WHO ARE WE?

Tony is currently also Independent Chair Omega Lamb Primary Growth Partnership (an added value development partnership between industry and government). Chair of Douglas Nutrition (an early-stage company focused on the commercialisation of high value nutrition developments) and retired Chair of Wellington Drive Technologies Limited (a publicly listed green technology and IoT company now known as AoFrio), and Scion (The New Zealand Forest Research Institute).

Former Establishment Chair and current board member of New Zealand Food Innovation Auckland (an open access pilot production innovation facility for the food and beverage industry), former Chair of the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council [and concurrently Chair of the New Zealand Packaging Accord], and formerly a board member of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and ExportNZ (the Export Advisory Board of Business New Zealand).

Previous executive roles as CEO of Zespri International Limited, New Zealand’s world leading kiwifruit export company, and Managing Director of Danone Group company Griffin’s Foods. Tony returned to New Zealand in 2000 after 13 years in Asia, where he held general management roles for multi-national branded consumer goods companies L’Oreal and Sara Lee Corporation, with operating responsibility and experience across eleven Asian markets, extending from Pakistan to Japan to Indonesia, and with extensive joint-venture experience in Indonesia, India, and China.

Tony also co-Chaired the New Zealand Government Food & Beverage Taskforce in 2005 and represented New Zealand as a Prime Minister’s appointee to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) from 2007 to 2017, chairing ABAC’s Regional Economic Integration Working Group from 2010 to 2014 and co-chairing ABAC’s Sustainable Development Working Group. He also Chaired the ABAC sponsored private sector Asia Pacific Food Industry Forum and represented New Zealand as private sector co-chair of the APEC Policy Partnership for Food Security (PPFS).

Formerly Independent Chair of the New Zealand Professional Golfers’ Association, Deputy Chair of Leadership New Zealand, board member of the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company, and a Patron of the Limited Service Volunteer programme with the New Zealand Defence Force Youth Development Unit.

Mr Nowell was appointed as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in 2008 for services to business.

Currently employed as Chief Executive Officer of The Packaging Forum, an industry funded organisation focused on delivering integrated circular end-of-life packaging solutions. The Forum currently operates two Government approved voluntary schemes, The Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme, and the Glass Packaging Forum.

Previously employed by Pernod Ricard in several roles including Sustainability, Quality and Lean, Rob’s roles supported the development of global group practices to improve the environmental footprint of its products.

Previous Industry group roles include:

More than five years as chair of The Packaging Forum Board, leading business change

More than 10 years on the Glass Packaging Forum, taking New Zealand glass recovery from a low 0% to the current 75% New Zealand enjoys today.

Rob is a former Chair of the Public Place Recycling Scheme, established by The Forum to support the development of additional litter bins (binfrastructure) throughout New Zealand to increase out of home recycling rates and to reduce litter in the community.

Rob has a passion for the delivery of robust and sustainable solutions, supported with strong analysis and well considered outcomes.

Recent work includes representation on the Container Return Scheme for a New Zealand Government-initiated project.

Having held corporate roles in Sustainability, Lean manufacturing and Quality Rob brings a commercial view to solutions, whilst recognising best practice is delivered through strong collaboration

In summary, Rob has worked in industry for more than 20 years delivering simple bespoke solutions that support each unique business. He believes in maintaining a positive mindset, creating partnerships with a purpose and always striving for significant outcomes.

Ms Lyn Mayes has a wealth of experience in building networks and collaboration between the private sector, NGOs and local and central Government to improve New Zealand’s environmental performance.

Currently Scheme Manager of The Packaging Forum’s Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme (a voluntary product stewardship scheme whereby members pay levies to have soft plastic collect and recycled). Ms Mayes has been critical to the development of the Scheme’s partnerships with local processing companies that recycle the soft plastic into other products. The collaboration between these partners has been the catalyst for the growth of the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme nationally – an excellent best practice example of an industry-led solution.

Ms Mayes is also the Project Manager of The Packaging Forum’s Recycling/Resource Recovery and Litter Advisory Board which is a member funded initiative that works to increase recycling and reduce litter. Work has included collaborative campaigns with the likes of NGOs such as ‘Be a Tidy Kiwi’. 

Ms Mayes’ early career was in Supply Chain Management before she moved into managing Mergers & Acquisitions and then changed direction to focus on Corporate Communications. Her commitment to sustainable business practices was initially inspired by working with BOC to find alternative fuels for its vehicle fleet which was the second largest in the UK. This passion continued at Kimberly-Clark where, as Corporate Communications Director (EMEA), Lyn introduced Sustainability as a Key Performance Indicator at EMEA Board Level.

Formerly Chair of the Auckland Conservation Board which is a statutory Board appointed by the Minister for Conservation, Ms Mayes is also a member of the Institute of Directors.

She is also Vice President of Weightlifting New Zealand and has competed competitively around the world for New Zealand at Olympic Weightlifting and holds NZ masters’ records in this sport.

Lyn is also an external appointee to the Board of the Association of Metal Recyclers; Board Trustee of Be a Tidy Kiwi and member of the ANZPAC Plastics Pact Advisory Group.