New Director Appointed To Fletcher Building

NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED

AUCKLAND, 18 April 2001 - The Chairman of Fletcher Building, Dr Roderick Deane, has today announced the appointment of Ralph Norris as a Non-Executive Director to the Board of Fletcher Building Limited.

"I am very pleased to be able to welcome Mr Norris to the Board," said Dr Deane.

"He has considerable experience having held a number of senior management roles in the Banking sector, including his recent appointment as the Managing Director of the ASB Group Ltd.

"He also brings international experience to the Board through his role as Head of International Financial Services for the Commonwealth Bank Group, a role responsible for the Group's operations in New Zealand, the Pacific and Asia."

Mr Norris is the Chairman of Sovereign Ltd, New Zealand's largest life insurer, and the New Zealand Business Roundtable. He holds several other Board positions and is a trustee on a number of community trusts and services including the Starship Children's Hospital Foundation.

"Both the Board and Senior Management of Fletcher Building are looking forward to benefiting from his wide business knowledge and fresh perspectives as we move the Company forward."

Fletcher Building currently has six Directors on its Board, including Dr Roderick Deane (Chairman), Michael Andrews (Interim Executive Director), Paul Baines (Non-Executive Director), Hugh Fletcher (Non-Executive Director), Sir Dryden Spring (Non-Executive Director) and Kerrin Vautier (Non-Executive Director).

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Attachment: Biography
RALPH J NORRIS
BIOGRAPHY

Ralph Norris joined ASB Bank Ltd in 1969. He has performed a number of roles in the Bank’s I.T. division. In 1986 he was appointed as General Manager Information Services and joined the Bank’s Executive Committee.

In 1991 Mr Norris was appointed Managing Director and CEO of ASB Bank Ltd and more recently assumed the role of Managing Director of ASB Group Ltd incorporating the Bank, ASB Life, ASB Securities, Sovereign Assurance and Colonial NZ Ltd.

Mr Norris was appointed Head of International Financial Services for the Commonwealth Bank Group last year, a role responsible for the Group’s operations in New Zealand, the Pacific and Asia.

Mr Norris is Chairman of Sovereign Ltd (which, with its integration with Colonial NZ, is now New Zealand’s largest life insurer), Chairman of the New Zealand Business Roundtable, Deputy Chairman of the New Zealand Bankers Association, a Director of Air New Zealand, Ansett Holdings Ltd and New Zealand’s America’s Cup defence company.

He is also a trustee of the Woolf Fisher Trust, Northern Lifeguard Services and the Starship Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Under the previous government Mr Norris was Chairman of the Government’s Information Technology Advisory Group, a member of the Prime Minister’s Enterprise Council and a member of the Government’s Y2K task force.
Mr Norris is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management and a Fellow of the New Zealand Computer Society.

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