INFRASTRUCTURE NEW ZEALAND Board Members

Andrew Stevens
Chair

Andrew is the current Chair of Infrastructure New Zealand having been elected at the 2018 AGM.  He has been an active member on the Board of Infrastructure New Zealand since late 2012 and represents the private construction contracting and services sector. Andrew is an experienced Senior Executive in the Infrastructure, Construction, Services and related Building and Engineering sectors. He has led two of New Zealand’s top three civil construction businesses; Fletcher Construction Infrastructure and Leighton Contractors.

Following a construction career in major civil and utility infrastructure, Andrew most recently led the diversified New Zealand Businesses of RCR Tomlinson; being RCR Energy, RCR Building Products and RCR Infrastructure.  Combined activities covered major M&E projects in energy and rail, maintenance services, HVAC and Electrical contracting and onshore manufacturing facilities.  Most business units were market leaders in New Zealand.

A civil engineering and MBA graduate, Andrew has over 30 years experience in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In that professional career, he has handled many diverse roles spanning governance, consulting, design and project management, major project delivery, major term-services contracts, infrastructure network construction and maintenance, energy, manufacturing and building services.

Margaret Devlin
Professional Director

Margaret Devlin is a professional company director, working primarily in the infrastructure and service sector. She is currently Chair of Watercare, Harrison Grierson and Chair Elect of Lyttleton Port. Margaret is also a director of Aurora Energy, Hamilton Airport, Met Services NZ and IT Partners Group. She is a Councillor on Waikato University and WINTEC and a member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Board.

Phil Gurnsey
New Zealand Defence Force

Phil Gurnsey is General Manager Estate Strategy with the New Zealand Defence Force responsible for estate and infrastructure strategy, investment, planning, strategic asset management, the real estate footprint and workforce culture. Phil's group leads the development of the Defence Estate Regeneration Programme, a $1.7 billion recapitalisation of the Defence Estate, and has substantial programmes for Defence housing and modernisation of camp and base accommodation, messing and dining.  Trained as a planner, Phil has over 25 years experience in central and local government and consulting, including as a manager coordinating the NZ government climate change programme, instigating Resource Management Act reforms, leading town centre redevelopments, and developing infrastructure business cases. Phil has previously been on the board of the Wellington Conservation Board, was member of the National Committee for the Resource Management Law Association and had three years as Private Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Issues.

Laura Harris
BNZ

Laura is Head of Infrastructure, Government & Specialised Finance at BNZ. Laura leads the Bank’s Infrastructure and Government sector strategies, has overall responsibility for the delivery of world class relationship banking to BNZ’s largest clients in these sectors, and also leads BNZ’s Project Finance team that specialises in infrastructure, renewable energy and social & urban housing development transactions.

Laura has 12+ years of Corporate Finance experience in Project Finance, Leveraged & Acquisition Finance, and Export Credit Agency finance, across a broad customer base in the institutional, corporate, commercial and private equity sectors and across a range of industries. Laura has been involved in all the NZ PPP transactions to date (leading the bank syndicates on Wiri Prison, Transmission Gully and NZ Schools 3 PPPs), several in Australia with National Australia Bank, and more recently various renewable energy, social housing, university student accommodation and urban development transactions. Laura is passionate about infrastructure and what it can deliver for NZ; enabling economic growth, increased productivity and wellbeing, and addressing climate change.

Grant Hodges
EY

Grant leads the EY Transactions and Infrastructure Advisory team in New Zealand, and is a member of EY New Zealand’s management board.

He brings of 20 years’ experience with social infrastructure business cases and transactions, for both public and private sector clients.  In New Zealand, Grant has advised on major infrastructure business cases and procurements including the Auckland Prison and the Prison Capacity Programme for the Department of Corrections, and the current Hospitality Accommodation, Messing and Dining Modernisation Programme for the New Zealand Defence Force. He also led the successful consortium bidding on the Wiri Prison PPP and has advised on the Christchurch Convention Centre procurement.  Overseas, Grant has advised on a number of housing transfers and regeneration programmes. He had a key role developing and building upon the standard UK PPP model to create new and innovative delivery and related funding structures that helped leverage private sector capital alongside government funds. Grant is vastly experience in leading teams to deliver successful client outcomes.

Graeme Johnson

Barry Potter
Auckland Council

Barry is Auckland Council’s Director of Infrastructure and Environmental Services.  This role includes Auckland’s stormwater management; the programme management and funding agreements for major housing infrastructure and for the city centre public works; Auckland’s biosecurity , biodiversity and low carbon programmes; Auckland’s kerbside recycling, waste and organics programmes; coastal and foreshore erosion/protection programmes and other specialist services.  Barry is a member of council’s executive lead team.

Barry’s background includes leading teams on significant infrastructure projects in New Zealand, Asia, South America and through the Pacific.  He has lived in Tonga, Singapore and China and has spent considerable time in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.  Prior to joining council with the regional general manager of a significant professional services firm in Asia and New Zealand.

In his spare time Barry is a keen sailor, enjoying cruising both the Hauraki Gulf and the Pacific Islands.

Ian Purdy
Accident Compensation Corporation

Ian is the Head of Direct Property and Infrastructure Investment for Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). He has been responsible for ACC’s property and infrastructure investments for over a decade, which have grown from $50 million to over $1.2b during this time. He has negotiated and structured the purchase of approximately $1.2b of assets for ACC, employing a number of different transaction structures across a wide range of property and infrastructure assets in both the public and private markets. Ian has led ACC’s PPP team through three successful PPP bids. Ian has also structured a number of innovated transactions in the property space. Prior to working at ACC, Ian worked in the equity research team at UBS, where he focused on researching companies listed on the New Zealand share market in the transport, infrastructure and property sectors.

Peter Reidy
Fletcher Construction

Peter Reidy joined Fletcher Building as Chief Executive – Construction on 29 October 2018.  Prior to joining Fletcher Construction, Peter was Chief Executive of KiwiRail, New Zealand’s National Rail & Ferry, Infrastructure and Freight & Tourism business.

Prior to KiwiRail, Peter held a number of senior leadership roles with Downer Group in both New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, including Board roles on the KeolisDowner Joint Venture operating Yarra Trams in Melbourne, Gold Coast Light Rail and also held senior leadership roles with Todd Energy and Freightways New Zealand.

Peter brings to Fletcher Construction a successful track record of leading and building service and infrastructure-based businesses in the transport, logistics, energy, construction and mining sectors in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the United Kingdom.

Peter is a passionate leader focussed on health & safety, customer engagement, people and culture.

Tracey Ryan
Aurecon

Tracey is the Managing Director, New Zealand for international engineering, design & advisory company Aurecon,  responsible for the leadership and performance of approximately 850 people  across five locations. This includes health and safety, client engagement, staff engagement and project, financial and operational performance to meet Aurecon’s strategic and operational business goals for New Zealand. 

Tracey’s career to date has been focused on business growth, leading enterprise-wide multi-disciplinary teams and creating inclusive and engaged cultures. She has held senior leadership roles and directorships in several global professional services companies, including Beca, where she was the Transport and Infrastructure Clients and Markets Director; EY where she was Director for Sustainability and Climate Change, and ERM, where she was Managing Partner. She has also undertaken leadership positions with not-for-profit foundations providing technical, fundraising and pro-bono support for social enterprises committed to creating a more sustainable and equitable world. Tracey’s technical STEM background and 25 years international professional services experience makes her incredibly passionate about getting more young women and girls to choose STEM careers.