Boards & Appointments

This section of COMU’s website provides information on:

• The role of Crown company boards; and
• How to apply to become a Crown company director.

Board appointments

Shareholding Ministers appoint boards to oversee the management of Crown companies. There are currently 220 director positions on boards across the companies we monitor, comprising state-owned enterprises, Crown research institutes and other Crown entity companies and statutory entities.

COMU has no responsibility for appointments to the several hundred other non-commercial Government appointed boards and commissions. Click here for a list of other agencies that make appointments.

Boards are made up of people with a range of skills and from a variety of backgrounds. The current demographic breakdown of the boards of the companies that COMU monitors is as follows:

Director Breakdown by Gender and Ethnic Origin as at 1 March 2009

Ethnic Origin	Number	%
European male	121	55
European female	62	28
Māori male	19	8.5
Māori female	8	4
Pacific Island male	2	1
Pacific Island female	2	1
Other male	5	2
Other female	1	0.5
TOTAL	220	100

Director Breakdown by Place of Residence as at 1 March 2009

Place of Residence	Number	%
Northland/Auckland	84	38
Wellington	57	26
Canterbury	20	9
Otago/Southland	16	7
Waikato	11	5
Other North Island	22	10
Other South Island	8	4
Overseas	2	1
TOTAL	220	100

 

Every year, Ministers consider approximately one third of board positions. In many cases, incumbent directors will be reappointed. However, in general terms, Ministers will make around 40 new appointments each year.

A specialised team within COMU manages the director selection process and recommends candidates to shareholding Ministers.