Port Taranaki board of directors announces two new directors

Jamie Tuuta has joined the Port Taranaki board of directors. Photo/ Supplied

Two executives with governance experience have joined the Port Taranaki board of directors.

Jamie Tuuta and Jeff Kendrew joined the Board on July 1, replacing retiring directors Graeme Marshall and Peter Dryden.

Urenui-born and bred, Jamie Tuuta (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Maru, Te Āti Awa, Taranaki Tuturu) has held a range of governance positions in the past 20 years across iwi development, agribusiness, fishing, health, investment, housing, Māori development, tourism, philanthropy, and education.

He is Māori Television chair, involved with the Taranaki Mounga Project Ltd, the Tourism New Zealand board, and iwi housing and savings foundation Ka Uruora Trust.

He is also a director of a number of iwi investment entities, including Pūainuku Limited Partnership.

Jamie is a former chair of regional economic development entity Venture Taranaki Trust, and a former director of Taranaki PIF Guardians Ltd, and Taranaki Investment Management Ltd.

He has held a number of Government appointments, including to the State Services Commission Advisory Group in 2020, and was awarded the Māori Young Business Leader of the Year in 2016.

He recently held the interim chief executive role of Te Ātiawa o te Waka a Māui Trust and is a self-employed consultant and advisor of Taumutu Consultants.

"I'm proud to be from Taranaki and have a deep connection and passion for our region and community. Relationships with hapū, iwi, community, business, local and central Government are vitally important to the success of Taranaki as a region."

He says Port Taranaki is a key strategic asset for the region and will play an important role as the region transitions to a future regional economy.

Jeff Kendrew is pleased to be on the board. Photo/ Supplied

Jeff Kendrew has vast governance experience, both internationally and in New Zealand, across engineering, infrastructure, project management, and supply chains.

He is on the board and is a former chair of Patrick Terminals, one of Australia's leading container port stevedores.

He is a director and former chair of Arc Infrastructure, which owns and operates Western Australia's bulk rail network, and he is a director and former chair of Australasia's largest farm-gate to port bulk logistics and stevedoring/transportation company LINX Cargo Care Group.

LINX owns C3 Logistics, based in Tauranga, of which Jeff is a director. He is also a former director of Powerco Ltd and, in the early 2000s, was the company's general manager of corporate development in New Plymouth.

During the past 12 years, he has held various senior executive roles at Brookfield Infrastructure Group (Asia Pacific) in Sydney, including managing partner, vice-chairman, and chief operating officer. He is currently a senior advisor for Brookfield Infrastructure Group's activities in Australia and India.

Jeff says with a strong connection to Taranaki, and the port and logistics sectors, he was looking forward to helping guide Port Taranaki.

"We have a strong affinity with New Plymouth, as I was with Powerco for several years and we have a home and family here. I've had a corporate management career in infrastructure, which has included governance of a number of port and port services entities around the world, and in the past few years I've also traversed logistics, commercial arrangements, business development, project management and corporate finance, so I consider myself a strong allrounder."

He says he has something to offer with his background and experience.

"I'm looking forward to contributing to the ongoing success of the port and the region."

Port Taranaki chair Richard Krogh says he was pleased to have two directors with such broad experience join the Port Taranaki Board.

"Jamie and Jeff's knowledge, skills and connections across a range of sectors will be incredibly beneficial in helping guide our port as we seek opportunities to drive our business forward and enhance our position as a key economic asset for the region.
"We look forward to Jamie and Jeff adding valuable insight and experience to our Board and port."

Graeme Marshall, who joined the Board in 2014, was farewelled at the Board's June meeting, while Peter Dryden, who joined in 2016 and is a former Port Taranaki Board chair, will step down in September.

Richard thanked both for their contribution to Port Taranaki.

"Both Graeme and Peter have been valuable members of our Board and have provided sound governance and leadership throughout a period of change in the shipping and logistics sectors.

"They have played key roles in helping Port Taranaki continue to be a successful and sustainable business for our region, and we thank them and wish them well."

Port Taranaki is owned by sole shareholder the Taranaki Regional Council.