Greenstone Energy confirms new executive team

Tuesday 11th May 2010

Greenstone Energy, the company which owns and operates the former Shell downstream retail fuel and distribution assets, has confirmed a number of appointments which now complete the new company's executive team.

Greenstone Energy is jointly owned by Infratil and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and is a New Zealand-owned national service station network.

Chief executive Mike Bennetts says the company has been working to secure a number of key staff during the process of purchasing Shell's assets and he was pleased to have the new Greenstone executive team in place.

"As we work to build a strong Kiwi brand it is important that we have the right people on the team with the right mix of skills. This executive team provides Greenstone with the depth and capacity to enable us to maximise this unique opportunity.

"This new team will enable us to differentiate Greenstone Energy, while continuing to provide the operational excellence which our customers expect and deserve," he says.

The Greenstone executive team consists of:

Mike Basher - chief financial officer

Basher was previously chief financial officer, and company secretary, at Wellington International Airport. In this role he managed the full range of company financial requirements, with a significant emphasis on pricing issues and the consequent relationships with airlines and regulators.

Basher has undertaken a number of financial management roles over a 25 year period. This has included roles in the insurance, legal and aviation industries and has included responsibility for a number of disciplines including finance, IT, company administration and regulatory affairs.

He graduated from Waikato University with a Bachelor of Management Studies and from Victoria University with a Master of Business Administration.

Lindis Jones - general manager, Corporate

Jones has been the head of property at ANZ National Bank since August 2007, leading a number of significant property transactions and developments in New Zealand.

Prior to joining ANZ National, he was with Shell for 13 years, primarily in retail operations and strategy in Europe, Asia and New Zealand.

Jones graduated from Otago University with Bachelor degrees in Science and Economics. While based in London he obtained a Master of Finance from London Business School.

Huma Faruqui - general manager, Capability and Organisational Development

Faruqui worked in HR roles in the UK for six years before moving to New Zealand in late 2003. Her career in the UK spanned several blue chip organisations including Deutsche Bank, Cater Allen/Abbey National Bank and Deloitte.

In New Zealand, Faruqui has worked for Vero Insurance and, most recently, with Telecom in HR leadership roles with each of Telecom's strategic business units. She has been leading organisational development initiatives within Telecom around values, engagement and change.

She graduated from Bournemouth University with a degree in Financial Services, before moving into a career in HR, subsequently gaining her Grad CIPD, and a post graduate certificate in management studies. Faruqui is also a certified practitioner in many recognised psychological assessment frameworks.

David Robinson - general manager, Commercial

Robinson joined Shell in 1994 and for the past 16 years held a variety of commercial roles in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. These roles have included area management roles, general management of subsidiary companies, marketing fuels and lubricants in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, and global brand management. Robinson is a director of the Greenstone subsidiary Mini Fuels and Oils Limited.

He is responsible for all business to business activities including the key industry sectors of Aviation, Marine, Bitumen, Chemicals, Bulk and Shell Card Fuel. A key focus for the Commercial Team is ensuring that the value propositions offered to business customers are world class in terms of reliability and innovation and that strong customer relationships are maintained.

Robsinson graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Arts and the University of Queensland with a Graduate Certificate in Management. He originally hails from the metropolis of Wanganui.

Mark Forsyth - General Manager, Retail

Mark is responsible for the safe and profitable operation of Greenstone's more than 200 service stations and nearly 100 truckstops in New Zealand, as well as holding company-wide responsibility for marketing, brand and asset management across the business.

Mark is also a Director of Loyalty New Zealand Ltd.

Mark has previously held management positions with Shell in New Zealand, the UK and Ireland and with various other companies in New Zealand, Australia and the UK in the property development, telecommunications and logistics industries.

Born and raised in Auckland, Mark was educated in New Zealand prior to graduating from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Rob Freeman - general manager, Supply and Distribution

Freeman has been involved with the Shell group since 1987. Over that period he has held a number of senior management roles in Shell Australia, particularly in commercial marketing, services, distribution and logistics.

Freeman moved to New Zealand in 2007 and is responsible for the fuel supply distribution chain, from sourcing crude and refined product from international markets to domestic distribution and supply of fuel products to customers.

He is the current chair of New Zealand Oil Services Ltd and a director of Wiri Oil Services.

Rhoda Holmes - Transition and Operations.

Holmes worked for Infratil in the lead-up to the purchase of Greenstone, building the new organisation's transition and operations plan.

She has over 25 years of experience in the Information Technology and Telecommunications industry in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Currently running her own consulting business, Raghnall Ltd, she was formally the chief executive of Optimation New Zealand.

Previously, Holmes was responsible for leading and transforming customer relationships at the helm of Telecom/Gen-i's Trans Tasman ICT business. She has previously held roles leading both HR and Corporate Affairs.

Holmes holds an MSC in Telecommunications Engineering and Business Management, and is a Director of Kordia Solutions and NZICT.

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