Heartland's new director

Heartland Bank has appointed Vanessa Stoddart as an independent director. Stoddart is an experienced director who currently serves on the boards of New Zealand Refining Company, The Warehouse Group, Alliance Group, the Tertiary Education Commission, the Financial Markets Authority and Global Women. Heartland Bank, whose consumer business includes vehicle loans, is delighted to welcome Stoddart onto the board, chair Geoff Ricketts says. “She brings outstanding professional leadership and governance experience to the role.” Stoddart’s experience includes an early legal career, plus broad commercial experience in change management and performance improvement for some of New Zealand’s largest companies. In 2003, she joined Air New Zealand as part of the executive team designed to transform the airline. She has been responsible for a wide portfolio, including safety and maintenance of the airline. Prior to this, from 2000 to 2003, she was chief executive of Carter Holt Harvey’s Australian Packaging Group. Stoddart has been recognised for her achievements in both the human resoruces and engineering professions – as an honorary fellow of HRINZ and a companion of IPENZ. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Directors and a chartered member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.