Orion gets two new board members

Christchurch City Council Holdings and Selwyn District Council have appointed two new board members to local electricity distribution company Orion New Zealand.

New director Jen Crawford is a professional director with a background in resource management and infrastructure projects. She is a director of MHV Water and resource and environmental management advisory company Mahaanui Kurataiao and has also practiced as a specialist lawyer in New Zealand and the United Kingdom for more than 20 years.

Mike Sang is a professional director and has had several directorships which include the Government Super Fund Authority and BRANZ. He has a finance background and was formerly chief executive of Ngai Tahu Holdings and chief financial offficer of PGG Wrightson. He is a chartered accountant with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).

Both new Orion directors live in the region.

“Our two new directors bring strong governance, wide business experience and a deep appreciation of local issues,” Orion Group chair Jane Taylor says.

“Orion is exploring the possibilities beyond our traditional role, looking to be a major force leading progress, sustainability, and liveability across our region and to enable New Zealand to transition to a low emissions economy.”

Retiring board members Geoff Vazey and John Austin have stepped down from the Orion NZ board after 12 and seven years respectively as Orion directors. Vazey will, however, continue to chair Orion subsidiary Connetics as an independent director.

Taylor thanks both retiring directors for their contributions and dedicated and committed stewardship of the company, particularly throughout the challenging period of the Christchurch rebuild.