New directors for board
Drive Electric has appointed three new directors, who boast “skills from right across the e-mobility ecosystem”, to its board.
Martin Miles, chief operating officer at ChargeNet, independent director Richard Dellabarca and Duncan Baker from ABB NZ were selected for the roles at its recent annual general meeting.
Sam Steele, managing director of APAC, EO Charging, has also been appointed as an observer on the board.
Drive Electric chairman Mark Gilbert says: “We are delighted to welcome Martin, Richard, Duncan and Sam to the Drive Electric board. We have had record growth in our membership over the past 12 months and this is a very exciting time for the organisation as e-mobility takes hold in the market.
“The calibre of nominees for the board demonstrates the influence of Drive Electric and the impact it is having on EV uptake in New Zealand.
“The new directors join the board with skills from right across the e-mobility ecosystem. In particular they bring real strength in the area of private and public charging, which is our priority area of focus over the coming couple of years.”
Former board member Ewan Morris was also awarded a lifetime membership at the AGM and is the fourth recipient of such an honour, joining Rob McEwen, Soichiro Fukutake and Hideaki Fukutake.
Gilbert says Morris was a dedicated, active and high-value board member over a period of six years and also chaired the standards working group.
New board member bios
Martin Miles, chief operating officer, ChargeNet
Miles joined ChargeNet in February 2022 with more than 18 years of experience in the electricity sector. These include leadership roles in Australia and the UK. Most recently, Miles has spent the past seven years in the UK establishing the electric vehicle charging networks for two of that country’s leading providers; Osprey Charging Network and POD Point.
Duncan Baker, vice-president for smart power and buildings – electrification business, ABB NZ
Baker has 20 years’ experience in the electrical industry, working in senior positions within leading global electrical manufacturers. In his current role with ABB, he is responsible for e-mobility and the New Zealand business direction.
Richard Dellabarca, independent director
Dellabarca has operated internationally as a technology entrepreneur, an investment banker, and an executive and a director in a variety of global technology companies. He has more than 13 years’ governance experience including for NZ Rugby Union, NZ Post and ASX-listed Harmoney, among others. He is currently chairman of Solvency II Solutions and most recently was chairman of ChargeNet, as well as being interim CEO for 11 months.
Sam Steele, managing director APAC, EO Charging
Steele has a background on large-scale infrastructure projects for the resource sector across Australasia and Africa. After moving to the UK in 2015, he developed his passion for e-mobility working for SSE where he led the team that delivered London’s first on-street public charging network, Source London. More recently he has spent five years with EO Charging building the commercial arm of its business across Europe.
Other board members are:
• Mark Gilbert, chairman
• Duncan Stewart, director, Greenhouse Capital
• Annette Azuma, director, business advisory services, Baker Tilly Staples Rodway
• Matthew Bailey, chief investment officer, STILL
• Tim Calder, emerging markets and innovation lead, Meridian Energy
• Eric Pellicer, general manager business development, PowerCo
• Dean Sheed, general manager, Audi NZ
• Kirsten Corson, co-founder and director at Zilch
• Dennis Kelly, director pan-Tasman fleet at FleetPartners
Photo: Ewan Morris (left) receives his lifetime membership award for services to the Drive Electric board from Dean Sheed
