NEW ZEALAND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMISSION - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• GM Policy

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• GM Infrastructure Delivery

Blake Lepper has a background in the delivery of major infrastructure projects. He has hands on experience across the project lifecycle including in strategic planning, business case development, design management, procurement, and commissioning. He joined Te Waihanga after a number of years supporting the Government on the recovery and regeneration of Christchurch following the 2010/2011 earthquakes. He has a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Science.

Job Titles:

• Chairman of the Board
• Professor of Practice at Victoria University

Dr Alan Bollard is a Professor of Practice at Victoria University of Wellington. He has extensive experience as a senior public servant. He has previously held roles as the Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and Chief Executive and Secretary to the New Zealand Treasury. He holds a PhD in Economics and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Auckland University.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• GM Strategy

Geoff Cooper has a background in global policy having worked for the United Nations, the United States Treasury and the Federal Reserve. He is a former Chief Economist for Auckland Council, where he worked on infrastructure, housing, regulation and financial policy. More recently, as Chief Economist at PwC, Geoff has contributed to the economic appraisal of a range of large infrastructure projects, including Wellington's Let's Get Wellington Moving programme, Auckland Light Rail, Hamilton to Auckland High Speed Rail and Queenstown's Way to Go programme. Geoff holds a Master of Economics with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland and a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University.

Job Titles:

• Director

Geoff Hunt has a wealth of experience in construction, operation, and maintenance of critical infrastructure. He has an ME (electrical) degree and is an Engineering New Zealand Distinguished Fellow. Geoff has been employed in both the government and private sectors and, over a 27-year period, was CEO of four companies covering electricity generation, transmission, and distribution; telecommunication and broadcast networks; rail; civil infrastructure; and complex buildings. He has worked in the UK and USA and has been involved in project delivery in Australia, the Pacific, Melanesia, and South East Asia. Geoff believes that New Zealand has to do better to ensure it provides first world infrastructure for both current and future generations. Critical to this is the development of a joined-up strategy, skills, and leadership to make this a certainty.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Construction and Infrastructure Specialist

Maurice Davis (Ngāti Maniapoto) is a construction and infrastructure specialist with expertise in public transport, building products, and health and safety. He is on the boards of Mates-in-construction and Site Safe. He is the National Secretary for the Amalgamated Workers Union, which covers construction, infrastructure, building products and public transport.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Member of the Board

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive
• Member of the Leadership Team

Ross Copland has a background in the design, procurement, financing, and delivery of infrastructure as an engineer, an asset manager and a Chief Executive. He has worked in commercial construction and property on both sides of the Tasman, finishing up as National Operations Manager for Westfield in 2013. He returned to New Zealand to pursue a career developing tourism infrastructure. Ross holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with First Class Honours, a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Member of the Board
• Chairman of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts

Sarah Sinclair is the Chair of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts where she has been a partner since 2010. She was a member of the Expert Review Panel for the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga establishment project. Ms Sinclair has extensive experience acting for both government and private sector clients in large-scale, complex infrastructure projects. She is well versed in infrastructure and construction law.

Job Titles:

• Director

Sina Cotter Tait has over 20 years' experience in consulting engineering as a Chartered Professional Engineer (Civil), holds an MBA and has just completed a PhD in construction management. A former member of the Engineering NZ Governing Board, she's currently serving on the board of CEAS, the Engineering NZ Foundation and the Engineering NZ Competence Assessment Board. She is outspoken on the need to increase equity in professional engineering, and sees huge opportunities in the construction and infrastructure sectors to benefit from a change in culture. She also believes in the responsibility for infrastructure leaders to lead on wider societal issues, including education, housing and equity, and currently sponsors the Cotter Tait scholarship at UC for Māori and Pasifika engineering students who aspire to make a difference in the world. In 2021 she was awarded the Engineering New Zealand Fulton-Downer Gold Medal for her contribution to the profession, and is also the 2021 Governance NZ Women on Boards Emerging Leader. In her spare time she serves in a number of governance roles across a range of organisations including the North Otago Irrigation Company, the Cashmere High School Board of Trustees, the Canterbury-Kaikoura Lotteries Committee, and the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Review Panel.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Banker and Chief Financial Officer and Independent Director
• Deputy Chair / Chair of Audit and Risk Committee

Sue Tindal is an experienced banker and Chief Financial Officer and Independent Director, with extensive knowledge of domestic and global markets, including structuring large multi-currency infrastructure financing programmes. She has proven experience in government, financial services, technology, energy, transport and logistics sectors across both regulated and non-regulated environments. Ms Tindal has led and delivered large infrastructure and technology projects in New Zealand, Australia and Asia.