Yachting New Zealand appoints three new board members following retirements

Yachting New Zealand has three new additions to its Board, following the recent retirement of long-serving members Murray Brown,  John Butcher and Jenna Hansen.

After a comprehensive recruitment process, Jason Shoebridge and Catherine Brown have been appointed to three-year terms, with Nigel Skeggs stepping in to replace Butcher for the remainder of the year, board chair Greg Knowles confirmed.

They join the Yachting New Zealand board alongside Knowles, Sarah Bacon, Nik Burfoot, Nicola Harrison, Bridget Winstone-Kight and Auckland-based litigation lawyer Nick Gillies, who was elected at the AGM last October following Hansen’s retirement from the board by rotation.

Shoebridge is chief executive of the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, where he leads economic and policy analysis. A chartered accountant, he holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Finance from the University of Auckland and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, as well as a member of the Institute of Directors.

His governance experience includes roles as chair of Aktive, deputy chair of Sport New Zealand and director of NIWA, alongside trustee and audit committee positions with the Youthtown charitable trust and several school boards.

Shoebridge also chairs the Regional Sports Trust Network Steering Group and has held a range of governance roles across the public sector and sport system, with a focus on audit, risk and strategy. Earlier in his career, he held senior executive roles, including chief executive of Kantar Insight New Zealand and managing director of Kantar TNS, leading growth and analytics initiatives across the Asia-Pacific region.

Catherine Brown brings more than 20 years’ experience in marketing and customer engagement across financial services, health insurance and pharmaceutical sectors in New Zealand and internationally.

She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health and an honours degree in arts from the University of Otago. Her recent roles at Southern Cross include Acting Head of Marketing and Brand Experience and Retention and Engagement Lead, where she was responsible for marketing, loyalty and engagement strategies for a customer base of around one million people.

Her career has included senior marketing positions at BNZ and ANZ, as well as agency and consultancy work in New Zealand and London across global brands in banking, telecommunications and healthcare.

Skeggs has more than two decades of leadership experience across the maritime, tourism and infrastructure sectors in New Zealand and the Pacific. He has recently been elected as a councillor for Nelson City Council and therefore stood down as the chief executive of Nelson Marina Management Limited, where he oversaw a significant transformation, including the transition to a council-controlled organisation, development of a $120 million masterplan and delivery of key infrastructure projects. 

He also serves as vice president of the New Zealand Marina Industries Association and previously spent 14 years in Fiji as managing director of Port Denarau Marina, growing it into a leading superyacht and marine tourism hub.

Skeggs has also held governance roles with the Fiji Maritime Safety Authority and the Fiji New Zealand Business Council. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of Otago, along with multiple governance qualifications from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Knowles said the selection of the new board members followed a rigorous process.

“Our Board Appointments Panel was diligent and took the time needed to ensure we secured directors with the skills and experience the board requires,” he said. “There was a lot of interest in the Yachting New Zealand director roles, and the calibre of applicants was extremely high. I thank all those who made the effort to apply, and am very pleased to have attracted this level of expertise to maintain and strengthen the board. The new directors' experience across both the public and private sectors will be invaluable as we continue to guide the organisation through a period of important work and change.”

Knowles also acknowledged the contribution of departing board members Brown, who served nine years, Butcher, who served five years and Hansen, who served three years.

“I sincerely thank Murray, John and Jenna for their service to Yachting New Zealand,” Knowles said. “These are voluntary roles, and I acknowledge our directors, past and present, for their dedication and commitment of time and energy to the sport of sailing. They have positioned the organisation well for the future.”

Chief executive Steve Armitage said the additions come at a significant time for Yachting New Zealand.

“We are progressing several key initiatives this year aligned with our refreshed strategic workplan, including a comprehensive review of our membership model and affiliation fee structure, which is already well underway,” Armitage said. 

“The board’s skills and experience will provide valuable strategic support and guidance as we continue this work and seek to better deliver for our members.”