Advisory board membership
The Wellington School of Business and Government Advisory Board is made from members across the private and public sector.
Dr Peter Stevens - Chairman
Dr Peter Stevens has been Chief Executive of standards agency GS1 New Zealand since January 2004. Before joining GS1, Peter had a successful career spanning academic, commercial, and public sector environments, with his most recent role as senior manager in the Strategy, Business Transformation group and member of the BearingPoint New Zealand management team.
Peter was previously a senior lecturer in high technology marketing at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, and market-development specialist for Apple Computer. From 2000-2003 Peter served as an adjunct professor at Unitec Institute of Technology in the Department of Information Systems Computing. He has a PhD in science and postgraduate qualifications in marketing.
Jane Bryson
Professor Jane Bryson is the Dean of the Wellington School of Business and Government. She was previously Acting Dean, Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Dean and Associate Dean (Research). Professor Bryson joined the academic staff of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in 1999, prior to this she has worked as a Human Resources Manager in the public sector, and as a management consultant for twelve years in New Zealand, Australia, and Great Britain. Professor Bryson’s work has been widely published and focuses on facilitating the achievement of human capability through work.
Ian Clarke
Ian Clarke is the CEO at ADInstruments Ltd, an international company that produces data acquisition and analysis systems for research and teaching in the life and physical sciences, and has broad business experience in the gas, agriculture, broadcasting, and television production industries.
He has an MBA from Otago University and a diverse background—including farming and general management and operational experience among major New Zealand corporates.
Julia Davidson
Julia Davidson has been Principal of Wellington Girls’ College since 2008 and before that at Aotea College for seven years.
A graduate of Canterbury University and an English teacher by training, Julia’s parents were teachers, her husband is a teacher and far too many of her friends are teachers. She lives and loves schools and education and thinking about how to make things better for the people she works with. She is a passionate supporter of state education and of NCEA.
Since 2012, Wellington Girls’ College has had a much greater focus on staff and student wellbeing which has been useful as they negotiated Covid, lockdowns, protestors, school buildings being demolished around them and the most recent decision to move away from NCEA Level 1.
Julia is currently the Chair of the Australian branch of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools and College Sport Wellington. She has previously chaired the NZ Secondary Principals’ Council , the Teacher Refresher Course Committee and the NZSecondary Students’ Choir.
Souella Cumming
Souella Cumming is a former partner in KPMG New Zealand’s Advisory practice and has over 30 years’ experience in providing governance, risk management, assurance, project advisory, and internal audit services to a range of public and private sector clients in New Zealand and overseas.
She works extensively with audit and risk committees providing good practice advice and assurance to committees on governance, risk management, and internal audit activity, with clients in the financial services, insurance, education, energy, health, justice, and social services sectors.
Souella has a BCA from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and is a chartered accountant and certified risk management professional. She is an independent member of the Order of St John in New Zealand and chair of the St John Risk and Audit Committee, a board member of Zonta International New Zealand and immediate past chair of the Zonta International Finance Committee, a member of Women Corporate Directors New Zealand chapter, and a member of Global Women.
Vanisa Dhiru
Vanisa is President of the National Council of Women New Zealand, is a member of the Asia New Zealand Leadership Network, and is the only New Zealander represented in the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Global Network.
During her recent working career, she has been in CEO-level roles within the not-for-profit sector, including CEO of Volunteering New Zealand and Executive Director of the 2020 Trust. She has served on several charity boards including Inspiring Stories Trust, Dress for Success Wellington, and the YWCA, and is an adviser to various government departments representing the NGO sector.
Steve O'Connor
Steve O’Connor is the founder and CEO of Flick Electric. Prior to establishing Flick, Steve was CEO of Wellington’s business incubator Creative HQ and Lightning Lab, a national business accelerator. He has considerable experience in technology-based growth businesses, from startups through to corporate innovation, both in New Zealand and in offshore markets including Europe and North America.
Steve has a BSc and BCA from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and is a passionate Wellingtonian. He is active in mentoring to help build and support entrepreneurial talent and business in the Wellington community.
Barbara McKerrow
Barbara McKerrow has a career in local government that spans over 35 years. Barbara is currently the Chief Executive of the Wellington City Council. Having started with the New Plymouth City Council as a librarian in 1986, Barbara went on to stay with them for 31 years during which time she held a range of senior roles before serving as Chief Executive for nine years. Barbara was closely involved with various city- and community-development programmes when she was with the Council, and it is testimony to how much she achieved there that in 2016 Lonely Planet named New Plymouth the second-best region to visit in the world. The search for a greater challenge brought her to Wellington City Council in 2017, where she started as the Chief Operating Officer and took over as the Chief Executive in 2019.
