About Us

TRUSTEES

Andrew Clearwater

Andrew is an independent Director and chartered member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.

His professional background has involved various sales and marketing management roles within the automotive industry, including 25 years at Mazda New Zealand with the last 10 years serving as Managing Director.

His governance experience includes involvement in not–for–profit charitable trusts, a former member of the IEB for Hanga–Aro–Rau WDC and on the appointment panel to select the first directors of this WDC.

Andrew has also had a strong association and commitment to vocational education, through governance roles with Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) both as a director and as Chair, as well as overseeing MITO’s transition as a subsidiary to Te Pūkenga Work Based Learning Limited where he served as a director.

Bob Boniface

Bob has a broad corporate career including forest products, automotive, manufacturing and IT.

He is currently President and Chair of the Motor Trade Association, along with several other professional Directorships. Bob is proprietor of Auckland Panel and Paint Group Limited.

He is a graduate in Agricultural Science, Business Studies and has an MBA, with specialities in quantitative marketing techniques and market research.

Bob is passionate about assisting individual continuous career development at all levels.

Eric Souchon

Eric is a chartered professional engineer with a strong background in the civil engineering contracting, quarrying and solid waste management industries.

Eric has a proven track record in governing privately owned companies, and he has also been strongly involved in governance of the quarrying industry. Eric is a Life Member of both the Aggregate and Quarrying Association and Institute of Quarrying New Zealand.

Eric has a strong network within the quarrying and solid waste industries and is looking forward to supporting the Foundation and industries it supports through vocational education and training. His governance experience includes privately owned companies and Eric is a Chartered Member of Engineering NZ, a Member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand, as well as being a Mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand helping emerging businesses.

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Louise Sixton

Louise currently working for Repco NZ as General Manager Sales and Operations based in Auckland and has been with Repco since September 2000.

She has created a strong network within the Automotive industry and is looking forward to learning and supporting the other industries that the Foundation supports.

During her time at Repco she has benefited from training at both Emory University, USA and Monash University, Melbourne, and understands firsthand the strength in growing and supporting education relevant to the industry you are in or pursuing. Louise oversees a workforce of over 800 employees and is passionate about furthering their development. She has been fortunate to be part of the success of many employees within the Repco business and has witnessed the growth that comes from the investment in ongoing education and learning.

Louise has 3 children, 2 boys who keep her busy on the sideline of a cricket field most summer weekends and a daughter who is pursuing a career in teaching. With her husband she enjoys watching all sports, long walks, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

As a trustee of the Inspiring Futures Foundation, Louise is looking forward to being part of the ongoing development and progress of all recipients and celebrating the future success that all the programmes and recipients will bring to their industries.

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Mark Pizey

After his undergraduate degree and a period in Cornish tin mining in the 1970s, Mark gained an MSc in Rock Mechanics, following research in the performance of mine shaft linings in the Selby Coalfield, South Yorkshire.

Mark then moved to Fiji where he was the Mining Engineer on an underground and open cast gold mine for five years.

Following the completion of his contract in Fiji, Mark moved to New Zealand where he worked as a consulting engineer on projects involving underground gold and coal mines as well as the development of new quarries in the Auckland region. In the late 1980s Mark moved to the West Coast of the South Island to become an Inspector of Mines for the then Ministry of Energy.This was followed by periods of work in the alluvial gold sector both in New Zealand and in South America before joining Solid Energy NZ as Technical Manager in 2000.

Mark worked in a number of roles with Solid Energy ending up as General Manager of the Pike River Coal Mine recovery project between 2012 and 2016. He then was appointed as the Chief Inspector - Extractives for Worksafe NZ and was the Acting General manager of the High Hazards unit before leaving in early 2018 to take up a role in the private sector.

Mark ended his working career as Chief Executive of Central Plains Water Limited, New Zealand’s largest irrigation project and transitioned this from the construction phase into the operational phase. Mark retired in January 2023. Mark is an elected Director of Irrigation New Zealand and was selected as a member of the Board of Examiners for WorkSafe NZ in late 2022.

Nick Leggett

Nick has been a trustee since Inspiring Futures Foundation’s inception. He is experienced in charitable and general governance. He has previously worked in the road transport industry.

Previously a Director of the Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO), Nick is currently a council member of Hanga-Aro-Rau, a workforce development council covering transport and logistics.

Nick is currently the Chief Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand and is proud to live in Porirua.

Sturrock Saunders

Sturrock has a proven track record of success in business, leadership, and governance. He has also been strongly involved in building pathways for young people to grow and succeed.

Sturrock is currently Convenor / Chairman of the Inspiring Futures Foundation, and proudly works with a dynamic team of Trustees to deliver value to learners, employers, and influence the learning environment.

He is currently Vice-President of the Motor Trade Association (MTA), an organisation he has had strong links with. MTA has more than 3800 members and is the leading voice for the New Zealand automotive sector. He is also a Director of Dekra NZ / Vehicle Testing NZ, and Auto Stewardship NZ / Tyrewise NZ.

Sturrock has previously been a Director of the Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) which designed qualifications and facilitated the delivery of training programmes that met the needs of the automotive, transport, logistics, industrial textile fabrication and extractive industries. Sturrock has a firm believer in lifelong learning principles and is committed to ensuring the Inspiring Futures Foundation is ambitious in its aim to have the greatest impact to stakeholder industries, learners, and the learning environment.

Our Board of Trustees has a strong relationship with the Industry, and a rich history of enhancing opportunities for learners. Our Board are passionate about supporting lifelong learning principles.

Our Board of Trustees has a strong relationship with the Industry, and a rich history of enhancing opportunities for learners.

Our Board are passionate about supporting lifelong learning principles.