Sustainability Advisory Panel

Bridget Coates is Chairperson of White Cloud Dairy Innovation, which recently launched a new consumer dairy brand into the US market (Kura Nutrition) based on high quality NZ dairy and plant proteins and other nutritional ingredients.

Bridget was formerly Director of the New York-based 212° Equity Management LLC, a private equity company which invested in high growth businesses, primarily in the healthy living space. Bridget was inaugural Chair of ArcAngels in New Zealand, an angel group focusing on women-led growth companies and she retains a portfolio of early and growth-stage investments in the US and in New Zealand. 

She is also a Director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and of Tegel Group Holdings Ltd., and Chair of Tegel’s Audit Committee. 

Bridget has been a Director of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund as well as public companies, Sky City Limited and Fisher & Paykel Appliances Holdings Limited. She was formerly CEO of Carter Holt Harvey Plastic Products and Director of Research for CS First Boston NZ Ltd as well as a Member of the University of Auckland Council. Bridget was the inaugural Chair of THE ICEHOUSE. 

Bridget has also held Board governance roles with Industry New Zealand, a national economic development agency; Competitive Auckland Ltd, a regional economic development organisation; and Auckland Uniservices Ltd, a technology transfer company. She holds degrees in economics and finance and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst qualification: she is a Chartered Member of Institute of Directors.

Lou Sanson’s 40-year career has had a strong environmental focus with extensive leadership experience in the natural resources sector. Trained as an Environmental Forester he has achieved a distinguished career leading and transforming two of New Zealand’s most iconic organisations, Antarctica New Zealand, and the Department of Conservation.

Lou’s work with philanthropy and commercial partners (Air NZ, Fonterra, Meridian, Genesis, Fulton Hogan) has achieved win-win ESG Leadership outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand and commercial entities where our natural resources sit at the heart of our economy. He has comprehensive experience in integration of environmental and social impacts into business. Lou brings with him an extensive track record in environmental and tourism sectoral leadership.

Lou has a Bachelor of Forestry Science (Hons) and was top graduate at University of Canterbury. He has completed a number of executive development programmes at Harvard University, Stanford University, Australia – New Zealand School of Government and New Zealand Institute of Strategic Leadership. In the 2015 New Years’ Honours list he was awarded the New Zealand Antarctic Polar Medal (APM) for services to Antarctic science and diplomacy.

Corrigan is a third generation Fonterra farmer, living in the small rural community of Golden Bay, top of South Island. He farms with his brother & parents where he is a partner and manager of the family’s 400ha dairy farming business which is a mix of dairy (750 cows) and beef & high value wagyu.

He is a graduate of Massey University with a Bachelor of Applied Science. Awarded Nuffield NZ Farming Scholar 2019. Former consulting officer with DairyNZ and Farm consultant with FarmRight in Canterbury. 

Corrigan is the Chair and Independent Director of the South Island Dairy Development Centre (SIDDC) which operates the Lincoln University Dairy Farm. Deputy Chair of the DairyNZ Dairy Environmental Leaders Forum, an initiative to foster and strengthen environmental stewardship and community leadership amongst New Zealand Dairy Farmers. Former Deputy leader of the Dairy Environment Leaders Group. Participated in Fonterra’s development of our Purpose.

Nuffield scholarship is called “Farming in a Pressure Cooker”

Dr Gail Tipa has worked in the environmental sector for nearly 30 years, focused on delivering ecocultural outcomes, advocating for Māori, the environment, and the intrinsic connection between the two.

Gail started her career as a teacher before retraining as a planner working with the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. Since then, Gail has undertaken projects that contributed to retaining the character of the Waitaki, in South Canterbury,and other catchments. She has been part of working groups to develop and implement customary fisheries mechanisms, to develop restoration projects and works with a variety of resource users. She has managed her own consultancy for 25 years, focusing specifically on environmental research and management. Her work includes collaborating internationally with others seeking to improve the interface between indigenous cultures and environmental decision-making.

Gail has published widely in this field and has worked on developing new methodologies and tools, to enhance indigenous participation in freshwater management.

She was a whanau member who worked on the Ngāi Tahu claim and settlement in the 1990s and has held several governance roles within Ngāi Tahu organisations and within the Otago region.

In his third phase of life Morgan chaired the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in NZ for eight years until May 2019 and currently chairs the Nominations Committee of the WWF International Council. 

He also chairs the Cawthron Foundation, the philanthropic arm of NZ’s largest private research organisation, a Water Futures group that fosters the development of resilient water systems and is a member of the Dairy Tomorrow Steering Group. 

Other engagements include judging the annual Aggregate and Quarry Association environmental excellence Awards since 2008 and Chairing an MPI committee allocating erosion control funding to Councils. International work has included leading a team from the Bertelsmann Stiftung Foundation, in Germany, to judge a Tasmanian entry in the global Reinhard Mohn Prize 2013, a prize for Strategies for a Sustainable Future. Dr Williams completed 10 years as NZ’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) in March 2007. 

Prior to this he held research and policy roles in agriculture, in the public and private sector, worked widely in the South Pacific, undertook research in Antarctica and represented NZ research interests internationally. Lincoln University awarded Morgan an honorary doctorate in Natural Resources in 2004 and in the 2020 New Year Honours Morgan was awarded the Queens Service Order (QSO) for services to the State and the environment. Morgan grew up on a dairy farm near Kaiapoi in Canterbury - NZ. 

He has degrees in ecology from the Universities of Canterbury (BSc and MSc) and Bath, UK (PhD). He shares his environmental and sustainability interests with his wife Pam who completed a PhD in 2008 in the field of tertiary education for sustainability.