Liz Coutts (ONZM) has been on the board of key New Zealand organisations across a diverse range of sectors for over two decades. Her ability to work within complex and challenging environments and her attention to detail has made her an outstanding asset, particularly as chair of the board and chair of risk and audit committees. In June 2016 her contribution was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours where she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to governance.

Having grown up on a dairy farm in Matamata, Liz is equally at home in her gumboots. While studying for her Bachelor of Management Studies degree in Business Finance and Marketing at the University of Waikato, a holiday job introduced her to forestry which led to a graduate accountant role at Tasman Pulp and Paper in Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty. Liz went on to be Chief Executive of the Caxton Group, a vertically integrated forestry, pulp and paper and consumer products business, at just 31 years old.

Just three years later she was appointed to her first board, Trust Bank New Zealand. Liz’s governance career grew from there with a number of government roles including Commissioner with the Commerce Commission and Earthquake Commission, chair of Industrial Research and deputy chair of Public Trust. She is currently Chairperson for Oceania Healthcare, EBOS Group, 2 Degrees and the Chair Elect of Fonterra’s Mainland Group Limited. A full list of her current portfolio is available at here.