Lion has announced the appointment of Stuart Irvine as its next CEO. He takes over the role in January 2013 when current CEO Rob Murray steps down. Irvine has extensive experience in fast moving consumer goods across diverse range of markets and complex business models and is currently CEO of Nestlé Russia and Eurasia, $2 billion beverage and food business. He joins Lion mid-November.
Dynasty Hotel Group (DHG) which operates Heritage Hotel Management in NZ has promoted Graham Yan, formerly chief financial officer of the group, to the new position of chief executive officer. He will report to the DHG managing director, Jeffrey Tang, supported by the newly appointed deputy managing director Ho Chai Kun.
YWCA Auckland welcomes Monica Briggs as its new chief executive. National education setting manager at the National Heart Foundation since 2008, Briggs was general manager of the Auckland Regional Public Health Service from 2001-2008. Her appointment takes effect from mid September. She replaces Hilary Sumpter, who has been the CEO since September 2008.
The Public Trust’s new chief executive is Graeme Hansen. Chief executive of the New Zealand Racing Board from 2004 to 2009, Hansen has an extensive background in the financial services industry both in New Zealand and overseas where he has held chief executive positions in the Barclays Banking Group. He replaces Grenville Gaskell who has held the CEO role for five and half years.
Adam Feeley has been named as Queenstown Lakes District Council’s new chief executive, and will replace Debra Lawson. Feeley, qualified solicitor, was appointed as head of the Serious Fraud Office in November 2009. He is also renowned as the chief executive behind the transformation of Auckland’s Eden Park.
North Port Events has appointed new general manager. Steve Duck brings more than two decades of event management experience to the role. He has worked both in NZ and overseas and was most recently an independent marketing consultant. He succeeds Rebecca Stewart, who has left to concentrate her energies on raising her second child.
Caroline Ada has been appointed Visa country manager New Zealand and South Pacific, effective October 1. She replaces Sean Preston who has been appointed to new role with Visa as executive manager, Southeast Asia and Australasia, based in Singapore. Ada will move to NZ to take up her new role from Suncorp Bank in Brisbane, where she was regional general manager.
Having worked in senior management and in directorship positions for Telecom New Zealand, IBM, AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent, Steve Lowe brings extensive local and international experience in IT infrastructure to his new role as chief executive officer of IT solutions company Splice Group.
Murray Sherwin, CNZM, chair of the Government’s Productivity Commission and former CEO of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, has received University of Waikato Distinguished Alumni Award. Sherwin graduated from Waikato University with masters degree in economics and worked for the Reserve Bank for 25 years – seven as its deputy governor. His career also includes two-year secondment to the World Bank.
Pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme NZ (MSD) has appointed Paul Smith as New Zealand director. Previously with MSD Australia in business management roles in primary care and specialty care, Smith will be responsible for supplying pharmaceuticals and vaccines for New Zealand patients across wide number of therapeutic areas.