CHAIR
Scott St John was appointed a Director of Mercury in September 2017 and Chair of the Board in January 2024.
Scott has an extensive background in investment advisory and capital markets. Scott is Chair of ANZ Bank New Zealand and a director of the ANZ Group and Next Foundation. He was formerly a director of Fonterra Cooperative Group, a member of the Capital Markets Development Taskforce and the Financial Markets Authority Establishment Board and was Chancellor of the University of Auckland. He was the Chief Executive of First NZ Capital from 2002 to 2017.
Key Skills: M&A and capital structure; stakeholder relationships; commercial experience; people leadership.
Scott is the Chair of our Nominations Committee, and a member of our People and Performance Committee and Risk Assurance & Audit Committee by virtue of his position as Board Chair.
DIRECTOR
Hannah Hamling was appointed a Director of Mercury in February 2020. Hannah is an environmental scientist with a particular interest in sustainable development and resilience. Until January 2020, she was President of the Asia Pacific Region and Global Sustainable Development Leader for Golder, a Canadian global ground engineering and environmental science company. Before joining Golder, Hannah was Managing Director of New Zealand environmental consultancy firm Kingett Mitchell. Hannah has extensive background in consulting, management and board roles across various sectors including electricity, construction and water management.
Key Skills: Natural resource management (including water and climate change); health & safety; risk management.
Hannah is a member of our Risk Assurance & Audit Committee.
James Miller was appointed a director of Mercury in May 2012.
James is an experienced non-executive director and chair and an experienced chair of Audit and Risk Committees. He has specialist expertise in utility economics and 15 years' experience in capital markets. He is currently Chair of Channel Infrastructure NZ Limited and is a director of Vista Group and Ryman Healthcare. James' prior roles have included Chair of NZX, Deputy Chair of Accident Compensation Corporation and board positions with Auckland International Airport, the Financial Markets Authority and Vector.
James is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Institute of Finance Professionals.
Key Skills: M&A and capital structure; investment analysis; audit and risk management; energy industry.
James is the Chair of our Risk Assurance & Audit Committee, and a member of our Nominations Committee.
Susan Peterson was appointed a Director of Mercury in September 2022.
Susan is an experienced non-executive director, board chair and chair of People and Remuneration and Audit and Risk Committees. As a business leader, Susan has helped companies to drive growth through technology, innovative customer solutions and organisational culture. She currently chairs Vista Group and is an independent director of Xero and Arvida. Susan is also an independent director of Craigs Investment Partners.
Susan was previously a member of the New Zealand Markets Disciplinary Tribunal and a past director of Trustpower, ASB Bank and Property for Industry. Susan also served on the Board of Global Women and has been a past Ministerial appointee to the National Advisory Council for the Employment of Women.
Key Skills: Large organisation and people leadership; AI; data and digitisation; customer relationships; governance.
Susan is the Chair of our People and Performance Committee and a member of our Nominations Committee.
Mike Taitoko was appointed a Director of Mercury in August 2015.
Mike is a leading advisor on Māori economic development and has well-established networks in Māoridom. Mike has strong commercial skills in the application of digital technologies. He is the co-founder and CEO of Takiwa Limited and a co-founder and director of Toha Foundry Limited, technology companies commercialising cloud-based geospatial analytics services. He was formerly a director of Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED).
Key Skills: Iwi and other stakeholder relationships; natural resource management (including water and climate change); digitisation.
Mike is a member of our People & Performance Committee.
Lorraine Witten was appointed a Director of Mercury in September 2022.
Lorraine is an experienced director and business leader with an extensive background in the telco, technology, and ICT sectors. Lorraine currently chairs Rakon and is a director of MOVE Logistics Group and VWORK. Lorraine’s prior roles are as chair of audit and risk committees including Chair of the Department of Corrections Audit and Risk committee, director of Horizon Energy Group, Pushpay Holdings, Board member WREDA and director and Chair of Kordia Group.
Lorraine is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Key Skills: Governance; commercial experience; audit and risk management; innovation.
Lorraine is a member of our Risk Assurance & Audit Committee.
Adrian Littlewood was appointed a Director of Mercury in August 2023.
Adrian has deep executive experience including 12 years at Auckland International Airport, nine of these as CEO. Before that he held senior roles across strategy, operations, product and marketing with Telecom New Zealand. Previous governance roles include acting as the New Zealand Chair of the Australia/New Zealand Leadership Forum, Chair of the NZ Airports Association and a director of North Queensland Airports and Tourism Industry Aotearoa.
Key Skills: Commercial experience; large organisation and cultural leadership experience; major project investment; stakeholder relationships.
Adrian is a member of our People and Performance Committee.
Mark Binns was appointed a Director of Mercury in September 2023.
Mark was CEO of Meridian Energy from 2012 – 2017 and before that spent 22 years with Fletcher Building, including 15 years as CEO of the Construction and Infrastructure division. He currently chairs Crown Infrastructure Partners and Hynds Limited and is a director of Auckland International Airport.
Key Skills: Energy industry; wholesale markets trading; commercial experience; major project investment.
Mark is a member of our Risk Assurance & Audit Committee.
FUTURE DIRECTOR
Nicole Rosie was appointed as a Future Director under the Institute of Directors’ Future Directors Programme on 1 May 2024.
Nicole is Chief Executive of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. She has over 20 years of experience in executive and senior leadership roles including senior executive roles in Fonterra, KiwiRail, Vector and Fletcher Challenge Forests, and 3 years as Chief Executive of WorkSafe. Nicole has expertise across the public and private sectors including in cultural change, transformation, health and safety and climate change.
As a Future Director, Nicole is invited to attend Mercury Board and Committee meetings, although she does not participate in decision making.