Trustee profiles

Chairman, Andrew Ronald Britton

After working in Environmental Health at a large UK City Authority, Andy switched careers and trained as a Chartered Accountant, qualifying in 1982. Andy has 24 years of assurance and business advisory experience with PricewaterhouseCoopers, including 16 years as a partner. He has provided wide ranging internal and external assurance and business advisory services to a number of companies and other businesses in the UK and New Zealand. These businesses have included many leading publicly listed companies as well as Crown Health organisations and NZ Government Departments.  Andy was an appointed auditor on behalf of the Office of the Auditor General for a number of entities. Andy retired from practice with PWC in September 2005 at age 50.

Andy is currently the Treasurer for the Tutukaka Coast Promotions Society, a charitable organisation established to promote sustainable tourism. He is a past president and his involvement goes back to the sinking of the Tui and Waikato as Dive wrecks. He is also Chairperson for the Arts Promotion Trust (Northland) and in the past Vice President and Treasurer of the Northland Chamber of Commerce.

(Chair, Audit Committee, Marine MRI)

Trustee, Irene Margaret Durham

Irene is a certified financial planner, property investor, business consultant, and company owner and director. Her work history spans business coaching and consulting, financial planning, and law. Irene was NZ Business Woman of the Year in 1998/99 and holds a Degree in Management and a Dip. Business Studies (Financial Planning). 
In addition to her role as trustee of ENT, Irene has held various board positions in Northland and throughout NZ. Irene is currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NorthAble, Trustee for NorthHaven Hospice Endowment Trust and on the Board of Northland Business Development Trust. She has a strong desire to see Northland and its people reach their potential.

(Audit Committee, Marine MRI)

Trustee, William Mervyn Shepherd

Born and educated in Whangarei, Bill went straight into a career in dairy farming. He and wife Sue continue to own two dairy farms, currently operated with 50-50 sharemilkers.
When Federated Farmers separated the Northland region from Auckland in 1990, Bill established the new Northland Province and became its first president. He rose through the ranks of the national federation, becoming senior vice president for New Zealand. He left Federated Farmers in 1994 and in 1995 took on the position of chief executive of the Northland Chamber of Commerce, which he held until 2001.

Currently Bill and his wife have business interests in forestry and childcare as well as their dairy farm businesses.

(Audit Committee, Marine MRI)

Trustee, Rawson Sydney Ambrose Wright

As well as his role as Trustee for the ENT, Rawson is chairman of Taitokerau Forests Ltd, Pouto Papakianga Trust and Te Uri o Hau Tangata Development Ltd, and a Member of the Institute of Directors. Rawson has extensive experience in forestry and pastoral farming and lives in Whangarei with his family.

(Education 4 Enterprise, Northland Agricultural Forum)