Gas Industry Co has a board comprising seven non-executive directors, four of whom (including the Chair) are independent of the gas industry.

Independent Directors


Rt Hon Jim Bolger
Rt Hon James B Bolger, ONZ

Chair

The Right Hon. James Bolger has had a distinguished career in politics that includes being Prime Minister of New Zealand from October 1990 to December 1997, holding ministerial positions for 16 years, and leading the New Zealand National Party for 12 years. He has been the Chair of Gas Industry Co since the Company’s establishment.

Andrew Brown
Andrew Brown

Andrew is a leading corporate lawyer with over 25 years’ experience as a partner at Bell Gully. Since leaving Bell Gully in 2010, Mr Brown worked on his own account and as general counsel for both KiwiRail and Housing New Zealand Corporation. He is currently a commercial advisor with Kāinga Ora.

Sam
Sam Elder

Sam is an energy sector professional, currently working with Orion Group as General Manager Energy Futures. She started out leading a spacecraft thermal engineering group in the UK, before moving to NZ in 2006. Since then, she has held a range of leadership roles including Retail Insight Manager at Meridian Energy, South Island Director at the Ākina Foundation, and Senior Strategy Manager at Environment Canterbury. Sam has an MSc in Advanced Energy & Environmental Studies and is GARP SCR (Sustainability & Climate Risk) certified.

Brian 2
Sir Brian Roche KNZM

Sir Brian Roche is recognised for his extensive governance, leadership, and business experience. He has held senior leadership positions across the public and private sectors including as a senior partner in what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Post Group, and a number of roles as advisor to Government Ministers on a range of issues including Covid 19 and Cyclone Gabrielle.

He has held a number of Board Chair roles including City Rail Link Limited, the New Zealand Transport Authority, the Hurricanes Super 15 Franchise, Antarctic New Zealand and a number of private companies.

Sir Brian is a Life Member of the Australia and New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Distinguished Alumni of Victoria University. He was awarded a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for services to Business and the State.

Non Independent Directors


Babu Bahirathan ResizedImageWzYwMCw2MDBd
Babu Bahirathan

Babu graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical and Electronics with first class honours. He has since completed study towards a Masters in Finance from Massey University.

After graduating, Babu joined Transpower NZ and went on to spend nine years there in a wide range of roles including planning, development, design, operations and new investments.

In 1999 Babu joined Todd Energy as a Business Analyst just as Todd entered the retail electricity market. He has played a major role in developing and managing Todd’s electricity business from its infancy. Babu held the position of Group Manager Electricity from 2006 until 2011 when he was appointed Vice President Downstream Energy. In 2022 he moved into his current role and is responsible for Todd Corporation’s Downstream Energy wholesale and retail gas, electricity and solar businesses including Nova Energy, Todd Generation, Sunergise and megaTEL.

Mike Fuge
Mike Fuge

Mike is the CEO of Contact Energy. Mike has over 30 years’ experience in the energy sector which has included 19 years with Shell International in upstream oil and gas production over a range of countries in Europe, Middle East and South East Asia. Mike previously headed up Refining NZ Ltd and Pacific Hydro Ltd (based out of Melbourne).

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Paul Goodeve

Paul is the CEO of the Firstgas Group, being appointed in 2016 following the purchase of Vector gas assets and the Maui pipeline from Maui Partners.

The Firstgas Group has subsequently purchased New Zealand’s largest LPG retailer, Rockgas, and New Zealand’s only gas storage facility, Ahuroa.

Paul is a Chartered Accountant, Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and a member of the Institute of Directors. Paul is currently Director of Liquigas and Ara Ake.

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