Transpower announces new Board appointments

Transpower today announces the appointment of two new directors – Parekawhia McLean and Vanessa Oakley.

These two appointments fill vacancies on the Board after Directors Kathy Meads and Bill Osborne finished their terms this year.

Parekawhia McLean (Ngāti Mahanga, Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto) has over 20 years of public sector policy and management experience, including advisory roles in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. She is the inaugural Chief Executive of Te Kaahui Taatari Ture/Criminal Cases Review Commission and has previously held executive leadership roles at Counties Manakau DHB and Waka Kotahi. She was CEO of Waikato-Tainui between 2010 and 2016.

Ms McLean is current Chair of Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (TWOW), the governing body of Waikato-Tainui, and has held numerous governance roles, including with the National Science Resilience Challenge, Mercury Energy, Te Mangai Paho and Waikato Means Business. She has Masters’ degrees in Social Sciences from the University of Waikato and in Public Administration and Development Policy from the University of Wisconsin.

Ms Oakley has considerable experience in corporate and public sector organisations in both Aotearoa New Zealand and in the UK. She was most recently Chief General Counsel of ACC and has previously been General Manager Strategy and Business Operations for Chorus Limited, and Assistant General Counsel for the Commerce Commission. She has extensive experience in regulated industries, particularly in infrastructure and utilities.

Ms Oakley has governance experience across a range of sectors. She holds an LLB (Hons) from Otago University.

Chairman Dr Keith Turner welcomed the new appointments, saying, “We are pleased to welcome Parekawhia and Vanessa to the Transpower Board. It is great to have two new directors with such extensive experience joining us and we welcome the contribution they will make to Transpower and Aotearoa. I look forward to working with them.”

Ms McLean and Ms Oakley’s appointments are effective 8 July 2022 and run through to 31 May 2025.

For further information, please contact:

Senior Communications Advisor Laura Ackland on 021 394 042.

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Disclosure notice: Transpower announces new Board appointments