Drive Electric board appointments and a lifetime member
Drive Electric has appointed three new board members at its recent Annual General Meeting, Martin Miles (ChargeNet), Richard Dellabarca (Independent), and Duncan Baker (ABB). Additionally, Sam Steele (EO Charging), has been appointed as an observer on the Board.
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.”
New board members
Martin Miles, Chief Operating Officer, ChargeNet. Martin joined ChargeNet in February 2022 with over 18 years of experience in the electricity sector. These include leadership roles in both Australia and the United Kingdom. Most recently, Martin has spent the past seven years in the UK establishing the electric vehicle charging networks for two of the United Kingdom’s leading providers; Osprey Charging Network and POD Point.
Duncan Baker, VP for Smart Power and Buildings – Electrification Business, ABB NZ. Duncan 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. Richard has operated internationally as a technology entrepreneur, an investment banker, and both an executive and a director in a variety of global technology companies. He has over 13 years governance experience including for NZ Rugby Union, NZ Post and ASX-listed Harmoney, among others. He is currently Chair of Solvency II Solutions and most recently was Chair of ChargeNet (as well as being interim CEO for 11 months).
Sam Steele, Managing Director APAC, EO Charging. Sam has a background on large scale infrastructure projects for the resource sector across Australasia and Africa. After moving to the UK in 2015, Sam 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 their business across Europe.
Ewan Morris awarded Lifetime Membership
At the AGM, former Board member Ewan Morris was awarded a Lifetime Membership. Ewan joins three other lifetime members, Rob McEwen, Soichiro Fukutake, and Hideaki Fukutake.
Mark Gilbert says, “I would like to especially acknowledge Ewan for his contribution to the Board over a period of six years. As a Board member, Ewan has brought specialist knowledge around infrastructure and charging and also Chaired our Standards Working Group. Ewan was a dedicated, active, and high-value Board member. I want to personally congratulate him for his service.”
The new Directors join the current board, which includes:
- Mark Gilbert, Chair
- 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
