Auckland Council’s Appointments, Performance Review and Value for Money Committee approved a new Chair appointment to the board of Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) at its 2 August meeting.

Following a rigorous selection process, Andrew Barnes has been appointed chair of the RFA board.

Andrew Barnes is a business leader with an extensive background in governance, philanthropy and in the financial industry. He is the founder of Perpetual Guardian, which formed through the coming together of Perpetual Trust and Guardian Trust.

He is also founder and director of Complectus Limited, which owns Perpetual Guardian and subsequently acquired a number of other trust businesses, making it the largest Statutory Supervisor and Trustee group in New Zealand.

Andrew was previously a director and founder of Just Wills Holdings Limited, a UK-based will writing and estate planning business. Before that he was CEO of Bestinvest, a US$5.7billion, UK-based investment management and advisory company, and held a number of leadership roles in the UK and Australia at Australian Wealth Management, Tower, Citibank and Macquarie Bank.  

The appointment will take effect from 1 November 2018.

Andrew succeeds Rt Hon Sir Don McKinnon as Chairperson. Sir Don has served as Chair of the RFA board since it was set up in 2010. 

Auckland Council’s Appointments, Performance Review and Value for Money Committee is responsible for all board appointments to substantive council-controlled organisations.