Mercury’s new chief sustainability officer appointed

Mercury NZ senior energy executive Catherine Thompson has been appointed Mercury’s new chief sustainability officer from July 28, 2025.

Thompson has more than 30 years’ experience across the energy and legal sectors, including executive level roles at major New Zealand energy providers Contact Energy and Manawa Energy.

She has expertise across corporate affairs functions as well as sustainability and consenting, strategy and risk management, says Mercury.

Mercury chief executive Stew Hamilton says the chief sustainability officer role is key to helping position Mercury as a leader of New Zealand’s electrification journey within a highly complex and dynamic external environment.

“I’m delighted to be welcoming someone of Catherine’s calibre,” he says.

“She has extensive energy sector experience, a reputation as a person with strong values and the ability to build deep stakeholder relationships.

“These qualities are key in a sector as interconnected as ours,” says Hamilton.

“Her experience in driving transformation and culture, as well as building and retaining high-performing teams, will also be crucial as we continue to navigate significant change across the business, the sector and wider energy system.”

Thompson was previously Manawa Energy regulatory and risk general manger and prior to that was Contact Energy chief corporate affairs officer and general counsel, says Mercury.

“She has also worked in private practice and in-house legal roles both in the UK and New Zealand.”

Mercury’s current chief sustainability officer Lucie Drummond will stay on until June 2025 to help with the transition.