Dr Keith Turner
(Chief Executive)

Keith Turner has 38 years of experience in the electricity industry. He held several senior executive positions in the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (ECNZ) before being appointed Meridian's first Chief Executive on its creation in 1999. He has been instrumental in the reform of the electricity industry including being a member of the Transpower Establishment Board, the Contact Energy Establishment Team, the Market Surveillance Committee and a Founding Director of M-Co.

Dr Turner is a passionate believer in sustainable development and the value of renewable energy for New Zealand. He is driven by a desire to make Meridian the global reference company for renewable energy and the opportunity to lead a team of people who share that desire.

As an engineer, Keith Turner likes to build things. He built his family home (using energy efficient principles), and also built his family's 38 foot yacht. He is a proud New Zealander and spends his summer holidays camping in the Coromandel Peninsula.

Chris Jones
(People and Performance Director)

Meridian people are exceptional. They are the key to our success. It's the role of Meridian's People and Performance team supports the business by making sure that it continues to attract, develop and retain the very best people. Chris and his team work with Meridian's managers and support them in building relationships with their staff that allow Meridian people to achieve the goals they aspire to.

Chris joined Meridian from the UK where he worked both in the private and public sectors in senior management and consulting roles. He joined Meridian because he saw it as an organisation that was 'getting it right', and a culture that offered a good fit with his vision of how organisations could be.

Chris has had a lifelong obsession with rowing, both as a competitor and coach. He is currently involved with coaching at the Wellington Rowing Club.

Andrew Robertson
(Strategy Director)

Andrew has been involved in the electricity industry for his entire working life – a background that makes him perfectly placed to lead Meridian's Strategy Team. Their role is to monitor what is happening in the industry, develop Meridian's business strategy and present options for the future of our business.

The Strategy Team is also responsible for identifying opportunities to extend our core business into new areas. One example is Meridian's new RightHouse subsidiary which offers energy efficiency solutions for homeowners. RightHouse was 'incubated' within the Strategy Team.

Andrew joined Meridian from ECNZ, where he was involved in the reform of the electricity industry that led to the creation of Meridian. He is a passionate believer in renewable energy as a secure, low cost energy source that underpins New Zealand's growth and future prosperity.

James Hay
(General Counsel Director)

James has been Meridian's General Counsel and Company Secretary since it began operations in April 1999. He and his team provide advice to the business on legal matters and make sure appropriate governance structures are in place.

They also play a key role in Meridian's submissions on industry issues and our relationships with regulators and our shareholder – the Government. The General Counsel team leads climate change initiatives and policy contributions on behalf of the Group.

James joined Meridian from a leading New Zealand law firm, having also spent time on long term secondment to the Crown Company Monitoring and Advisory Unit and working on start-up telecoms ventures in the UK. He joined Meridian because the role offered the chance to be involved at the start of something important for New Zealand. The challenge now is being involved in projects that will really deliver results for electricity customers.

Ken Smales
(Growth and Development Director)

As demand for electricity continues to grow, finding and building new sources of renewable electricity is key to the future of both Meridian and New Zealand. The role of Ken Smales and his team is to investigate, secure, design, build and commission those new renewable electricity generation sites. It's a complex role which includes obtaining environmental and resource consents as well as managing the design and engineering projects required to build new sites.

Ken began his career with the New Zealand Electricity Department, starting there in 1969 on the same day as Meridian Chief Executive Keith Turner. Ken is a former Group Manager for the Waikato Power Stations (now Mighty River Power). He has deep South Island roots and has an intimate knowledge of Meridian's assets and the areas they are located in. He is lucky enough to be working in what he describes as his dream role.

Ken is a passionate supporter of New Zealand and is also passionate about protecting its natural environment. In his spare time he's kept busy planting a 4000 square metre property in the Marlborough Sounds with native trees and creating a sanctuary for native birds.

K-J Kells
(Executive Advisor)

As Executive Advisor, K-J (Kathryn-Jane) Kells is involved in many aspects of Meridian's business. She works closely with the Chief Executive to provide strategic analysis and support. She has a special interest and background in corporate strategy development.

K-J came to Meridian from Ernst & Young where she was involved in strategic consulting work in the US, Australia and New Zealand. She loves the challenge and variety of her role. She also values the opportunity to work in an environment where existing paradigms can be challenged and big ideas can be pursued. As part of her role K-J has been involved in several projects exploring new opportunities for Meridian.

Matthew Jansen
(Communications Director)

The Communications team oversees Meridian's reputation and relationships with stakeholders – including our customers and communities close to Meridian's assets – to ensure they want to keep doing business with Meridian. As Communications Director, Matthew's role is to ensure that every part of the company has the support it needs to develop relationships that work for all parties.

With a background in corporate communications, Matthew joined Meridian because he wanted to be part of a New Zealand company that was going to do something very big – and do it very differently. As electricity plays such a critical part in modern society, he believes his role provides a real opportunity to contribute to a better future for all New Zealanders.

Paul Smart
(Enterprise Services Director)

As Meridian's Enterprise Services Director Paul is responsible for supporting the organisation's strategic initiatives. This includes leading Meridian's financial accounting, knowledge and project management, sourcing and procurement teams. He also leads the teams responsible for Risk Management (ensuring business continuity and mitigating our key business risks), Treasury (funding and cash management), and Information Technology (both day to day operations and developing our future technology platform).

Paul joined Meridian following a successful business career including 12 years as Chief Financial Officer of Sky Network Television Limited. Meridian provided a large scale, multi-dimensional challenge and the chance to work in a sector of fundamental importance to New Zealand's future.

In addition Paul is a director and chair of the audit committee of the publicly listed Postie Plus Group based in Christchurch.

Steve Ferguson
(Retail Director)

As Retail Director, Steve is charged with delivering Meridian's customer experience vision. The Retail team is responsible for bringing new and innovative choices and solutions to our customers. This incorporates all aspects of the retail experience including customer service, via direct channels such as the call centre, online capability, billing, switching and process improvements.

Steve joined Meridian from Kiwibank where, with responsibility for Distribution, he was involved in the development of a number of new products and services, including Mobile Phone Banking – the first application of its kind in New Zealand. He is passionate about customers and the opportunity to transform the way New Zealanders buy, use and experience electricity.

Garth Dibley
(Markets and Production Director)

Meridian's Markets and Production team works on both sides of the electricity supply and demand spectrum. They are responsible for operating and maintaining Meridian's hydro and wind generation assets, and selling the electricity we produce through the wholesale market. The team balances Meridian's generation capacity with market demands in a way that maximises value and minimises risk.

Garth has been involved with managing Meridian's Generations assets since the company's creation. He was previously the Engineering Manager at both the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand's Northern Generation Hydro group and Northern Thermal Group. He joined Meridian because of its focus on engineering excellence and the chance to help manage some of New Zealand's largest and most iconic assets.