2degrees announces appointments to newly established board

Full-service telco 2degrees has announced Liz Coutts as the board chair, while Russell Stanners and Kathy Meads join her as directors.

The board appointments follow the successful merger of Vocus New Zealand and 2degrees, and the company says it will further strengthen its governance, commercial, financial and business transformation leadership.

2degrees says the board members bring significant industry and business expertise to 2degrees as it continues to grow, disrupt the market, and challenge the sector.

Incoming 2degrees chair Liz Coutts says this is an exciting time to join the board as it pursues its growth strategy.

"I look forward to working with the 2degrees team to realise its innovation ambitions that will deliver for staff, customers, partners and communities," she says.

2degrees CEO Mark Callander says the newly formed board brings a diverse blend of capability and experience across several private and public companies, crown entities, and community organisations.

He says the expertise will help direct the next stage of sustainable growth for 2degrees as a fully integrated mobile and fixed business.

"The board supports the company's purpose to continue Fighting for Fair to make Aotearoa a better place to live," he says.

"We will do this through being a great employer, a great company to do business with, and a fierce challenger that innovates, and brings real benefits to Kiwis."

2degrees says Coutts currently chairs a range of boards, including Oceania Healthcare, Skellerup Holdings and EBOS Group. She has previously held governance roles at Yellow Pages, Sanford, Life Pharmacy, Air New Zealand and Trust Bank.

Incoming 2degrees board chair Liz Coutts. Photo by Richard Spranger Photography.

The telco says Russell Stanners brings significant experience in the telecommunications and IT sectors, most recently as chief executive and director at Vodafone New Zealand, where he had first-hand experience integrating people and business cultures. Other director roles include ihug, Unisys and IBM.  

2degrees says Christchurch-based Kathy Meads has extensive governance experience with current director roles at Port Taranaki, Magic Memories and NZPM, along with an international directorship in The Shipowners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (Luxembourg).

Her previous directorships include Transpower and Enable Networks. In addition, 2degrees says Meads is an experienced CFO, having held operational roles across a broad range of business sectors, including the telecommunications, ports, electricity, and insurance industries.

"This is an exciting milestone as the next generation of 2degrees develops. We have a wealth of diverse and complementary talent within our board, and this, coupled with our collective ambitions to innovate, challenge and disrupt, makes for exciting times ahead," says Callander

The board also includes non-executive directors Brett Jolly and Vic McClelland of Macquarie Asset Management.