Port of Auckland: The journey back

Presentation

Speaker(s): Jan Dawson, Roger Gray
Date: 7:00am — 9:00am, 4 June 2025
Venue: The Northern Club
Location: 19 Princes Street, Auckland
Price members: $75.00 incl GST
Price non-members: $129.00 incl GST

Overview

In this fireside chat, Jan and Roger will discuss:

the challenges the board faced in deciding to walk away from the much-hyped automation project
how the Port has driven a transformational safety and cultural change, and
how a focus on core business has driven a remarkable financial turnaround.

Jan and Roger will also discuss how relations changed with Auckland Council, especially after the election of Mayor Wayne Brown. POAL is 100% owned by Auckland Council and is governed by an independent board – not a council-controlled organisation (CCO).

This will be a fascinating insight into one of the highest profile business turn arounds in recent New Zealand history.

Jan Dawson

CFInstD

Jan Dawson was appointed as a Director and Chair of Port of Auckland Limited in September 2021. Jan is a highly experienced Director and Chair, whose previous roles include Chair of Westpac New Zealand Limited and Deputy Chair of Air New Zealand Limited. Jan won 2024 Chairperson of the Year at the Deloitte Top 200 awards; this aware celebrate the significant transformation of the Port of Auckland that has enhanced safety and delivered strong financial results.

She is currently a director of Serko Limited and Accident Compensation Commission. Jan was the Chair and Chief Executive for KPMG New Zealand for five years until 2011, following a career spanning 30 years specialising in audit, consulting and accounting services in the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand.

Her previous board appointments also include AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, Beca Limited, Goodman Fielder Limited and Meridian Energy Limited. Jan was elected as a Vice President of World Sailing for the four years ending in November 2020 and was the President and Board Chair of Yachting New Zealand for six years until October 2013.

Roger Gray

MInstD

Roger is the CEO of Port of Auckland and was appointed in March 2022. During his career he has led businesses across the Maritime, Aviation, FMCG and Private Equity sectors in both New Zealand and Australia.

Before joining the Port of Auckland, Roger was the CEO of Lyttleton Port Company for two years. Lyttleton is the main import and export hub of the South Island. Prior to Lyttleton Port Company he worked at Air New Zealand for 6.5 years where his last role was Group General Manager Airports, overseeing all ground handling and lounge operations at 55 airports around the globe, covering 2,800 staff who handle 18 million passengers annually.

In his time at Goodman Fielder he held several senior leadership positions, including Managing Director of Quality Bakers – New Zealand. Earlier in his working life Roger served for 20 years in the Australian Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Roger holds bachelor degrees in arts and economics, a Masters of Business in Integrated Logistics and an MBA. More recently Roger has completed executive education at INSEAD and Kellogg School of Management. Roger joined the Board of NZ Post in July 2024.

Additional information

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Branch event cancellation policy

Regrettably, registration fees cannot be refunded when cancellations are received within two working days prior to any branch event. See our standard terms and conditions for more information.