Port of Auckland prosecution – What directors need to know

Overview

The successful prosecution of Tony Gibson, former chief executive of Port of Auckland, has important implications for directors and boards in New Zealand.

This landmark case, following a workplace fatality, highlights the critical responsibilities of officers under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. While Gibson was prosecuted as a manager, not a director, the judgement carries clear signals for boards about the need to fully understand and meet their obligations under the Act.

Join us for this webcast where experts from Dentons, HSE Global, and leading director Scott St John will unpack the implications of this judgement. Together, they’ll explore how boards can navigate these challenges, avoid "tick-box" compliance traps, and ensure governance remains robust and proactive.

Facilitated by Kirsten (KP) Patterson, Chief Executive of the IoD, this session will provide insight from:

• Greg Cain (Dentons): A legal perspective on the judgement’s implications
• Phil Parkes (HSE Global): Practical insights into health and safety governance
• Scott St John: A director’s perspective 

Register today and join us to understand more about what this judgement means for you, your board, and your organisation.

Kirsten (KP) Patterson

CMInstD 

Kirsten (KP) Patterson is the chief executive of the Institute of Directors. She is a qualified lawyer and a Distinguished Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand. Her governance roles include: 

• Chair, Global Network of Directors Institutes (GNDI) 
• Chair, Brian Picot Ethical Leadership advisory board 
• Trustee, Voices of Hope 
• Board member, XRAP Advisory Panel, External Reporting Board (XRB) 
• Ambassador, Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust 

With extensive governance and leadership experience, she is actively involved in community initiatives. 

A strong advocate of diversity, KP was a founding member of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’, a group of senior executives and directors who commit to diversity in the workplace, and a founding member of WiSPA, an organisation promoting women in sport, and mentors a number of business leaders. KP was also previously a director of the NZ Rugby Foundation. 

Greg Cain

Greg is a Partner in Dentons employment team. He is a highly experienced specialist with over 25 years in practice advising central and local government, private enterprise and not-for-profit organisations on all aspects of employment and health and safety issues. Greg works with HR and health and safety advisors, in-house counsel, senior management teams and boards of directors. He carries out and advises on investigations, and regularly appears before the Employment Relations Authority and the Employment Court.  

Greg is recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading health and safety lawyers and assists clients with investigations into serious incidents, and represents them in WorkSafe investigations and prosecutions. Greg has provided extensive advice and training on the legal implications of the Health and Safety at Work Act, including advising on governance, contractor management, and PCBU interactions. 

Greg is recommended by Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500. He is frequently approached by the media for comment on topical issues, and regularly speaks at conferences and seminars.

Phil Parkes

Phil has extensive experience in governance, executive leadership and regulatory compliance activities. He focuses on improving delivery of operational excellence, alongside environmental and safety outcomes. He has worked in multiple international jurisdictions with experience in local, state and federal government.  Phil’s leadership and governance education includes executive programmes at Melbourne Business School and INSEAD as well as the IOD’s Company Directors’ Course. 

Phil was the Chief Executive of WorkSafe New Zealand, the country’s primary workplace health and safety regulator from 2019 to 2023. As Chief Executive, Phil was responsible for leading the organisation in its mission to ensure that New Zealand workplaces are safe, healthy, and compliant with relevant laws and regulations. Phil was with WorkSafe from its creation in 2013 in a variety of executive roles, contributing to a significant national reduction in fatalities and serious injuries.  

Prior to this, his career included executive positions at the New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority. Here, he introduced an environmental management regime for offshore activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone and oversaw nationwide environmental regulation of chemicals.  

His early career was in local government in the UK, where he completed an Honours Degree in Environmental Health and a Masters degree in Environmental Management.

Scott St John

CFInstD

Scott has a background in investment advisory and capital markets. Scott is Chair of ANZ Bank New Zealand and Mercury and a director of ANZ Group and NEXT Foundation.

He was formerly a Chair of Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, a Director of Fonterra and Chancellor of the University of Auckland

Event Sponsors

 

Additional information

Contact

Kristyn Chandler-Yates
National Sponsorship and Events Manager
+64 27 207 2592
Kristyn.Chandler-Yates@iod.org.nz