Barbara was the President of Taituara (the national professional body for local government managers) for three years and in 2017 was recognised for her contribution to the sector with life membership. Other professional roles have included chairing the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Forum, co-chairing the Central and Local Government Chief Executive Forum and being a member of the Office of Auditor – General Local Government Advisory Group. Barbara was also a champion marathon runner and is a graduate of the University of Otago and of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Carolyn Tremain
Carolyn Tremain has over 20 years' experience leading large, complex service delivery organisations, and substantial change management programmes. She is currently the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Carolyn came to MBIE from the NZ Customs Service, where she was the Chief Executive and Comptroller. Prior to joining Customs in 2011, Carolyn held the roles of Deputy Commissioner Service Delivery and Deputy Commissioner People, Capabilities, and Governance at Inland Revenue, and earlier in her career worked for Air New Zealand where she was head of Human Resources and Organisational Change for the Air New Zealand Group.
Carolyn is a graduate of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, with a Bachelor of Arts.
Fiona Ross
Fiona Ross has over 25 years’ public services experience with particular expertise in change and State sector reform. In government, Fiona has worked at the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Women's Affairs, the New Zealand and United Kingdom Treasuries and most recently she lead the Joint Venture to eliminate Family Violence and Domestic Violence. Fiona is currently at the New Zealand Red Cross as General Manager People Experience and Support, supporting Red Cross achieve its strategy 2030.
Fiona holds an Honours degree in Arts and a Master's degree in Public Policy, both from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. She has been actively involved with a number of not-for-profit groups, including in the areas of sexual abuse, services and care for people with disabilities and the promotion of women’s sport and fitness.
Liz Mellish MNZM
Liz is the current Chairman of the Palmerston North Māori Reserve Trust, a trust formed formally in 1866 to administer Māori lands in Palmerston North which was provided in compensation for lands taken from the whānau of Waiwhetu Pa in Petone.
Liz is also a trustee on Te Wharewaka o Poneke and a director on Te Wharewaka O Poneke Enterprises Ltd which manages the business within the building with a strong focus on tourism development.
Liz has other directorships including Metlifecare Palmerston North, Haukawakawa Ltd, Palmerston North Māori Reserve Corporate Trustee Ltd, and Hikoikoi Management Ltd.
Liz is the Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Māori Authorities, a board member of Te Kaunihera Māori o Te Pouhere Taonga, and trustee of Ngahuru Charitable Trust.
Community roles include Lion Foundation Grants Committee member, Card Reserve Artificial Surface Trust Chairman, Booktown Featherston trustee, Anzac Club Featherston President, and Chairman of the Matiu/Somes Charitable Trust.
Tom Greally
Tom Greally is currently working on consulting projects and is the former CEO of Garage Project, a leading New Zealand craft brewery based in Wellington. He previously spent ten years in the film industry where he spent most of his time as General Manager of Weta Digital. Tom also currently serves as a board member for the NZ Film Commission.
Prior to these roles Tom had a 20 year career with KPMG Consulting, with 12 of those years as a partner in both New Zealand and Australia.
Tom has particular skills in the management of creative and technology orientated businesses that have a strong interest in research and innovation. He has a long history of encouraging and establishing collaborative projects between private sector business and the New Zealand tertiary sector.
Tom has a BCA from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and is a passionate advocate for the development and mentoring of talent.
Brooke Roberts
Alumna and CEO of Sharesies, Brook Roberts founded the start-up to make the world of investment more accessible to everyday New Zealanders.
After finishing high school in Hawke's Bay, Brooke was drawn to the hum of the capital city. After graduating, Brooke planned to travel overseas, but exciting opportunities kept springing up which kept her in Wellington. She first landed a role as a marketing assistant for not-for-profit organisation GS1 and went on to finance, product, and marketing roles at AJ Park, Kiwibank, and Xero.
While she enjoyed these roles, Brooke says she knew she wanted to start her own business and combine her twin interests in marketing and finance. Her dream started to gain momentum when she met a group of like-minded entrepreneurs. She says the philosophy behind Sharesies is trying to create a level playing field when it comes to investing.
Professor Nic Smith (ex-officio member)
As Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University, Professor Nic Smith is both the administrative and academic head of the University. He is responsible for ensuring that the University carries out its statutory and contractual functions in teaching, research, and community service.
Nic joined the University in 2023 after holding professorial appointments as the Provost at Queensland University of Technology, Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland, Head of Biomedical Engineering at King's College London, and Professor of Computational Physiology at the University of Oxford.