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Sewell, Cranko join Challenge Steel board

Media release


Challenge Steel


Tuesday, 30 August 2016


Sewell, Cranko join Challenge Steel board


One of New Zealand’s most respected boardroom leaders and chief executives, Tony Sewell, has joined Challenge Steel as one of its two new independent directors.


Mr Sewell is the current chairman of Business New Zealand, president of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, and is the former chairman of the Property Council of New Zealand.


However, the Christchurch resident is probably best known as the former chief executive of Ngai Tahu Property Limited – a role he held for 21 years before stepping down last year. He is widely attributed with driving the growth of the South Island Iwi’s property entity to become a $700m business today with extensive property development, property investment and farming.


Prior to that he held senior positions at Landcorp Property Limited, Downer & Company Limiter, and Fletcher Development & Construction Limited. Over the years the quantity surveyor has chaired Not-For-Profit boards, sat on a local authority operating business and a Crown entity, and has extensive company governance experience.


“To have someone of Tony Sewell’s calibre is a great addition to the board of Challenge Steel. He is not only well known and highly respected in business and political circles, but he inherently understands the needs and challenges of New Zealand’s property and construction sectors,” says Bert Govan, chairman of Challenge Steel.

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Challenge Steel has fast become a leading importer of quality and cost effective fabricated structural steel. It has set a new benchmark when it comes to quality assurance and comprehensive product testing – a robust regime it believes is now helping to lift the market’s confidence in imported fabricated steel.


“Our business is experiencing strong growth as the likes of public entities and private developments demand even more certainty around quality assurance. For Challenge Steel to keep harnessing the momentum we needed to match that with more muscle around the board table. Tony Sewell brings just that,” says Mr Govan.


Geoff Cranko also joins the board of Challenge Steel as an independent director.

Mr Cranko is the Group Managing Partner of Strategy Design & Advertising – taking the business from one Christchurch studio in 2002 to now having three offices nationally and two internationally. Prior to that Mr Cranko held senior leadership positions, including several years abroad with SGS – a world leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company.

“Geoff is leading our strategic marketing and brand positioning. He brings to the table considerable global experience and proven success in business development and growth. He also knows first-hand the critical importance of delivering quality assurance with integrity given his many years as a leader within international company SGS. Geoff has the perfect combination of skills and experiences to add significant value to Challenge Steel,” says Mr Govan.

Independent directors Geoff Cranko and Tony Sewell join existing Challenge Steel board members Bert Govan (director/chairman), Annie Govan (director/international relations), and Suresh Nagaiya (director/CEO).


For further information on Challenge Steel please visit its recently-launched website www.challengesteel.co.nz


Ends

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