Board of Directors

Chairman

Grant King joined the Contact Board in October 2004. He has been Managing Director of Origin Energy since its demerger from Boral Energy in February 2000 and was Managing Director of Boral Energy from 1994. Prior to joining Boral, he was General Manager AGL Gas Companies. Grant King is a Councillor of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association,  a former Director of Envestra Limited and former Chairman of the Energy Supply Association of Australia Limited.  He has a Civil Engineering Degree and a Master of Management.

Deputy Chairman and Independent Director

Phil Pryke was Chairman of Contact Energy from its establishment in 1995 until October 2004 when Grant King was appointed Chairman. Phil Pryke is chairman of Comtel Corporation Limited, and is a director of Goodman (NZ) Limited, Goodman Property Aggregated Limited and Co-Investor Capital Partners Pty Limited. His previous roles include Vice President, Global Sales and Client Solutions – Asia Pacific at Electronic Data Systems (EDS), Chief Executive of Nextgen Networks and Chief Executive Officer of Lucent Technologies Australia Pty Limited. He holds an economics degree from the University of Sydney.

Director

Bruce Beeren joined the Contact Board in October 2004. With over 30 years’ experience in the energy industry, he was establishment Chief Executive Officer of Victorian Energy Networks Corporation, the Victorian gas system operator, and held a number of senior management positions at AGL, including Chief Financial Officer and General Manager, AGL Pipelines, and Origin Energy Limited. He is a director of Origin Energy Limited, Coal & Allied Industries Limited, ConnectEast Group and Equipsuper Pty Limited.  He is a former director of NGC Holdings Limited, Envestra Limited and Veda Advantage Limited (formerly called Baycorp Advantage Limited). He holds science and commerce degrees and a Master of Business Administration, and is a fellow of CPA Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Managing Director

David Baldwin was appointed Chief Executive Officer in May 2006, and became Managing Director in March 2009. Prior to joining Contact, he was based in Asia and the US overseeing the energy asset interests of a US-based investment fund. Before that, David held senior roles in Asia and the US with MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, a US-based global energy company, and Shell in New Zealand and the Netherlands. David holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical).

Director

Karen Moses joined the Contact Board in October 2004. She is currently the Executive Director, Finance and Strategy of Origin Energy Limited, and prior to this was Origin's Chief Operating Officer.  Karen Moses has over 25 years’ experience in the energy industry in Australia and overseas.  She is a director of the Australian Energy Market Operator Limited and the Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) Limited.  Further she is the Chair of Origin’s National Customer Consultative Council, is a member of the Australian School of Business Advisory Council and the CSIRO Energy and Transport Sector Advisory Council.  She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chief Executive Women. Karen Moses holds a Bachelor of Economics and Diploma of Education from the University of Sydney.

Independent Director

Sue Sheldon is a professional company director. She is a director of  Telecom New Zealand, Freightways Limited, Electronic Transaction Services Limited, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Smiths City Group Limited and Wool Industry Network Limited, and is a former Deputy Chairman of Christchurch International Airport Limited and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Provident Fund. Prior to moving into the professional director role, Sue practiced as a Chartered Accountant. She is a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand and was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2007.

Independent Director

Whaimutu Dewes joined the Contact Board as an independent director in February 2010. Whaimutu Dewes holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University and Bachelor degrees in Arts and Law from Victoria University. He has held numerous directorships in organisations including Television New Zealand and the AMP New Zealand Advisory Board. He has acted as Deputy Chair of Sealord Group between 1992 and 2008, has held senior management roles at Fletcher Challenge and the Department of Maori Affairs. Whaimutu Dewes is of Ngati Porou and Ngati Rangitihi descent and lives in Rotorua.