Our Board

The board of the Natural Step in New Zealand is chaired by Dr Morgan Williams, previously Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.  Read more about our board members.

Our Accredited Advisors

Our advisers complete a rigorous process of training, practice and evaluation before they are able to become an accredited advisor for the Natural Step.  This process ensures that our advisors provide a consistent, professional and high quality service to our clients. Those who have completed the full accreditation process are listed below.

Dr Lin Roberts:  Lin is a Board member of TNS New Zealand and represents NZ on the board of TNS International. In 2004 she was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of TNS NZ. She has been involved in The Natural Step since 1996, is an accredited TNS adviser, and established and managed the Pathfinder Programme 2000-2003. She is Director of Business and Environment Consultants, and served as a member of the Environmental Risk Management Authority 2002-2004.

Lin teaches an MBA course at the University of Canterbury entitled "Building Sustainable Businesses" and is an honorary lecturer at Lincoln University. Previous activities includes membership of an international Expert Panel on Trade and Sustainable Development; a Claude McCarthy Fellowship at Victoria University; and employment as Manager of Hazards & Waste Policy Directorate at the Ministry for the Environment in Wellington, and as a scientist at DSIR Entomology Division.

Dr John Craig:  John is Professor of Environmental Management at the School of Environmental and Marine Sciences at Auckland University of Auckland. John has been involved in The Natural Step since 1997 and was Chair of TNS NZ 1998-2004.

John is currently establishing a network of Auckland businesses interested in using the Natural Step Framework, and runs a consultancy, Green Inc, which specialises in environmental and business services. His background training is in ecology, and he has a long research history in biodiversity conservation, serves on a number of Boards and Trusts and was recently awarded the Charles Fleming medal by the Royal Society of New Zealand for environmental achievement. John has been involved in training The Natural Step's advisors and has worked closely with a number of the Pathfinder companies.

Steve Henry:  Director, SustainAble.  Steve lives in the Central Otago region and has over 25 years experience as an educator. He has delivered staff and organisational development for organisations such as Heinz-Watties Ltd, Comvita Ltd, Central Otago District Council, Otago Polytechnic, AJ Hackett Bungy Ltd, Jasmax Architects, Polson Higgs Ltd, The Cobham Outward Bound School, Wanaka Wastebusters and the Sustainable Wanaka charitable Trust.  

Steve is currently leading the development of a Centre for Sustainable practice in Central Otago for Otago Polytechnic working with industry, local governments and community organisations.

Simon Harvey:  Simon is a sustainability specialist with broad experience of working with businesses and local government.  He is a director of BusinessLAB, a strategic planning consultancy that assists organisations set and achieve strategic goals to enhance competitive advantage and capture the opportunities of corporate responsibility to drive long-term success.  Recent clients using the Natural Step include Les Mills International, Les Mills New Zealand, Sarah Trotman & Associates, Hastings District Council and Health Alliance. For further information and video client testimonials visit www.businesslab.co.nz or contact Simon direct on 021 808 300.

Shaun Bowler:  Shaun is director of Bluefin, a consultancy that provides strategies and people for sustainable development. Commercially experienced, Shaun enjoys communicating on sustainable development to audiences at all levels. Prior to establishing Bluefin, Shaun worked for 12 years with KPMG Consulting and Statistics New Zealand. In 2007 Shaun visited Swedish eco-municipalities, to learn from leading sustainable development strategies in that country. Shaun holds a BSc from Otago, a postgraduate diploma from Massey and an MSc(Hons), 1st Class from Auckland. He is a registered psychologist and serves on the board of the New Zealand Scandinavia Business Association.

Rhys Taylor:  English born but well-settled in New Zealand life since 1996, Rhys Taylor is based in Canterbury and has a mid-career MSc in Resource Management from Lincoln University.  He has worked on small firm training courses and individual business consultancy with TNSFANZ, and has a particular interest in sustainability issues in local government.  Alongside Natural Step projects, Rhys coordinates and develops the Sustainable Living community education programme (already used by 24 councils, see www.sustainableliving.org.nz ) and has continuing research contracts with Landcare Research Ltd on future scenarios for New Zealand and on 'behaviour change for sustainability'. He is a member of the Sustainable Business Network and the Association for Environmental Education. Email contact initially via TNSFANZ office (natstep@naturalstep.org.nz) or phone direct on 03 960 2656.

Dr. Maggie Lawton:  Maggie is originally a practicing scientist and researcher and for 14 years until September 2006, a member of the Executive Team at Landcare Research. She now runs her own business, Braidwood Research and Consulting Ltd. She has a background in a wide range of rural and urban development issues, climate change and policy related to sustainable development. She currently carries out research in sustainable housing and aspects of urban design, especially in relation to water demand and management. She also consults to local government and business on how to strategically plan for changes which will come about through peaking oil supplies and climate change. Maggie has served on Government, business and NGO Boards and has a very broad range of management experience.

Jerome Partington:  Jerome has worked with sustainable development in the design and construction sector for nearly fifteen years. He initially studied science and then completed five years Architecture with a focus on ecological design. He was a founder and chair of the charity Ecological Design Association (UK). Jerome has a background in consultative community engagement, construction training, art, sculpture and design and taught at South Bank University London on the postgraduate architecture course for three years prior to emigrating to NZ. He ran a successful architecture firm in London and subsequently has spent the last four and a half years working at Jasmax, one of NZ’s leading architectural company. He has recently been appointed the 'Sustainable Development Manager' to manage the process of becoming a sustainable company.

Geoff Holgate:  Geoff Holgate has been an accredited advisor for The Natural Step New Zealand since 2001, during which time he has worked with TNS Pathfinder companies Landcare Research and Tait Electronics and a number of small businesses. Geoff has a science background having completed a M Agr Sci in Plant Ecology, and has had experience in business development, land and resource management as well as plant ecology and sustainability.

Andrea Lobb:  Andrea has a broad academic background in science and a Masters of Science in Geology.  Natural resources have been a work focus, starting with four years as a geologist in outback Australia.  Over the past seven years Andrea has worked in natural resource management in Christchurch.  As a consultant to Environment Canterbury (Ecan) she audited resource consent applications and as Environmental Quality Officer at Ecan, she gained experience in hazardous substance, waste & contaminated site management, and in cleaner production.  Andrea was Ecan project leader of a joint local council initiative that developed the “Canterbury Hazardous Waste Management Strategy” and was involved in establishing an EMS at Ecan. Contact details: Phone 025 73-1976,  E-mail: ajlobb@paradise.net.nz or contact Andrea through the TNS office natstep@naturalstep.org.nz