Board of directors

Michael Ludbrook (Chair)
Richard Janes
Jan Evans-Freeman
David Henry
Maxine Simmons
Ray Thomson
Michael Taitoko

Michael Ludbrook

Michael Ludbrook

IRL Board Chair
 

Michael is a management consultant specialising in assisting clients with major strategic change and performance improvement initiatives. Michael is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand and has over 30 years experience in most business disciplines. This experience has been gained as a Chief Executive in the Australasian transport industry and the New Zealand electricity and health industries, also as a Director of  Aerocool Ltd, Norfolk Southern Cross Ltd, New Zealand Forest Research Ltd, Te Papa Tipu Investments Ltd, and Davinci Robot Ltd. Michael was appointed Chair of the IRL Board in July 2011.

Jan Evans-Freeman

Jan Evans-Freeman

IRL Director, BSc (Hons), PhD, FInstP

Jan Evans-Freeman was appointed director with effect from 1 July 2010.  She is the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Engineering at the University of Canterbury. Prior to this she was appointed as the Head of Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK and her earlier positions include head of the Centre for Electronic Materials at Sheffield Hallam, (2004-09) and an academic member of staff in the Department of Electrical Engineering at UMIST in Manchester between 1999 and 2004. Professor Evans-Freeman has served on and chaired many UK government advisory panels and is currently a member of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Peer Review College. She has carried out international peer review activities for national funding bodies such as the European Union, and the South African and Finnish national funding agencies. Between 2003 and 2008 she was the Chair of the national Ion Beam Facility Steering Group in the UK, successfully taking them through their next large funding bid.

Richard Janes

Richard Janes

IRL Director, PhD Textile Engineering, BSc (Hons) Chemistry 

Richard Janes is an experienced company director with appointments in both the private and public sectors. His current appointments include Director of Gallagher Holdings Ltd, Telarc – SAI Ltd, New Zealand Lotteries Commission and Chair of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission. Dr. Janes has an extensive background in management, especially in business development and international brand marketing. He has worked in Australia, the US and the UK, as well as New Zealand. His past directorships include Deputy Chair of Merino NZ Ltd, LandCorp Farming Ltd, and Director of Kapiti Cheeses Ltd and Tennis NZ. He is an accredited Fellow of the Institute of Directors. He was appointed to the Board in 2011.

David Henry

David Henry

IRL Director and Deputy Chairman, BCom, CA

David Henry is a professional director based in Auckland. From 1975 to 2001, he worked for Fisher & Paykel (F&P). He was appointed chief financial officer in 1987 and an executive director in 1992. He is currently the chairman of Androgenix (a biotech start-up company) and a director of Henry Manufacturing. David brings commercial expertise to the IRL Board from his years as an executive director at Fisher & Paykel and, more recently, as a director of a number of start-up R&D companies. His role as an executive director at F&P included hands-on involvement in all aspects of the business, from strategy, manufacturing and product development through to marketing and sales. This experience was across the appliances, healthcare and finance company sectors of the business and included establishing F&P’s international operations. David is a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.

Maxine Simmons

Maxine Simmons

IRL Director, MSc (Hons)

Maxine Simmons currently runs a business consulting company focused on advising early-stage biotechnology ventures. After graduating with an MSc in biological sciences from the University of Auckland, she became a biotechnology entrepreneur, co-founding one of New Zealand’s first biotechnology companies in 1983. The New Zealand biotechnology industry recognised this achievement by awarding her the Distinguished New Zealand Biotechnologist Award in June 2000. Maxine brings to IRL the understanding of the commercialisation of science gained through her experience with her own companies as well as through previous membership of Investment Committees including Technology New Zealand, the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (Board member) and as a founding director of Industry New Zealand (now New Zealand Trade and Enterprise). She is currently CEO of healthcare seed investment fund Cure Kids Ventures and Managing Director of consultancy company BioCatalyst Ltd. Maxine is a member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand and deputy chair of NZBIO. She is also currently a director of Photonz Corporation Ltd, KODE Biotech Ltd and one of the Centres of Research Excellence – the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery.

Ray Thomson

Ray Thomson

IRL Director, BSc (Hons), PhD (Physics), Dip Acc

Ray Thomson is a professional director based in Auckland. From 1979 to 1985, he worked as an investment analyst in sharebroking, firstly with Jarden & Co and then with O’Connor Grieve & Co. From 1985 to 1998, he worked as an executive director in charge of investments, initially with Omnicorp Investments and then with Strathmore Group. He is currently the chairman of Manuka Health New Zealand and a director of the listed company Wellington Drive Technologies. Ray has been involved in a number of venture capital investments over the past 20 years and is currently a member of the Auckland Ice Angels Association. In more recent years his particular focus has been on investments in the natural health products sector. Ray has had extensive experience as a company director with an aggregate of over 30 years’ experience as a director of listed companies and is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.

Mike Taitoko

Michael Taitoko

MBA (Distinction)

Of Ngāti Maniapoto decent, Mike is a founding director of Tuia Group and heads Tuia Consulting. He specialises in strategy and governance and has worked extensively with managers and boards that govern collectively-held assets on behalf of iwi shareholders. Mike regularly provides advice to Ministers and Crown agencies on Māori economic development matters. He has previously carried out the acting Chief Executive role for the New Zealand Māori Tourism Council and prior to establishing Tuia Consulting was a manager with Deloitte's Growth Solutions team in Wellington. Relevant areas of expertise are: Strategic governance and management; asset and enterprise growth and development; commercial and economic development; public sector intervention design; Māori tourism; change management. Mike is a member of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Te Awe Māori Business Network and the New Zealand Institute of Management.