Commerce Minister Paul Swain has announced four re-appointments and two new appointments to the Takeovers Panel.

The Panel will be responsible for implementing the Takeovers Code when it comes into effect on July 1 and carrying out the enforcement functions outlined in the Act.

"The Chairman of the Panel is John King, whose reappointment was announced recently.

An Australian member is to be appointment to the Panel. Until such time as this appointment has been approved Paul Randall will continue to serve.

The four members re-appointed for three-year terms are

David Jones
Mr Jones is a principal in the law firm Jones and Young and has been a member of the Panel since 1994. As such he has worked on drafting the Takeovers Code and is very familiar with its intended functions. He has also acted as Deputy Chair of the Panel since 1994.

Alastair Lawrence
Alastair Lawrence is a principal in the private investment bank, Antipodes, which provides specialist mergers and acquisitions advice in addition to private equity. He has been an investment banker for 23 years and a member of the Takeovers Panel since 1995. He brings extensive financial and strategic knowledge of the market place and is considered to be one of the country’s leading corporate advisers.

Kevin O’Connor
Kevin O’Connor is a company director with over 30 years experience of New Zealand financial and capital markets. He has a strong commitment and ongoing interest in the efficient function of the New Zealand financial markets through involvement in the Stock Exchange and its Market Surveillance Panel. Kevin O'Connor has proven leadership skills as a chair of the Market Surveillance Panel and brings in-depth market understanding and commercial skills to the Panel.

Daphne Rawstorne
Daphne Rawstorne has 30 years experience in the accounting profession and
is a present and past director of several companies. She was managing
partner of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Auckland/Wellington offices for six
years. As a member of the Takeovers Panel from 1999 she has been
involved in the review of the Takeovers Code. She brings extensive
business and commercial experience to the Panel.

The two new members of the Panel appointed for five-year terms are:

Colin Giffney
Colin Giffney is the principal in Giffney & Jones a specialist corporate adviser firm. He was a partner and then managing director of the firm, which is now JB Were in New Zealand, until 1995 when he established Giffney & Jones. Colin Giffney has been member of the New Zealand Stock Exchange since 1979 and was a founding member of the Surveillance Panel of the New Zealand Stock exchange. He has an in-depth knowledge of the securities market, and extensive practical experience in mergers, acquisitions and contested takeovers.

David Quigg
David Quigg is a mergers and acquisition corporate partner with the firm of Quigg Partners. He has worked extensively on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, takeovers and corporate governance issues. He is a member of a number of professional institutions including the Institute of Directors, (Wellington Branch Committee Member) and a Securities Institute task force member on New Zealand Securities, stock exchange and market regulation course offered in New Zealand. David Quigg will bring legal and technical expertise combined with strong commercial knowledge.

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