Nuplex 2008 Annual Report

Board of Directors

John Hirst


Joined the Board as Group Managing Director in January 2001 following five years as Chief Executive Officer of Nuplex Industries (Aust) Pty Limited. He is a member of the Remuneration Committee.

John joined the company in 1967 as Technical Service Manager from the paint industry and moved to Australia in 1977 to establish a resin sales operation there. He was appointed General Manager, Marketing of the Australian company in 1979 and returned to New Zealand in 1985 as General Manager, Resins. Technical and sales management roles preceded his move into general management.

He was relocated to Australia in 1995. John has experienced the growth of the Nuplex Group over four decades, with his career split evenly between Australia and New Zealand. John is also a non-executive Director of ASX listed Penrice Soda Holdings Limited.

Fred Holland


Joined the Board of Nuplex Industries Limited as Managing Director in December 1981 and became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in July 1996 until standing down as Chief Executive in December 2000.

Fred first joined Revertex (NZ) Limited, the forerunner of Nuplex, in May 1965 and was General Manager of the Resins business until 1981.

Prior to immigrating to New Zealand, Fred was a process engineer with Revertex Limited, the original UK shareholder and technology provider to the New Zealand company. He had served Revertex since 1954 and had commissioned the first New Zealand plant in 1962.

Fred is an ex oficio of the Audit and Renumeration Committees.

Bryan Kensington


Joined the Board in January 1993. Bryan is the retired Chairman of Ernst & Young, Radio New Zealand Limited, the New Zealand Advisory Board of Westpac Trust, Ngawha Geothermal Resource Company Limited and the Southern Cross Healthcare Group.

He is the Chairman of Emerald Capital Limited and is Trustee of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. He was previously a member of the Council of the Institute of Directors and Chairman of the Auckland Branch.
In 2004 he was elected as a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Bryan is Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Micheal Wynter


Joined the Board in April 1998. Michael is a partner in the Australian legal partnership of McCullough Robertson.

He has a broad experience in Australia, Japan and South East Asia and was involved in the negotiations for establishment of the Vietnam plant.

He was a Director of Australian Chemical Holdings from 1993 and Chairman from 1995.

Rob Aitken


Joined the Board in July 2006. Rob has over 25 years’ experience in senior management roles with manufacturing, industrial marketing and distribution businesses in Australia, Asia, North America and Europe.

Most recently this has been as Executive General Manager Southcorp Water Heaters and Southcorp Appliances and prior to that as President Formica Corporation.

He is the Chairman of Rubicor Group Limited, API Securities Holdings Pty Ltd and Formit Services Pty Ltd. He is also a Director of Alesco Corporation Limited.

Rob is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee.

David Jackson


Joined the Board in November 2006. David is a former Chairman and Audit Partner of Ernst & Young. He is an Independent Director of Pumpkin Patch Limited and Fonterra Cooperative Group Limited, Chairman of the New Zealand Refining Company Limited and a member of the Securities Commission.

He is also Chairman of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, and a trustee of the New Zealand National Maritime Museum.

In 1994 David was awarded a Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

David is a member of the Audit Committee.