Meet the members of OCS New Zealand's Advisory Group
The OCS NZ Advisory Group has been established to bring a fresh perspective to OCS and support the business to achieve its strategic goals.
The panel's members have been selected for their expertise, extensive experience, and specific skill sets. They bring a wealth of local and international knowledge to the panel, which will ultimately help to keep OCS accountable, challenge new thinking, and keep us ahead of the game.
With expertise in health and safety, sustainability, commerce, strategic advisory, government relations, leadership and consultancy, the panel is a dynamic group that will meet four times a year to ensure clear objectives are set and met for the business.
Mike Burrell
Mike has more than 25years' experience in leadership and consulting roles in New Zealand and internationally. He is currently the Executive Director for the Sustainable Business Council (SBC), which aims to mobilise New Zealand's most ambitious businesses to build a thriving and sustainable future for all.
Before joining the SBC in January 2020, he was New Zealand's High Commissioner to South Africa and Acting Ambassador in Myanmar. Previous to that was the Director for Sustainable Economic Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the founding CEO of Aquaculture New Zealand.
Rob Fyfe
Rob is best known as the former CEO of Air New Zealand where he guided the company through major changes and intensive growth.
After leaving Air New Zealand in 2012, he undertook director roles at Air Canada, Michael Hill International and Antarctica New Zealand. He was also involved in the expansion of Merino clothing manufacturer, Icebreaker, as Director and CEO, from 2012 until its sale in 2018.
Currently, he is Director of Fitout Solutions and Hammerforce. He also sits on the Boards of Air Canada, Michael Hill International and Pure Cann NZ, and is a strategic advisor to Craggy Range Winery and to the Minister responsible for the Pike River Mine Re-entry.
Jo Wills
Jo is a government relations expert and business strategy advisor, coach and facilitator. She has extensive experience working with global and New Zealand corporate clients and advising boards, including holding a general management role with Fonterra.
She is co-owner of The Hugo Group, which has around 100 of New Zealand's most significant companies as members, a member of an advisory group to the Business and Advisory Committee of the OECD, a Trustee for Motu - a top ten globally ranked think tank, and Chair of the Motu Foundation.
Francois Barton
Francois Barton is the Executive Director of the Business Leaders' Health and Safety Forum, which supports its members to become more effective leaders on health and safety.
Prior to his appointment to the Forum in May 2015, Francois established and ran WorkSafe NZ's national programme team, which delivered major safety campaigns in construction, agriculture, forestry and manufacturing.
He has previously held roles at MBIE, including being involved in early discussions that led to the development of the Canterbury Safety Rebuild Charter, and at the Department of Labour, where he was part of the team that set up the Forum in 2010.
Bill English
Sir Bill English is a former New Zealand Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
Studying Commerce at the University of Otago and English Literature at Victoria University of Wellington, he worked as a Treasury Analyst before returning to the family farm in Dipton and standing in the seat known today as Clutha-Southland.
As Finance Minister from 2008 until 2016, he oversaw one of the fastest-growing economies in the developed world, steering New Zealand through the Global Financial Crisis and the Christchurch earthquakes and returning the Government's books to surplus. He also focused on tackling New Zealand's toughest social problems.
As Prime Minister he focused on building a New Zealand which rewarded hard work and enterprise and cared for the country's most vulnerable citizens.
Laura Scampion
Laura Scampion is a partner at DLA Piper specialising in multijurisdictional matters for employers based across the globe. She is a DLA Piper New Zealand Board member and leads the New Zealand employment practice group.
Laura's more than 20 years' experience in employment and health and safety law spans both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She acts for some of New Zealand’s largest companies, many of these are NZX listed.
Laura is the driving force behind DLA Piper's New Zealand Diversity & Inclusion Steering Group, she led the introduction of social mobility programme ‘Head Star’t into New Zealand, sits on the firm’s Regional Advisory Committee, the board of the firm’s Global Scholarship Programme and has been recently selected as a Global Women member.
Dr Jim Mather
Dr Jim Mather is of Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe and English descent.
Jim has an extensive background in governance and business leadership with a career spanning more than 25 years. He has previously held roles as the Chief Executive of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (New Zealand’s second largest tertiary institution) and as the Chief Executive of Māori Television. He is the current chair of Radio New Zealand, Lakes District Health Board, InZone Education Foundation and Ako Mātātupu / Teach First NZ and on the board of Auckland Transport.
Alongside his commercial background, Jim is also a former officer in the New Zealand Army and was awarded the Sword of Honour in recognition of his distinguished achievements in Officer training.
Jim is passionate about Māori economic development and contributing to the strengthening of Māori governance and leadership practices across Aotearoa.
Tom Nickels
Tom Nickels has forged an extensive and highly successful career with a keen focus on customer outcomes. He has led large industrial businesses across a variety of sectors, achieving consistent commercial growth, materially improving safety and sustainability, and transforming business processes.
Working in Australia and New Zealand, Tom has senior business leadership experience in sectors as diverse as engineering, waste and environmental services, transport fleet management, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing. His background includes roles at James Hardie Building Products, Fletcher Challenge Forests, Carter Holt Harvey, Chubb Security and Waste Management.
Passionate about safeguarding our beautiful environment through sustainable management of resources, Tom brings real-world expertise to how we can think bigger, better, and brighter to reach our sustainability targets.