Minister for Rail Winston Peters has announced the appointment of Sue Tindal as the new Chair of KiwiRail and the New Zealand Railways Corporation, with Jeff Kendrew appointed Deputy Chair of KiwiRail.
Mr Peters says the new appointments to the KiwiRail board bring commercial, freight and rail experience and a ‘can do’ attitude.
“We want railways to be successful for New Zealand and have every expectation that a focus on lower cost, higher reliability, increased volumes, improved safety and better performance will be delivered on,” he said.
Ms Tindal (pictured, left) has been a Chief Executive, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer and was previously on the Mainfreight and New Zealand Post boards. She is currently Deputy Chair of the Infrastructure Commission and Quotable Value boards.
“She understands construction, freight and infrastructure, and how to get an efficient outcome from an asset-intensive company,” said Mr Peters.
Mr Kendrew (pictured, right) is the Chair of Port Taranaki, and previously chaired Western Australia’s bulk rail freight company Arc Infrastructure.
He brings real world experience of rail infrastructure, engineering and freight, said Minister Peters.
“KiwiRail director Rob Jager has been Acting Chair since June 2024, and we thank him for his service,” he said.
“We have also reappointed Liz Ward as a KiwiRail director, reflecting her experience as a former CEO of CentrePort, Gough Group and Kennards Hire and her current role as a senior executive in Sydney’s passenger rail system.
“A reappointment decision has also been taken for Nicola Greer as a director on the New Zealand Railways Corporation given her financial and property expertise,” Mr Peters says.
KiwiRail directors and terms from 1 July 2025:
- Chair Sue Tindal, 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028
- Deputy Chair Jeff Kendrew, 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028
- Rob Jager, 20 December 2022 to 31 October 2027 (Acting Chair to 1 July)
- Dr Sina Cotter Tait, 1 October 2024 to 30 June 2026
- Liz Ward, 20 December 2022 to 31 May 2028
- Bruce Wattie, 23 March 2020 to 31 October 2025
New Zealand Railways Corporation directors and terms from 1 July 2025:
- Sue Tindal, 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028
- Nicola Greer, 15 July 2019 to 31 May 2028
- Angela Edwards, 1 June 2020 to 30 April 2026.
