Our structure

Executive Leadership Team (ELT)

The Executive Leadership Team is accountable to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board, through the Chief Executive, for the leadership and management of Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Chief Executive

Rhys Jones

Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery	Deputy Chief Executive  People	Deputy Chief Executive  Organisational Strategy and Capability Development
Kerry Gregory	Brendan Nally	Russell Wood

Director Integration	Deputy Chief Executive Finance and Business Operations	Deputy Chief Executive Office of the Chief Executive
Janine McLees	Darryl Purdy	Raewyn Bleakley

 

The Chief Executive reports to the Chair of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board.

Our Board

The Board of Fire and Emergency New Zealand is appointed by the Minister of Internal Affairs. Terms of appointment are usually for 3 years and members are eligible for reappointment.

 

The current members of the Board are:

Hon Paul Swain (Chair)

Paul was initially appointed to the New Zealand Fire Service Commission Board for a 3-year term in April 2016 after leading the independent review of the Fire Service in 2012, which resulted in a call for reform. In 2019 he was reappointed for a further two years as Chair of Fire and Emergency.

A former Cabinet minister, his political career spanned some 15 years. During this time, he has held a number of ministerial portfolios including state-owned enterprises, corrections and immigration. He was a negotiator in Waitangi settlements, and holds a seat on the Wellington Regional Council.

Paul was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order in 2009.

Rebecca Keoghan (Deputy Chair)

Rebecca was appointed Deputy Chair of the Board for a three-year term in June 2019. She has approximately 10 years’ experience as a company director with a health and safety focus and last year was recognised as a rural woman of influence. In 2016 she was Fonterra’s Dairy Woman of the Year. 

Te Arohanui Cook

First appointed to the Board in April 2016, Te Arohanui was reappointed for a three-year term in 2018. She has had significant engagement with rural fire, at both an operational level and through her involvement in rural fire training.

Wendie Harvey

Wendie was appointed to the Board on 1 July 2018 for a three-year term. She holds a number of senior governance roles including being the Director of the Hawkes Bay Airport, Director of Centralines, Director of Napier Port Limited, Director of Quality Roading and Services Limited and a Director of Etco.  Wendie has extensive experience in state sector governance, organisational change, employment relations, and risk management.  She is also a Council Member of the Eastern Institute of Technology. 

Malcolm Inglis

Malcolm was appointed to the Board on 1 July 2018 for a three-year term.  He is a Chartered Accountant with significant experience in the state sector including large scale organisational and sector change.  He has held a number of governance roles on Crown Entity Boards and Councils.

Gwen Tepania-Palmer

Appointed to the Board in October 2019, Gwen Tepania-Palmer brings a wealth of experience to Fire and Emergency.  With a background in nursing, Gwen has been a driving force in the development and expansion of Māori health initiatives for decades and sits on several health sector boards.

Gwen also holds a Master of Business Administration, Certificate in Health Economics and a Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors in New Zealand (inc). Her tribal affiliations are Te Aupouri, Ngati Kahu and Ngati Paoa Tainui.