28 February 2005

Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand Appointments

Commerce Minister Pete Hodgson today announced the appointment of Mike Willing as the Vice Chair of the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) and Howard Duff as a new member from 21 February 2005.

“JAS-ANZ, through its accreditation and certification programmes, enhances trans-Tasman trade and assists exporters by gaining international recognition. In addition to quality management and product certificates, certificates of environmental management systems has increasing potential to add value to products in the global market place in response to rising customer awareness,” Pete Hodgson said.

Mike Willing, the Product Conformance Manager for Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, was originally appointed to JAS-ANZ in June 2004.

Howard Duff has considerable experience in implementing quality systems in the United Kingdom and advising major Australasian organisations on improving their performance.

Both appointees will be in their new roles in time for the next meeting of JAS-ANZ in Auckland on 14 March 2005.

BACKGROUND

JAS-ANZ was established by a treaty between New Zealand and Australia in 1991. The Board is comprised of ten members, six of whom are appointed by the Australian Government and three by the New Zealand Government. The Executive Director of JAS-ANZ is the tenth member. One of the Australian members and one of the New Zealand members are ex-officio appointees representing the government of each party to the treaty. The chair and deputy chair positions alternate between New Zealand and Australia.

Mike Willing is responsible for the development of the business management system that operates across Fonterra globally. He was instrumental in the development of the ISO quality management systems that now form an integral part of Fonterra’s approach to business. While at the New Zealand Dairy Board, Mr Willing was instrumental in developing the total quality management philosophy.

Howard Duff is an industrial engineer and the managing director of the strategic and performance improvement consultancy firm Aitch. He has 15 years experience in improving business performance through streamlining and simplification of processes in a wide range of industries, including financial services, government agencies and airlines. While in the United Kingdom he witnessed the introduction of ISO 9000 by British Nuclear Fuels where he worked as a procurement engineer. He went on to develop and implement quality systems to ISO 9000 for British Airways Cargo and DX UK. After immigrating to New Zealand he worked as a consultant for numerous groups including KPMG, BNZ and National Australia Group.

The Board is responsible for:

maintaining a joint accreditation system that will give users in Australia and New Zealand confidence that goods and services certified by accredited bodies meet the established standards;

obtaining and maintaining acceptance of management systems of Australian and New Zealand producers of goods and services exported from both countries;

establishing links with relevant bodies in the areas of conformity assessment services and recognition of standards in relation to goods and services; and

obtaining mutual recognition and acceptance of conformity assessment with relevant bodies in other countries.

The Board is required to report to Ministers annually on its corporate intent, and to report its progress at the end of each financial year. The Minister of Commerce, Pete Hodgson, is the responsible Minister for New Zealand and the Minister for Industry Tourism and Resources, Hon Ian Macfarlane, is the responsible Minister in Australia.

ENDS

© Scoop Media