Sue Tindal has been appointed Chair of KiwiRail and the New Zealand Railways Corporation, and Jeff Kendrew has been appointed Deputy Chair of KiwiRail. Their terms will commence on 1 July 2025.

Minister for Rail Winston Peters says new appointments to the KiwiRail board bring commercial, freight and rail experience and a ‘can do’ attitude.

“We want railways to be successful for New Zealand and have every expectation that a focus on lower cost, higher reliability, increased volumes, improved safety and better performance will be delivered on,” Mr Peters says.

“Ms Tindal has been a Chief Executive, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer and was on the Mainfreight and New Zealand Post boards. Ms Tindal is currently Deputy Chair of the Infrastructure Commission and Quotable Value boards. She understands construction, freight and infrastructure, and how to get an efficient outcome from an asset-intensive company. 

“Mr Kendrew is the Chair of Port Taranaki, and previously chaired Western Australia’s bulk rail freight company Arc Infrastructure. He brings real world experience of rail infrastructure, engineering and freight.

“KiwiRail director Rob Jager has been Acting Chair since June 2024, and we thank him for his service.

“We have also reappointed Liz Ward as a KiwiRail director, reflecting her experience as a former CEO of CentrePort, Gough Group and Kennards Hire and her current role as a senior executive in Sydney’s passenger rail system.

“A reappointment decision has also been taken for Nicola Greer as a director on the New Zealand Railways Corporation given her financial and property expertise,” Mr Peters says.