Mr John Upperton
Director
Mr Upperton has a background in both Commercial and Residential Construction Project Management. Alongside these projects, Mr Upperton has garnered considerable experience in aspects of the RMA and District Planning requirements, including successfully representing himself in Environment Court.
Mr Upperton has 19 years’ experience as Managing Director of a Limited Company. He has served on and chaired several community organisations over a 25 year period. Mr Upperton has also previously held a senior management role for one of NZ’s leading Manuka Honey producers, being responsible for the negotiation and placement of bee hives across the North Island involving more than 300 landowners.
First elected September 29, 2021
Ms Samantha Sharif, LLM (Hons), LLB (Hons), Grad Dip CSP, CFInstD
Chair and Independent Non-executive Director
Samantha Sharif is a Professional Director with extensive leadership experience in infrastructure, resources, safety critical industries, as well as investment and capital markets. Ms Sharif is an experienced Board and Board Committee Chair, and a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors. Samantha has experience as a CEO and has also practised as a senior commercial lawyer, with post-graduate legal and finance qualifications.
Current governance roles include: Carbn Group - Chair, SIL/MFL Mutual Funds - Director, Edison Consulting Group - Director, Dept of Corrections Audit & Risk Committee - External Member
First appointed November 1, 2021.
Mr Michael Stiassny, LLB, BCom, CFinstD
Independent Non-executive Director
Michael is currently Chair of Two Cheap Cars Limited and Tower Limited, and a director of a number of other companies.
Michael is a Chartered Fellow of The Institute of Directors in NZ (Inc) (CFInstD) and is also past President of the Institute of Directors. He is also a life member of RITANZ.
First appointed November 1, 2021.
Mr Richard Tacon, FAusIMM
Independent Non-executive Director
Mr Tacon is an experienced Mine Operator and Company Director with over 40 years of operational experience in all facets of mining gained in New Zealand and internationally. He has specialised expertise in underground and open cast coal mining.
Richard’s experience includes project feasibility analysis, management of operations and environmental management. He is presently the CEO of Bathurst Resources, an ASX listed resources company with operations and projects in New Zealand and Canada. Richard is also a director of BT Mining Limited (BT Mining), an incorporated joint venture company with Talleys Energy Ltd and of which BRL is a 65% owner. He sits on the board of the New Zealand Mines Rescue Trust, Straterra, and Minerals West Coast.
He studied Mineral Technology at Otago University, before obtaining a coal mining certificate from TAFE (Technical and Further Education) NSW in 1984. I hold first, second and third class mining qualifications from NSW and First Class Coal Mine Managers, A Grade Quarry and Senior Site Executive Certificates of Competency in New Zealand.
First elected September 7, 2023.