Meet the Board

J W A (Acton) Smith BCom FNZIM
Chairman

Mr Smith is managing director of H & J Smith Limited, a large privately owned retail company that operates five department stores and several allied businesses throughout the South Island.   He is deputy chairman of Mitre 10 (NZ) Limited, deputy chairman of the Southland Leisure Centre Charitable Trust, and was a founding director of Foveaux Radio.

Mr Smith was elected to the SBS board in 1991 and was vice president until his appointment as president in 1994.

K (Kathryn) Ball  BCom CA

Kathryn joined SBS in April 2006.

Kathryn is a practising chartered accountant as a partner in the Invercargill practice of McIntyre Dick & Partners.

In her role as a chartered accountant Kathryn specialises in taxation advisory services for a wide range of clients in the corporate, business and rural sectors.   She also provides advisory services to a significant portfolio of businesses.

She is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Otago University.

Kathryn has served as the independent representative on SBS’ audit committee for the past five years.

She was also a member of the SIT Council until December 2005, serving periods as both deputy chairman and chairman of the audit and finance committee.

W H (Warren) Conway

Mr Conway was elected to the board in 1991 and is managing director of the Jones Group, which is involved in the Bluff oyster and fishing industries.

He is also the director of Barnes Oysters Limited and the Bluff Oyster Management Company Limited.

He has also had a strong association with the timber industry for many years, and presently serves as a director of Hardwood Forests Limited and Invercargill City Forests Limited.

G J (Garry) Diack MA (Hons)

Mr Diack joined SBS in February 2005.

He is an independent management consultant providing corporate performance and strategy advice to a wide range of companies in Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Diack is also chairman of Evolution Technologies Limited, a member of the NZ institute of Directors and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He is a long standing supporter and adviser to SBS, having provided governance, strategy and corporate performance advice to SBS for the past nine years.

R L (Ross) Smith BCom FNZIM                                                                 Chief Executive

Mr Smith joined SBS as Chief Executive in 1992 and joined the board as an executive director later that year.  He has a financial accounting background and has held various executive positions in the banking and travel industries, both in New Zealand and overseas.

He is a member of the Executive of the Financial Services Federation, a director of Electricity Invercargill Limited and Powernet Limited, Continuity Contracting Limitied and a trustee for James Hargest College.

J B (Jeff) Walker LLB

Mr Walker, a practising barrister and solicitor in Invercargill, was elected to the board in 1998.

A member of the Southland District Law Society Council for several years, he is currently a president and member of the New Zealand Law Society Council and director of several private companies

He is a director of several private companies and has played an active part in the administration of a number of businesses.  He is a marine farmer in partnership with his wife, Caroline.

Mr Walker is both past president and a life member of Relationship Services.  He was on the board of Soccersouth until this year and is Southland Soccer’s president and vice president of the Southland WEA.

J F (John) Ward  BCom CA

A Chartered Accountant, Mr Ward was appointed to the Board in 2002.

He is involved in a number of commercial ventures and serves on various Boards.  He is the Chairman of Directors of H & J Smith Holdings Ltd, the AJ Hackett Bungy Group and represents Invercargill City on the Venture Southland Board.

He is a Ministerial Appointment to the Council of the University of Otago, a Director of Otago Cricket and Chairman of the Transport for Disabled Trust (Southland).

Mr Ward has been a significant supporter of the Society for many years.  He was instrumental in forming the group that opposed the sale of SBS in 1991.

G J (Greg) Mulvey BCom CA FNZIM

Mr Mulvey joined SBS in February 2004.

He is General Manager of the Invercargill Licensing Trust, a position he has held since April 1988.  He is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA) and is a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management.  He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Otago University, majoring in Marketing/Management and accounting.

Greg is a Director of DB South Island Brewery Limited and Henley Industries Limited.  In addition, he is a Trustee of the Stadium Southland Charitable Trust, trustee of the ILT Sports Foundation and ILT Charitable Trust.

J J (Jeff) Grant

SBS has recently welcomed Southland farmer, businessman and former Member of Parliament Jeff Grant to our building society’s board. A long-time SBS member, Jeff has, during the past 14 years, served as director or trustee with 18 organisations, chairing 10.

Jeff is chairman of the Primary Industry Council and the Milford Sound Development Authority.  His directorships also include the New Zealand Meat Board and Meat and Wool New Zealand. He has previously served on the boards of Landcorp, Wrightson, Invest South, Agriculture ITO and the Southland Shared Services Group.

With a previous career in parliament, and later government appointments to statutory bodies, Jeff brings to the board knowledge of the political context and processes that are very important to SBS.