About Us

Roger Partridge is chairman and a co-founder of The New Zealand Initiative, and is a senior member of its research team. He led law firm Bell Gully as executive chairman from 2007 to 2014, after 16 years as a commercial litigation partner. Roger was executive director of the Legal Research Foundation, a charitable foundation associated with the University of Auckland, from 2001 to 2009, and was a member of the Council of the New Zealand Law Society, the governing body of the legal profession in New Zealand, from 2011 to 2015. He is a chartered member of the Institute of Directors, a member of the editorial board of the New Zealand Law Review and a member of the Mont Pelerin Society.

Oliver Hartwich is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative he worked for leading think tanks in London and Sydney as well as in the UK House of Lords. His research covers a broad range of policy issues, and his articles have been widely published.

Barbara Chapman commenced as Chief Executive and Managing Director of ASB Bank in April 2011. Since 1994, she has held several diverse senior executive roles with the Commonwealth Bank Group of companies, having started her career with the Group as Chief Manager Marketing at ASB. Ms Chapman is a former Chair of Oxfam New Zealand and a former Director of Oxfam International. She was also an inaugural Trustee of the New Zealand Equal Opportunities Trust and was its Chair for several years. She was New Zealand’s inaugural “Marketer of the Year” and has received numerous awards for innovative and effective marketing throughout her career.

Sir Chris Mace is an Auckland-based businessman and Director of Mace Capital. In the past, he chaired the Crown Research Institute ESR and later Antarctica New Zealand. He was a founding trustee of the Sir Peter Blake Trust and continues as a trustee of the Antarctic Heritage Trust.

Formerly a Chief Executive of Ernst and Young New Zealand, John Judge is chairman of ANZ Bank, a director of Fletcher Building Limited and Fletcher Building Finance Limited and is a former Chairman of the Crown Organisation, Accident Compensation Corporation. He is also a member of the Otago University School of Business Advisory Board.

Linda Meade is Partner at Deloitte New Zealand. Since joining Deloitte 13 years ago, Linda has played a lead role in the delivery of public sector and infrastructure engagements, with particular emphasis on central government departments, the transport sector, education and housing. She also is a trustee with Wellington Zoo.

Matthew Cockram serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Principal of Cooper and Company NZ. Prior to that, he spent 20 years at law firm Bell Gully, with the last 5 years as Chairman, specialising in construction, commercial property and major projects. He has been an independent Director of Tainui Group Holdings Limited since March 25, 2011.

Murray Jack is Board Chair of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and Chair of the Financial Markets Authority. He previously served as Chief Executive and Chairman of Deloitte NZ. He has over 25 years’ experience as a management consultant and has worked in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and in several countries throughout Asia.

Neil Paviour-Smith is the Managing Director of Forsyth Barr, a leading New Zealand share-broking firm and investment bank. He is a Director of the New Zealand Exchange (NZX) and of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a Council Member of Victoria University of Wellington.

Scott Perkins is a Non-Executive Director of Woolworths Ltd and of Brambles Ltd. He is an active participant in the not-for-profit communities in Australia and New Zealand and has an extensive career in financial services. He was head of corporate finance for Deutsche Bank Australia and New Zealand.