New chair and deputy chair appointed and Andy Coupe retires.
Carl Blanchard.
The Takeovers Panel has announced the appointment of a new chair and deputy chair. Current deputy chair Carl Blanchard has been appointed the new chair, and current panel member Anna Buchly will take on the deputy chair role.
Blanchard joined the panel in 2011 and has been deputy chair since 2016. He is a partner at PwC and previously held roles in direct investment at Accident Compensation Corporation, Jarden’s investment banking division, and the New Zealand Treasury.
Buchly is a partner in national law firm, Bell Gully. She has been a panel member since 2019.
The appointments follow the retirement of long-standing panel member and former chair, Andy Coupe.
In welcoming the appointments, the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hon Dr David Clark acknowledged the experience and continuity that Blanchard and Buchly would bring to their roles.
“Both Ms Buchly and Mr Blanchard are held in high regard, and I’m confident their appointments ... will be well received.”
Blanchard paid tribute to Coupe’s long service to the panel and his involvement with the regulation of takeovers and schemes of arrangement.
“Andy has led the panel through a period of considerable change. Amendments to the Companies Act in late 2014 heralded changes to how takeovers were conducted in New Zealand. Schemes of arrangement under the Companies Act are now a well understood transaction structure and have over time become more prominent.
“Andy’s commitment and service to the panel over more than 13 years is greatly appreciated.”
Three other panel members – Silvana Schenone, Sacha Judd and Nathanael Starrenburg – have each had their appointments renewed.
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