Our People
Commissioners
The Earthquake Commission has a board of seven Commissioners who are responsible to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee.
Michael Wintringham
Chair - CNZM, BA (Hons)
Michael Wintringham joined the Earthquake Commission board as deputy chairman, in June 2004. State Services commissioner until May 2004, Mr Wintringham has also been chief executive of the Ministry of Housing and before that assistant auditor general. He is currently a member of the Remuneration Authority, formerly the Higher Salaries Commission.
Keith Taylor
Commissioner - BCom, BSc, FIA(London), FIAA
Mr Taylor was until 2005 group managing director and chief executive officer of TOWER Ltd. He has experience in governance and the insurance industry, and is widely skilled in strategic and business planning. Mr Taylor was appointed to the EQC Board in August 2006.
Russell Black
Commissioner – BE(Civil)(Hons), FREng(UK), FHKAES, FIPENZ, FHKIE
Russell Black was appointed to the Board in December 2010. He returned to New Zealand in 2010 after 34 years of major infrastructure project management experience in Hong Kong, Singapore, England and China, including 18 years as Projects Director for Hong Kong's rail operator MTR Corporation Ltd. He served on Hong Kong Government's Vocational Training Council from 1998 to 2002, Construction Advisory Board from 1993 to 1999, Provisional Construction Industry Board and subsequently the Construction Industry Council from 2001 to 2010. He is currently a Director of Metro Trains Melbourne Pty. Ltd and runs his own project management consultancy business, Leafcutter Ltd.
Denise Bovaird
Commissioner
Denise Bovaird joined the Board in January 2010. She is an independent Management Consultant with significant experience in strategic risk management and business process improvement having completed assignments with numerous government departments, SOE’s and public companies. Denise has governance experience from seven years on the Board of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants from 2001 to 2007 including chairing the Board in 2007 and is currently on the Board of the Real Estate Agents Authority chairing the Authority’s Audit and Risk Committee. Denise was President of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2007.
Trevor Burt
Commissioner
Trevor Burt was appointed to the Earthquake Commission in December 2010. He is a Christchurch-based company director with several non-executive primary and infrastructure sector directorships. Trevor recently returned to New Zealand after a career as a senior executive with global industrial company, BOC Group PLC. He has managed businesses in Asia, Australia and the USA. Following BOC Group's acquisition by Munich-based, Linde Gas company, Trevor became executive director of The Linde Group. He is a director of several private New Zealand companies, Lyttelton Port Company Ltd, Silver Fern Farms Ltd and Mainpower NZ Ltd. He is Chair of Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation Ltd.
Giselle McLachlan
Commissioner - LLB
Giselle McLachlan joined the EQC Board in May 2009. She is chair of the Silver Ribbon Foundation and runs her own management consulting business, Clear Counsel Ltd. Giselle is a barrister and has been admitted to the NZ Bar for more than 20 years. She has had a varied career, was a partner in Phillips Fox and an executive with IAG New Zealand Ltd where she became General Counsel and headed a corporate services team. She is qualified to practice law in NZ and in England & Wales.
Peter Hughes
Commissioner - BA, DipBusAdmin, MPA (Harvard), FIPANZ, FNZIM, MinstD
Peter Hughes was appointed to the Board in October 2011. Peter recently became Professor and Head of the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington after 30 years in the New Zealand State Sector. This encompassed policy, operations and organisational development across a range of senior executive roles. Peter is a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management and the New Zealand Institute of Public Administration. An accredited member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, he was made a Hunter Fellow of Victoria University of Wellington in 2010. He serves on a number of boards including the Government’s Better Public Services Advisory Board.
Gordon Smith
Commissioner
Gordon Smith was appointed to the EQC Board in October 2011. He has worked with a wide range of businesses through a career in banking, finance and insurance in NZ and Australia and has owned his own successful businesses. Gordan achieved a business growth and innovation award for Australasia as National Manager Credit of Rabobank NZ 1998 – 2001. Gordon has held 14 Directorships and currently holds three in Australasia. Gordon is Hawkes Bay born and bred and has worked locally and away from the Bay. He returned to Havelock North in early 2009 to help businesses, community services organisations and individuals grow and develop.