NIWA strengthens executive structure - in line with strategic growth plans

NIWA (the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited) announced today a restructuring of its senior executive team in line with strategic growth plans.

Chief Executive Paul Hargreaves said NIWA had successfully achieved its goals in 1998/99 and now looked to progress development both within New Zealand and internationally.

"To meet the demands of our business growth we have extended the NIWA Executive to manage the widening responsibilities that have arisen from strategic initiatives taken in the past year."

Mr Hargreaves said that the Research Director, Dr Rick Pridmore, would become Deputy Chief Executive (Strategic Development), while the Director of Operations, Dr Rod East, would become Deputy Chief Executive (Operations). Dr Pridmore will retain responsibility for NIWA’s Public Good Science Fund (PGSF) portfolio.

Dr Bryce Cooper, NIWA’s Regional Manager in Hamilton, would become Director (Business Development), Dr Rob Murdoch, Regional Manager at NIWA’s Greta Point facility in Wellington, would become Director (Research Development), and Dr Clive Howard-Williams, Regional Manager in Christchurch, would be appointed Director (Educational Programmes). The appointments of Drs Cooper and Murdoch to the NIWA Executive would be fulltime, while Dr Howard-Williams would retain management responsibilities in Christchurch in addition to his responsibility for tertiary-sector relations. Dr John McKoy continues as Director of Fisheries Research.

Mr Hargreaves said that it was an indication of NIWA’s strength that it had an echelon of top science managers who were capable of stepping up to take on these key appointments.

NIWA has plans for significant growth in its environmental science services and these senior appointments would allow the strategies to be implemented.