Society Directors' Profiles

Graeme Hawkins has been a professional director for 18 years. He was appointed to the Southern Cross Board in October 2008, and appointed Chairman on 1 July 2009.  He is Chairman of Southern Cross Health Trust, Chairman of one Trust subsidiary and a Director of another.  He is a Director of Cavalier Corporation Ltd and Ports of Auckland Ltd, and a Director and shareholder of Biomed Ltd. From 2001 to 2007 he was an appointed Director of Fonterra Co-operative Group and is a former Chairman of Auckland Healthcare, now Auckland District Health Board. Earlier in his career he held a number of strategic and financial roles at Fletcher Challenge and is a former CEO of Dominion Breweries.

 

 

Dr Douglas Baird was appointed to the Southern Cross Board in July 2007. He is a Director of Dr Ponsonby-White Cross, Managing Director of Aotea Health Services, a Trustee of Southern Cross Health Trust and a Director of one Trust subsidiary, and a Trustee of the Auckland Medical Benevolent Fund.  Dr Baird is a past Chairman of the Independent Practitioners Association Council (IPAC), was a founding Director of ProCARE Health and of BPACnz (an organisation dedicated to effective use of resources by health providers). He has served in elected and advisory roles with the Auckland District Health Board, the ACC Medical Misadventure Unit and the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner. Dr Baird has a Diploma of Obstetrics, is a Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practice and currently works as a primary care doctor in accident and medical clinics.

Carole Durbin was appointed to the Southern Cross Board in August 2006. She is Chair of Damwatch Services Limited (a Wellington-based dam engineering consultancy), a Director of New Zealand-owned Fidelity Life, a Trustee of Southern Cross Health Trust and a Director of two Trust subsidiaries. Until October 2009 she was Chair of electricity generator Mighty River Power and retailer Mercury Energy, having been on that board since 1998. A consultant to Simpson Grierson, one of New Zealand’s leading legal firms, Ms Durbin has also held a number of previous Board appointments including Simpson Grierson, Transpower NZ, software developer Synergy International (now Fronde), and was an Earthquake Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

 

 

 

 

 

Phillip Meyer is an experienced company director and investment banker who joined the Southern Cross Board in June 2002 and is Chairman of the Society’s Investment Committee. He is Chairman of Australian Financial Services Group and Institute of Directors (Wellington Branch). He is a Trustee of Young Enterprise Trust and Crimestoppers Trust, a Trustee of Southern Cross Health Trust and a Director of two Trust subsidiaries, a National Councillor for Institute of Directors in NZ, and a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, the New Zealand Markets Disciplinary Tribunal and the Financial Services Institute of Australia. He is also National Chairman of the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal Committee.