Mary Quin

Murray Nash 

Richard Templer 

Graham Smith 

Nicky Hunn 

Peter Stipkovits

James Corrigan

Justin Brownlie

Chelydra Percy

Jenn Bestwick

Mary Quin

Dr Mary Quin – Chief Executive

Dr Mary Quin is the inaugural Chief Executive of Callaghan Innovation. She returned to New Zealand to take up the role in May, after 20 years working overseas in senior executive roles in NASDAQ-listed companies such as Eastman Kodak Company and Xerox, where she was VP of Strategy and Business Development for Xerox’ US$5.5 billion Production Systems Group. Her most recent role was as President of the 2,800-person US support services company, NANA Management Services LLC in Alaska.Dr Quin graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) with First Class Honours in Physics.  She completed a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University in Illinois and after working in research and development for engineering company Raychem for several years, attended Harvard Business School, where she graduated as a Baker Scholar.

Murray Nash

Murray Nash – Acting Deputy Chief Executive and Acting GM Accelerator Services

Murray was appointed to lead the Callaghan Innovation Establishment Unit in August 2012. He has extensive experience in business development and strategy, managing the interface between the public and private sectors, public policy and risk management.  He spent eight years in New York where he held a number of senior management positions in start-ups, providing software and advisory solutions to global leaders in banking, insurance and asset management.  Murray has provided commercial and risk management advice to a number of foreign governments and his recent New Zealand government clients include the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Treasury, and NZTE.  He is also a member of the Tuhoe Investment Committee. Murray holds a Master of Commerce (Hons) from the University of Auckland.

Richard Templer

Dr Richard Templer – Acting GM, RS&T Delivery and Acting Chief Executive Callaghan Innovation Research Limited

Richard joined Industrial Research Limited as General Manager Advanced Manufacturing Technology in 2011 after earlier working with IRL’s Automation Systems team between 1995 and 2002. His earlier work for IRL included developing robotics for the worldwide meat industry, for which the team won a joint Royal Society Science medal.  Richard was the NZIM Young Executive of the Year in 2001 and won the IPENZ Innovation award in 2002. Richard was previously the Acting Chief Executive of the Foundation for Research Science and Technology and an Acting Deputy Chief Executive at the Ministry of Science and Innovation. His career in engineering has also included work with Volvo in Sweden, MacMaster University in Canada, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Meat and Wool New Zealand. Richard grew up on a dairy farm before obtaining a PhD in mechanical engineering.  

Graham Smith

Graham Smith – Acting GM Business R&D Grants

Before Callaghan Innovation’s establishment, Graham was the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s Acting General Manager, Business Investments. He joined the Ministry of Science and Innovation (which later became part of MBIE) in 2011, as DCE Innovation Performance and Marketing, before also becoming Acting General Manager Business Investments in 2012. Before that, Graham had senior roles with New Zealand Post and Telecom New Zealand. His early career was spent at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. He brings with him a wide range of leadership, strategy, marketing and business analysis skills. Graham has a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University.

Nicky Hunn

Nicky Hunn – Acting General Manager, Transition Strategy and Governance 

Nicky is an economist and public policy advisor, with experience in programme management, policy advice and economic and financial analysis in both the public and private sectors. Nicky was a member of the Callaghan Innovation establishment team, and before that provided project management and policy support to the Ministry of Science and Innovation (now Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment), on a range of projects related to government support for business innovation.  She has provided project management and policy advice, particularly around entity establishment and performance monitoring, during a number of government reforms in the heath and housing sectors as well as economic development. Nicky has a BCom/BSc from University of Auckland and MBA from University of Warwick.

Peter Stipkovits

Peter Stipkovits – Acting GM, People and Culture & Organisational Development Team Leader

Peter is an experienced senior HR leader who has undertaken both management consultancy and senior contracting roles, including large national operational and general management roles. He brings an uncommon mix of corporate and line management experience to the HR role. Peter’s career started with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, where he attained the position of GM HR. He has worked in a number of parliamentary, Crown and corporate entities and was a council member of the Employers and Manufacturers Association for a number of years. Peter is seconded from his substantive role of General Manager People and Culture for Callaghan Innovation Research Limited.

James Corrigan

James Corrigan – Acting Chief Financial Officer

James is a Chartered Accountant with more than 28 years of business and commercial experience. He joined IRL in 2010 to lead the then CRI’s finance and IT/information systems teams. He previously held a range of senior finance leadership roles with the NZ Post Group of companies, across a range of different businesses encompassing mail and courier operations, distribution/transport, banking, retailing, data management/IT, outsourcing, new venture companies, and international consultancy. James was acting CFO for the establishment of Kiwibank, with oversight of financial systems selection and implementation, the process to apply for a banking licence, developing financial processes and policies, business planning, governance, and tax issue management. He also led a very successful NZ Post project to raise $200m in funds from the retail debt market (subordinated, unsecured Notes) in which NZ Post became the first SOE to issue a hybrid instrument and then to list on the NZDX. James has a BCA from Victoria University.

Justin Brownlie

Justin Brownlie – Acting Communications Director

Justin is an experienced communications practitioner and director who has worked extensively in the Government and research sectors. Before Callaghan Innovation’s establishment he was Communications Manager for Industrial Research Limited, and prior to that was Communications Director at the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology/ Ministry of Science and Innovation. He was a member of the Ministry’s senior management team during a time of significant organisational change. Justin has held communication roles in other Government agencies including the State Services Commission, Treasury and Occupational Safety and Health, and outside of Government for the Australian Harness Racing Council. He also has experience as a press secretary for former Minister of Agriculture, and Forestry, and Minister of Racing, John Falloon. Justin has a BA (Hons) from Victoria University.

Chelydra Percy

Chelydra Percy – Acting General Manager Products and Services

Chelydra is seconded to the role of Acting General Manager Products and Services from her substantive role as Chief Executive KiwiStar Optics and Director Special Projects for Callaghan Innovation Research Limited. As Director of Special Projects, Chelydra was tasked with driving strategic initiatives focussed on commercialising technology and building industry-ready innovation and research capability. This included assessing the potential spinout opportunity for a precision optics manufacturing group; developing the business model for a medical devices technology consortium; and an alliance between New Zealand, Singapore and Queensland to set up a hub to showcase emerging technologies. Previously she was Acting Chief Executive for Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute), and has held senior roles in the energy, communications technology and telecommunications sectors. Chelydra graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (History).

Jenn Bestwick

Jenn Bestwick – Project Director, SET Alignment

Jenn Bestwick's career has been largely in strategy and business development. Following a number of years in the health sector, Jenn led the Strategic Consulting practice for KPMG in Auckland for a number of years working extensively in the public and private sectors. Following a move to Christchurch Jenn spent a number of years working with Ngai Tahu where she was most recently General Manager, Strategy and Planning for Ngai Tahu Holdings Group, the commercial arm of the iwi's operations. During her time with Ngai Tahu she was responsible for developing and implementing its Financial Literacy and Tribal Distribution and Savings Scheme, Whai Rawa, and for the conceptualisation and implementation of a tribal sustainability framework that takes an innovative approach to integrating Ngai Tahu values and commercial sustainability approaches. Jenn has a strong association with the tertiary education sector and is the current Chair of Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.