About Us
Institute Staff
Dr Keith Turner has 39 years experience in the New Zealand electricity industry and has spent the last 25 years in senior executive positions. He has played a key role in the reform of the industry, in both review teams and acting for government on a range of industry boards to establish Transpower, Contact Energy, Meridian Energy and M-Co (the market operations company). Keith has held positions as Managing Director DesignPower (a professional engineering consultancy to the electricity industry), Chief Operating Officer for ECNZ, prior to its breakup, and as a specialist industry advisor on a range of reform initiatives and development projects. Having also sat on the Market Surveillance Committee of the New Zealand electricity market from 1996 to 1999, Keith later accepted the position of Chief Executive of Meridian Energy. After nine years leading Meridian, Keith made the decision to resign in March 2008 to pursue new challenges.
Rick leads the New Zealand Institute. He has been a strategic management consultant for the past 25 years and was the founding partner of the Boston Consulting Group in New Zealand. In recent years Rick has been a professional director as well as a consultant and his directorships include ASB Bank, Wellington Drive Technologies (chair) and Go Virtual Medical Limited. Rick has worked with leading companies in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A in a wide range of industries including Financial Services, Industrial Distribution, Energy, Telecommunications and On-Line, Transport, Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Information Technology. He has a Ph.D. in Environment Management from the University of Auckland, a Master of Business Administration degree from the Australian Graduate School of Management, as well as a Master of Arts (Psychology) degree from Victoria University of Wellington. Rick was an Honorary Fellow at Victoria University Graduate School of Management in Wellington for two years, and has publications in Social Welfare, the Sociology of Education, Strategic Management, Business Ethics and Mathematical Psychology. He is an accredited member of the Institute of Directors and of the Sustainable Energy Forum.
Benedikte Jensen, Research Director
Benedikte Jensen is the Research Director at the New Zealand Institute. Benedikte has a Master of Science in Management from Stanford University as well as a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Economic History and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Economics, Economic History and Russian Language from Victoria University of Wellington. Benedikte joined the Institute from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet where she was the Economic and Financial Advisor to the Prime Minister. Benedikte worked for the Treasury for eight years, most recently as Director of Tax Policy. Earlier in her career Benedikte worked for Business and Economic Research Ltd, the Department of Labour and Department of Social Welfare. Benedikte has also worked on contract to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco where she prepared background papers on the Chinese, Indian and Philippines economies and financial systems.
Chye-Ching holds a Master in Laws degree (with a focus on public policy, public law, and economic regulation) from Columbia University in New York. She also holds an LL.B. (Hons) and a B.Com in Economics from the University of Auckland. Chye-Ching has returned to the New Zealand Institute after studying and working in the USA as a Fulbright Scholar and Sir Wallace Rowling Memorial Scholar. Most recently, Chye-Ching worked as a Research Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington DC, where she had responsibility for the Center’s federal tax policy program. At the Center, she advised Capitol Hill policymakers on US federal tax and economic issues (including issues arising from the 2008 Congressional and Presidential elections, the US$787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the President’s 2010 budget). Earlier in her career Chye-Ching practiced as a tax solicitor at Chapman Tripp.
Lisa Bailey, Executive Assistant
Lisa Bailey manages the operational systems which facilitate the work of the Institute including executive support, office administration, organisation and events management, communications activities and assistance in maintaining business intelligence.