The Tonkin + Taylor Group board has announced the appointment of Vanessa Stoddart as the new board chair.
The board celebrates the addition of Stoddart’s multi-sector governance experience; wide-ranging proven involvement with and knowledge of growth opportunities in; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and understanding of shareholder-owned businesses.
Stoddart said: “I look forward to being part of this well-established professional company, ensuring it is well governed, and supporting the Tonkin + Taylor team to deliver world-class services through outstanding client relationships. My professional legal background, executive experience in operations, including engineering, on both sides of the Tasman, and extensive governance career in the public and private sector, I hope will be of assistance to the Tonkin + Taylor team.”
Tonkin + Taylor Group managing director Tim Fisher said: “Vanessa joins us with a wealth of experience across many types of businesses and sectors across Australasia, as well as her governance skills and relationship-building excellence. These will be tremendous assets to Tonkin + Taylor Group for our continued success in 2025 and beyond.”
Dr Jim Mather has acted as interim chair of the board since mid-2024 and will continue as an independent director.
“We welcome Vanessa Stoddart to the board at a pivotal time for Tonkin + Taylor Group and we’re confident she will be an outstanding chair,” he said.
Fisher said: “We thank Jim for taking on the extra responsibility of interim chair for much of 2024. Jim has brought a calm hand to the ship to help us through more challenging markets and led us to make the excellent appointment of Vanessa. Ngā mihi nui e te rangatira.”
Stoddart (BCom/LLB (Hons), PGDip Professional Ethics, GAICD, CFInstD) is a director for Channel Infrastructure, Waste Management, and international forestry company OneFortyOne, and sits on several advisory and not-for-profit boards.
She has held governance positions with other listed, private, public sector, and cooperative entities in New Zealand and Australia, and chaired many health, safety, and people committees.
Before moving into governance, Stoddart was Air New Zealand’s head of engineering and human resources and Carter Holt Harvey Packaging Australia’s chief executive.
A member of Global Women and a mentor for Kupe Scholarship candidates and Multiethnic Young Leaders, Stoddart is passionate about inclusion. She is a Companion of Engineering NZ and an Honorary Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand.
This is supplied content and not commissioned or paid for by NBR.
