Ellison Corporate Governance Symposium, which has run since 2003. She was the principal author of the Minter Ellison White Paper on Corporate Governance and has advised numerous Boards of Directors on governance matters. Ms Quinn was appointed to the Commercial Advisory Board to the New Zealand Treasury in 2014 and champions New Zealand’s links with China as a member of the Executive Board of the New Zealand China Council.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SEVERNE, Dr Charlotte Marewa
For services to Māori and science
Dr Charlotte Severne has been a strong advocate and mentor for Māori students in science and a trail blazer in assisting Māori asset-owning entities to understand and better utilise science and research to sustainably manage and develop their taonga tukuiho.
Dr Severne has been elected to a number of Tuwharetoa entities. She chairs both the Lake Rotoaira Trust and its Forest Trust. She has been involved with the Opepe Farm Trust for five years, the first three years as an interim trustee working to bring the insolvent Trust into a consolidated position, and has been Deputy Chair of the Trust. She worked in senior management for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) for 12 years including roles as Chief Scientist Ocean Research and Chief Scientist Māori Development. She was responsible for rapidly developing NIWA’s Māori Development Unit Te Kuwaha o Taihoro Nukurangi, which is still a successful model for integrating Vision Maatauranga in science institutions. She is currently Deputy Vice Chancellor Māori and Communities at Lincoln University. Dr Severne was a Ministerial Appointment to the MBIE Science Board in 2014 and was previously a Ministerial Appointment to the Bioethics Council.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SMITH, Mr Nicholas George Stanley
For services to the media and sport
Mr Nicholas Smith has contributed to the media industry for more than 40 years, having previously worked with the Christchurch Star, the New Zealand Herald and the Dunedin Star, and is currently a director of Allied Press and Chairman of Star Media Group Christchurch.
Mr Smith is the current Chairman of the Canterbury regional television station CTV and was instrumental in reviving CCTV as a tribute to those who had lost their lives after the February 2011 earthquake destroyed the company’s building and killed 16 members of staff. He has served on the boards of a number of national media organisations. He is a Life Member and past President of the Otago Cricket Association and has had a life-long involvement with sport as a player, administrator and sponsor. He played a key role as the driver in forming the University Oval Redevelopment Trust and served on that body as Chairman of the fundraising committee. He raised $2 million from public funders towards the establishment of a first class cricket ground for Dunedin. Over the past 20 years he has donated considerable funds to individuals, communities and organisations including schools, sports clubs and charitable organisations, both personally and through his businesses. Mr Smith was a Director of Radio Otago and is a past President of the Otago Chamber of Commerce and the Dunedin Club.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SPACKMAN, Ms Victoria Ursula
For services to theatre, film and television
Ms Victoria Spackman has contributed to the theatre, film and television sectors in New Zealand in governance roles.
Ms Spackman is currently the Chief Executive and a shareholder of the screen and visitor experience company Gibson Group Ltd. She received the Arts and Culture Award in the 2015 Westpac Women of Influence Awards, recognising in particular her role in revitalising Bats Theatre Ltd. She had served 12 years on the Theatre’s Board from 2002 to 2014. She is on the Board of Directors of Screenrights Australia, and has served six years on the Board of the Screen Production and Development Association of New Zealand (SPADA). Ms Spackman joined the Board of Education New Zealand in 2015 and has worked with Education New Zealand on a Mandarin language television series called ‘Dragons in a Distant Land’ about Chinese students studying in New Zealand. The series was launched by the Prime Minister in Beijing in 2013 during the celebrations of the 40-year relationship between China and New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
STEWART, Sergeant Ross David
For services to the New Zealand Police and youth
Sergeant Ross Stewart has been involved with the New Zealand Police for 42 years and as the current Youth Aid Leader covering the wider Hawke’s Bay is recognised as one of the best Youth Aid practitioners in New Zealand.
Sergeant Stewart began specialising in the youth area in 1984 and his expertise has been used in training across the Youth Justice sector, supporting Police National Managers and in developing meaningful relationships with stakeholders across Hawke’s Bay. He has developed and delivered joint training with Police and Child, Youth and Family social workers at the national level, and has integrated with iwi services to provide whānau-based services for youth. In 2014 he took on the Early Intervention portfolio, a new Police initiative aimed at identifying police members who may be struggling with the challenges of policing. He has been involved with Hip Hop Cops, a Police and youth interactive group. He has been a member of the Karamu High School Board of Trustees and took on several roles including contributing to the rebuild of the school. Sergeant Ross has also been involved with Birthright Hawke’s Bay, Village Baptist Church, Akina Activity Centre and the U Turn Trust, as well as contributing to projects alongside the Hastings District Council.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SUMNER, Mr Steven Paul (Steve)
For services to football
Mr Steve Sumner has contributed to football in New Zealand as a player, administrator and media commentator.
