Success Stories

Our point of difference is that with SWR Group, you deal with the partners of the business. We are proven performers – we know how to find you the right leader to continue (and evolve) your vision and deliver results. Below are a selection of search assignments SWR have successfully completed.

Chief Executive

The Child Cancer Foundation has been providing family support services in New Zealand for over 42 years. After an extensive search process, Monica Briggs was appointed by the Board to lead the organisation who bring enormous value to families affected by child cancer.  Monica commences in in the role on the 8th June 2021. 

General Manager Restructure - Four Roles

In early 2021, The Commission created an expanded Senior Leadership Team by establishing five new General Manager roles.  SWR were asked to present suitably qualified candidates for four of the new roles namely GM Credit, GM Fair Trading, GM Strategy, Governance and Engagement and GM Legal Services. Through our search process, we were pleased to be able to identify quality candidates with placements made for all four roles. 

Chief Executive

Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) are the leadership body which advocates for, represents and supports the water safety sector to reduce the drowning toll and water related injury in New Zealand. WSNZ educate for the wellbeing of all New Zealanders.

Water Safety NZ is an organisation that has strong vision and strategy and one that very much believes in measurable and tangible outcomes are delivered from strategic initiatives.

An extensive search was undertaken to identify a proven Chief Executive with a background in the not-for-profit/NGO sector and with a good understanding of how it operates.

Daniel Gerrard fitted the criteria perfectly bringing extensive experience in the sector in leadership roles most recently as Head of Member Services at Surf Life Saving (Northern) and has previously held Chief Executive positions at Sport Auckland and Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti.

Chief Executive

Bus and Coach Association is the membership representative body for the of organisations, large and small across New Zealand, that transport over 150 million passengers each year, operating at the core of New Zealands transport infrastructure.

The Chief Executive plays a critical role by connecting with, relating to, and influencing a large and highly divergent set of “stakeholders,” including the membership base.

Following an extensive search process, Ben McFadgen has been appointed by the Board to the role.

Chief Executive

The Property Institute of New Zealand (“PINZ”) has over 2,000 members throughout New Zealand and the world. It now represents the interests of Valuers, Commercial Property and Facilities Managers, Property Advisors and Plant and Machinery Valuers.  Viv Gurrey was appointed Chief Executive after an extensive search process.

Chief Executive

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners develops and delivers education programmes in order to continually enhance quality service delivery across its NZ wide base of 5,500 members residing at the core of the health system, General Practice. After an extensive search, Lynne Hayman was appointed to the role commencing in mid 2019.

Chief Executive

The New Zealand Rural General Practice Network is a membership and support organisation for rural health professionals. Dr Grant Davidson was appointed by the Board to lead the organisation to drive visibility and connection with the membership, stakeholder and rural New Zealand base.  Grant commenced in the role right on Level 4 lockdown. 

Various Roles

Summerset has engaged SWR on numerous occasions to search for the right talent for their harder to fill roles.  To date we have have successfully led search assignments for the following:

  • Head of Procurement
  • National Health & Safety Manager
  • Commercial Manager
  • HRIS Manager
  • People & Culture Manager – Operations Group
  • People and Culture Business Partners
  • Remuneration and Benefits Business Partner
  • OD Manager
  • Qualifications and Professional Development Coordinator
  • Clinical L&D Lead
  • Change Training Specialist

Chief Executive

In July 2021, the YMCA Board appointed SWR to search for their new Chief Executive/General Secretary.  After an extensive search, Sean McKinley was appointed to the position. Sean brings significant experience across the private, public and non-government sectors with a focus on education and professional regulation, both nationally and internationally.

Chief Executive

SWR were appointed by the Greater Wellington Council as their search partners for this critical role, not only for the organisation but the Wellington region.

Nigel Corry was appointed as Chief Executive for a five-year term.

Nigel took over the reins on 15 September 2021 and will be familiar to iwi, stakeholders and community members, having served as the current Deputy Chief Executive of Greater Wellington since September 2018, as well as serving as General Manager Environment, General Manager of People & Customer and a number of other environmental roles at Greater Wellington in a career with the council dating back to 1998.

Various Technical Roles

GEO40 develops technologies for the extraction of minerals from geothermal fluid that has been used to generate electricity.  They have a very technical workforce and the organisation is growing.  SWR were appointed as exclusive search partners to GEO40 and have to date successfully completed search assignments for the following roles:

  • Environmental Engineer – Solutions Development
  • Business Development and Technical Sales Manager
  • Technical Sales Manager
  • Research and Development Scientist

Chief Executive

SWR were selected to assist the Hospice NZ Board on the search for their new Chief Executive.

Following a rigorous search process, Wayne Naylor who was acting in the Chief Executive role, was appointed to the position.

Chief Executive

The Board of Greyhound Racing New Zealand selected SWR to identify their new Chief Executive following Glenda Hughes decision to step-down from the position at the end of 2022.

Following an extensive search in both New Zealand and Australia, the Board were pleased to appoint Edward Rennell to the position.  Edward has a long history with the racing codes having been Chief Executive of Harness Racing New Zealand for a number of years. 

Edward commenced in the role on 1st September 2022.

Chief Executive

The Board of Mary Potter Hospice had big shoes to fill when Brent Alderton resigned as their Chief Executive.

Through an extensive search process, the Board were pleased to appoint Tony Paine to the Chief Executive role. Tony’s not-for-profit background is extensive at Chief Executive level, including AccessAbility, Philanthropy New Zealand and NZ Red Cross.

ew Zealand

Chief Financial Officer

SWR had the privilege once again to assist the Board and Chief Executive of NZ Rugby with identifying a suitable replacement for Nicky Nicol the COO (and CFO) who had secured the role of Chief Executive Officer & Secretary General of the NZ Olympic Committee.

After a thorough search process, Jo Perez was appointed to the CFO position. Jo was previously DCE Finance, Planning and Assurance at the Ara Poutama Aotearoa –  Department of Corrections.

Chief Executive

SWR were selected by the Interpreting NZ Board to assist with the search for their next Chief Executive. SWR’s track record in the not-for-profit sector is very high and again we were able to deliver a quality search outcome.

Dr Arthur Chin was appointed to this position. Having been an immigrant to New Zealand, Arthur had first-hand familiarity with the communication challenges that immigrants and refugees encounter, even as they go about their daily activities.

Zealand, Arthur has first-hand familiarity with the communication challenges that immigrants and refugees encounter, even

as to about their daily activities. been an immigrant to New

Zealand, Arthur has first-hand familiarity with the communication challenges that immigrants and refugees encounter, even as they go about their daily activities.