Queen’s Birthday Honours for Law alumni
Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law Alumni on the Queen’s...
Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law Alumni on the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours List 2016 included:
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM)
Ms Catherine Agnes Quinn, LLB - For services to the law and women.
Cathy Quinn is Chair of Minter Ellison, one of New Zealand's leading professional advisory firms, and has been a champion and mentor for aspiring businesswomen.
Ms Quinn is a member of New Zealand Global Women and a Trustee of Valens Group. She was a member of the Securities Commission for nine years, where she was also responsible for liaison at the governance level with the capital markets operator NZX. She was the co-author of one of the leading company and securities law texts in New Zealand, Morison's Company and Securities Law. She was appointed as a member of the Capital Markets Development Taskforce in 2008 and oversaw significant recommendations to improve New Zealand's securities law. She is recognised as a New Zealand expert on best practice corporate governance and pioneered the annual Minter Ellison Corporate Governance Symposium, which has run since 2003. She was the principal author of the Minter Ellison White Paper on Corporate Governance and has advised numerous Boards of Directors on governance matters. Ms Quinn was appointed to the Commercial Advisory Board to the New Zealand Treasury in 2014 and champions New Zealand's links with China as a member of the Executive Board of the New Zealand China Council.
Ms Victoria Ursula Spackman BA, LLB - For services to theatre, film and television.
Victoria Spackman has contributed to the theatre, film and television sectors in New Zealand in governance roles.
Ms Spackman is the Chief Executive and a shareholder of the screen and visitor experience company Gibson Group Ltd. She received the Arts and Culture Award in the 2015 Westpac Women of Influence Awards, recognising in particular her role in revitalising Bats Theatre Ltd. She had served 12 years on the Theatre's Board from 2002 to 2014. She is on the Board of Directors of Screenrights Australia, and has served six years on the Board of the Screen Production and Development Association of New Zealand (SPADA). Ms Spackman joined the Board of Education New Zealand in 2015 and has worked with Education New Zealand on a Mandarin language television series called 'Dragons in a Distant Land' about Chinese students studying in New Zealand. The series was launched by the Prime Minister in Beijing in 2013 during the celebrations of the 40-year relationship between China and New Zealand.
Queen’s Service Order (QSO)
Ms Phillippa Catherine Smith, BA, LLB, MPP - For services to the State.
Phillippa Smith has been involved in the New Zealand public sector for more than 20 years in her roles as the inaugural Assistant Auditor-General Legal, Chief Advisor Legal in the State Services Commission and as Deputy Controller and Auditor-General from 2005 to 2015.
Ms Smith has led a number of reviews and inquiries, including the David Beckham/Mount Smart stadium inquiry, Sky City convention centre inquiry, the inquiry into aspects of ACC’s board-level governance, and the reviews of the response of the New Zealand Police to the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct. She performed the review of the Office of the Auditor-General’s handling of the complaints about Kaipara District Council’s wastewater scheme. She has contributed to the development of the structure and management of the Office of the Auditor-General, including the establishment of a new inquiries team. She played a key role as a member of the steering group for the five year policy and legislative process leading to the enactment of the Crown Entities Act 2004. She has presented internationally on independence, the constitutional role of the Auditor-General, conflicts of interest and governance. Ms Smith led the international team which completed a peer review of the Irish Audit Office.
The Queen’s Service Medal (QSM)
Reverend John Francis Drylie, LLB - For services to the community.
Reverend John Drylie has been an active leader in his community for many years, serving for 30 years as a church minister, and two terms as Westland Mayor.
In tandem with his work as a minister, Reverend Drylie also chaired the Ethics Committee for the West Coast District Health Board, the Victim’s Support Group, the Westland Foodbank, the Coast Care Trust, and the Hokitika and West Coast Minister’s Associations. Reverend Drylie is a strong supporter of young people, and as well as supporting local youth groups and Kapa Haka, he has served as Chaplain to the Fourth Westland Independent Boys Brigade Company and Charitable Trust for more than 30 years.
The full list of honours is available here: http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/qb2016-list