As a player Mr Sumner had an international career spanning 1976 to 1988, with 105 appearances for New Zealand including leading tours as captain. He captained the All Whites in the 1982 World Cup qualifying campaign, the first New Zealand team to qualify for a World Cup. He was the first player of the FIFA Oceania Zone to score in a World Cup and domestically is the only player to win six Chatham Cup medals. He was the Assistant Coach of the All Whites from 1989 to 1991. He was a Board member of New Zealand Football from 1991 to 2001 and founded the Centre Circle organisation to promote and raise funds for youth football development nationally, but particularly in Canterbury. He was a Board member of the Wellington Phoenix from 2007 to 2009 and has been President of Mainland Football since 2008. Mr Sumner is the only person in New Zealand to be recognised by FIFA twice, with the FIFA centennial Order of Merit in 2004 and the FIFA Order of Merit in 2010 (regarded as the highest honour awarded by FIFA).
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TROUP, Mr Gary Bertram
For services to sport and the community
Mr Gary Troup has had a lifetime involvement with cricket at local, regional, national and international levels.
Mr Troup is currently a Life Member and previously held a range of positions with the Papatoetoe Cricket Club. He was President of Auckland Cricket, Vice Patron and Honorary Vice President of the Auckland Cricket Association, and was previously a first class representative player and selector. He was a member of the Black Caps from 1976 to 1986 and played 15 Tests and 22 One Day Internationals. He was a founding member of the Organising Committee for the Papatoetoe Sports Awards. He was a driving force behind the construction of the Kolmar Centre which houses the Papatoetoe Sport and Community Trust and is current Chair of the Trust’s committee. He is a Board member of the John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation and a former Trustee Counties Manukau Sports Foundation. In recent years he has been Chairman of the Board of Camp Quality and of the Papatoetoe 150th Anniversary Committee. He is independent Chairman of OneVoice for Auckland, a high level advisory group to the Auckland Council. Mr Troup is a current Patron of Manukau Performing Arts and the Papatoetoe Historical Society, and a member of the appointments panel to select Young Achievers on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WALKER, Mr Gavin Ronald
For services to the State and business
Mr Gavin Walker has been Chairman of Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Fund since 2012, having been a member of the Guardians Board since 2010.
The nearly $30 billion New Zealand Superannuation Fund was the world’s best performing sovereign wealth fund over the past five years. In the past three years under Mr Walker’s chairmanship the fund returned an average of 15 percent per annum. The New Zealand Super Fund was recognised for its excellence in governance by Deloitte Top 200 in 2015. Mr Walker has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry both at executive and board level. He was the founding Chief Executive and a director of the Bankers Trust New Zealand until 1996, after which he led the Bankers Trust Investment Bank in Sydney. He is currently Chairman of the ASB Bank, Sovereign Assurance Company Limited and the ultra-fast broadband steering committee. He has been an Independent Non-Executive Director at Lion Limited since 2000. He has been a Board Member of the New Zealand Rugby Union, a member of the New Zealand Business Roundtable and the New Zealand Initiative. Mr Walker has been a Trustee of the Arts Foundation.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WOOD, Dr Pushpa
For services to financial literacy and interfaith relations
Dr Pushpa Wood, as Director of Westpac Massey Financial Education and Research Centre and Chair of the New Zealand Chapter of the World Council of Religion and Peace, has played a key role in improving the financial literacy of New Zealanders and interfaith relations.
Dr Wood is recognised as an international expert in financial literacy and has contributed to discussion documents on financial literacy for the OECD. While with the Commission for Financial Capability she developed a quality assurance system for financial literacy providers and developed a Financial Literacy Competency Framework for adults, which is now widely used by the education and industry sectors including NZQA. She has developed financial literacy training models for indigenous communities and was a member of the Steering Group for Improving Māori and Pacific Financial Literacy. She led the design and implementation of New Zealand’s first financial literacy course for people with learning disabilities. In 2015 she developed the National Strategic Plan for Financial Literacy and a five year Action Plan for Timor Leste. She was a founding member of the Wellington Interfaith Council and Women’s Interfaith Network. She was instrumental in organising New Zealand’s first National Interfaith Forum. Dr Wood helped engage Wellington City Council to celebrate Faith and Community Week from 1992 and negotiated an interfaith ceremony as part of Commonwealth Day celebrations from 1996.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
YARDLEY, Air Vice-Marshal Michael Edward (Mike), DSD, RNZAF (Rtd.)
For services to the New Zealand Defence Force
Air Vice-Marshal Mike Yardley completed his term as Chief of Air Force in early 2016, having been appointed to the role in May 2014.
As Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Yardley has led the successful introduction into service of enhanced military air capabilities for the New Zealand Defence Force, including the Seasprite, A109 and NH90 helicopters and upgrades to the Orion and Hercules fleets. He also led the significant improvement in the safety of Defence Force air operations, and was recently instrumental in ensuring the early deployment of Orion aircraft to the Middle East in support of New Zealand’s interests in the region. He has held a number of roles and risen through the ranks of the Royal New Zealand Airforce since his enlistment in 1981 as a General Duties Navigator. In the 2000s he was the Project Manager for the P-3 Orion Systems Upgrade Project, for which he was recognised with the award of the Distinguished Service Decoration in 2007. Prior to his appointment as Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshall Yardley held the role of Chief of Staff, Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force, and assumed the role of Air Component Commander in 2013.
HONOURS
New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration, Queen’s Birthday 2007