Spark New Zealand has announced that independent non-executive director Maury Leyland has resigned from the Board of Directors, with the telco's Board now commencing an extensive search for a replacement director.
Leyland, a senior executive at Fonterra, has been a member of the Spark New Zealand Board since December 2011, and will stand-down effective 28 February 2015.
“On behalf of my fellow directors I’d like to thank Maury for her significant contribution to Spark New Zealand," says Mark Verbiest, Chairman, Spark New Zealand.
"Maury has helped govern Spark New Zealand through a bold repositioning strategy including the recent rebrand.
"Maury’s skills and experience in strategic development and execution and in building the internal culture needed to underpin successful change have played a big part in our positive progress to date."
Leyland's decision to step down is fuelled by her desire to focus more of her time on her other commitments, especially her executive role at Fonterra, and associated duties.
“It’s been a privilege to serve on the board of Spark New Zealand, particularly during such a transformative period," Leyland adds.
"I’d like to thank Chairman Mark Verbiest and my fellow directors for the opportunity to work with them, as well as the staff and shareholders of Spark New Zealand who have backed the ongoing changes needed for Spark New Zealand to unleash the potential of all New Zealanders and in turn create more value.
"I have a lot of confidence in the strategic direction and will continue to follow and support Spark New Zealand where I can."
Verbiest says the Board will undertake an "extensive domestic and international recruitment" process for a replacement, with a focus on ensuring the appointee has a skill-set and experience that complements the existing Board of Directors.