Media release

9 December 2008

New Chancellor for University of Auckland

Roger France, a prominent chartered accountant and company director, has been elected Chancellor of The University of Auckland.

The Chancellor chairs the University's governing body, the Council. Mr France will also preside at graduation ceremonies and confer degrees, and represent the University on formal occasions.

Mr France succeeds Hugh Fletcher who has stepped down after four years in the role and will remain on the University Council.

Appointed to the University Council in 2001 Mr France has chaired its Finance Committee and has been Pro-Chancellor (the Chancellor's deputy) for the past two years.

For 15 years he was a partner of what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers, concentrating on corporate advisory work. He served for a period as managing partner in Auckland and on the firm's governance board. Earlier he spent nearly ten years as chief financial officer of two large listed companies.

Mr France's directorships include Air New Zealand Limited where he is deputy chairman and chairs its Audit Committee. He is chairman of the private investment company Tappenden Holdings and until recently was a director of Fonterra.

Mr France said: "I am honoured to have been elected as Chancellor by my colleagues. The University is in great heart and our priority must be to maintain the momentum generated in recent years, which has placed the University firmly within the top one percent of universities in the world. A key element in meeting that challenge will be a huge investment in infrastructure which needs to be made over the next decade to ensure we continue to have a world class university in Auckland for our students and staff."

Lindsay Corban has been elected Pro-Chancellor in place of Mr France. Mrs Corban joined the Council when the University amalgamated with the Auckland College of Education. She had been a long-serving member of the College Council.

ENDS