About us
Governance

Our Board members are appointed by the Minister of Research, Science and Technology.

Chair

Bryan Gould

Bryan Gould has a record of significant governance experience, strong and relevant connections to the research sector and an excellent understanding of government processes.
Mr Gould was a New Zealand Rhodes Scholar who served as a member of the United Kingdom Parliament for 16 years before returning to New Zealand to become Vice Chancellor of the University of Waikato. He held this post for 10 years until his retirement in 2004.
Under his leadership, the University of Waikato undertook several significant initiatives, including building the WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts, establishing the School of Māori and Pacific Development, and creating the Waikato Innovation Park. He is a director of Television New Zealand, and chairs the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence and the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO.

Deputy Chair

Jim McLean

Jim McLean is a company director. He chairs the merging HortResearch and Crop and Food, Genesis Research and Development Corporation Ltd and R J Hill Laboratories Ltd, and is a director of the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution. Mr McLean was previously a partner with Ernst & Young and a manager with Dunlop New Zealand Ltd. He has a Bachelor of Science (honours) in chemistry and is a chartered accountant.

Board Members

Dr William Rolleston

Dr William Rolleston is a founding shareholder and Director of South Pacific Sera, which produces animal blood products for the biotechnology sector and undertakes contract manufacture of vaccines and biologics.  He is a Director of several other small and medium enterprises in the agricultural and development sectors, and is provincial president of South Canterbury Federated Farmers, Chair of the Life Sciences Network, and was the founding Chair of Biotenz (now NZBio). He is a member of the Industry/MAF BSE Liaison Committee and has represented New Zealand industry groups overseas.  He received a Distinguished Biotechnologist award at the NZBio.

Phil O’Reilly

Phil O’Reilly is the Chief Executive of Business New Zealand. Through this role he has wide experience and deep understanding of many industry sectors in New Zealand. He also has extensive contact with key stakeholders such as New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the Tertiary Education Commission, the CRIs and university vice chancellors. He is a Council member of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He is the Chair of the Capitalising on Research and Development Action Group (CRAG), a public–private initiative, and has engaged in a wide range of areas relating to the commercialisation of research in New Zealand.

Professor Roberta Farrell

Dr Roberta Farrell has been a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Waikato since 1996 and an Adjunct Professor of North Carolina State University since 2008. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (elected 2005) and a Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science (elected 1990).
Professor Farrell has extensive experience in biotechnology. She was the chief operating officer and executive director of Research of Sandoz Chemicals Biotech Research Corporation from 1987 to 1995, and is a Founding Scientist of ZyGEM Corporation Ltd and Parrac Ltd. Professor Farrell was the winner of the Hamilton Science Excellence Kudos 2008 Award for Science Entrepreneur.
Professor Farrell is a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM).
Since 1997 she has been conducting research in Antarctica and heads Antarctica New Zealand Event K021, whose principal goals are to identify the cause of the deterioration of the historic huts of the Antarctic Heroic Period and the study of Antarctic microbial biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. 

Professor Pare Keiha

Professor Pare Keiha is the Dean of Te Ara Poutama, the Faculty of Māori Development, Pro Vice Chancellor for Māori Advancement, and Pro Vice Chancellor Learning & Teaching at the Auckland University of Technology.  He is a member of the Legal Services Agency Board and has held a range of consultancy positions with private and public sector organisations.  He is a member of the Māori Advisory Committee to the Commissioner of Trade Marks and Patents and is a member of the Ministry for Research Science and Technology's Vision Mātauranga Advisory Committee.  He advises a number of Māori enterprises, including both tribal and pan-tribal organisations and state sector entities in the areas of Māori business development, corporate governance and strategy.

Professor Keiha's tribal affiliations are with the principal tribes of Turanga, specifically the whanau-a-Taupara hapu of T'Aitanga-a-Mahaki and Rongowhakaata.  He has a Masters of Science in chemistry, a doctorate in chemical engineering, a Master of Business Administration and Masters of commercial law specialising in competition law and policy. He was honored by the Queen in the 2008 New Year's Honours List when he was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO) for his services to business, education and Māori.

Warren Larsen CNZM, BBS, CA, CMA, M.Ag.SC (Hons), FNZIM, AF Inst. D, DSc (Hon)

Warren Larsen is a director of several companies including Air New Zealand. He is deputy chairman of Landcorp Farming and is chairman of Centreport Ltd. Warren has previous director experience with a range of listed and private companies. He was chief executive officer of the New Zealand Dairy Board for nine years and of Bay Milk Products for ten years before that. Mr Larsen brings significant international business and marketing experience to the Board.
Mr Larsen is a graduate of Massey University where he qualified with a Master of Agricultural Science (first class honours) and a Bachelor of Business Studies. He also is a chartered accountant. In 2004 Mr Larsen was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Massey University.
Mr Larsen is a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM).

Dr Tom Richardson

Dr Tom Richardson is the Chief Executive of Scion. His scientific background is in genetics. He established the genomics research group at Scion and a spin-out company, SignaGen, which brought high-throughput DNA testing to the New Zealand ag-bio sector. 
Dr Richardson’s experience as a practising scientist, new business developer and science manager has led to frequent assignments on advisory boards, external review panels, and international science and trade delegations. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Bucknell University and a doctorate in Botany from Pennsylvania State University.

Denise Church QSO

Denise Church is a Wellington-based consultant and company director. She was chief executive of the Ministry for the Environment from 1996 to 2001. Her experience includes management roles in central government, industry and the voluntary sector, and she has studied and worked in New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. Ms Church has a range of governance roles. She is chair of the Wellington Zoo Trust and WWF New Zealand, and was a director of Landcare Research from 2001 to 2007.