Meet us

Basil is a highly skilled Chairperson and Board Director with significant public and private sector governance experience.

Basil is currently the Republic of Uganda’s Honorary Consul in New Zealand. He is the Past Chair of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, having being New Zealand’s representative on this international local government organisation.

Basil is also a Waitangi Tribunal Member and Chairman of the New Zealand Local Government Superannuation Board of Trustees. Basil is the former Chairman of the Local Government Commission.

Basil’s involvement in leadership roles within local government and community organisations is considerable. Basil was President of Local Government New Zealand from November 2000-July 2008. During that time he witnessed considerable change in the role of local government and established a very successful working relationship between local government and central government.

The experience that Basil held in the President’s role came from his wealth of knowledge of local government and community issues at a regional and district level. Basil was a Regional Councillor for Environment Waikato from 2004-2007 and before that Mayor of the Hauraki District from 1989-2004.

Basil is an accredited Resource Management Act Commissioner since 2005 and has served on a large number of hearings panels. He has sat and considered under the RMA, District Plans, the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, Waitangi Tribunal and Special Housing Legislation. He was also a member of the Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquakes Recovery Act Review Panel. Appointed in 2020 as a NZ Freshwater Commissioner.

Basil has also been involved with a large number of community, sporting and charitable organisations.

Basil is a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and is a recipient of the 1990 Medal for Local Government Services. He has also been a Justice of the Peace since 1985.

Grant has over 35 years’ experience in financial services and investment markets. He was most recently chair of Macquarie Asset Management New Zealand Limited (formerly AMP Capital Investors (New Zealand) Limited) and held a number of senior leadership roles during a long career with AMP Capital. This included over 3 years as Global Head of Fixed Income following 3 years as NZ Managing Director and 9 years as Head of NZ Fixed Interest. He played a key role in several mergers and acquisitions including the sale of AMP’s global equity and fixed interest business to Macquarie in 2022, the sale of AMP Life to Resolution Life in 2020, and the purchase of AXA in 2011. Grant is a former trustee director of the AMP Staff Superannuation Scheme. Grant resigned from Macquarie in September 2022 and became a professional director. He is currently also a director of the Police Super Scheme, Shell NZ Pension Plan, Toyota NZ Group Pension Plan, and the Westpac Staff Superannuation Scheme.

Mr Ferguson was appointed in 2024 by the Te Kauae Kaimahi | New Zealand council of Trade Unions.  He has over 21 years’ experience working in local government and 19 years being involved in the trade union movement, including being the President of the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi, Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest union 2020-2024. He holds governance roles in charity not for profit and charity for profit organisations.

Benedict has completed both ANZ and Harbour/Hunter verifications.

Louise has worked across a number or public service entities from Utilities, Police, Audit Commission to Local Government during her career. She was lucky enough to work with the Civil Service College in UK to support national and international programmes on EFQM (European Foundation Quality Model) and the balanced scorecard. In all her roles she seeks out areas and organisations that need a bit of focus to become their best; implementing successful change and improvement is what gets her out of bed. Louise is the Chief Executive at Napier City Council, having taken up her role immediately after Cyclone Gabrielle, and prior to this was the Chief Executive at Kaipara District Council.

I have been married for 44 years and have 4 kids and 6 moko’s who I love to pieces.

Grew up mostly in Palmerston North in Highbury attending Takaro, Monrad and Palmerston North BHS. Then joined the National Bank in Palmy straight out of high school in December 1977.

I had spent 40 years with the Bank being shifted all around NZ and held senior executive roles with the Bank which was taken over by the ANZ (the bank was my second whanau, and I loved every day of my job). My last role was GM ANZ Business Bank/ Retail and was a part of the biggest financial merger creating the biggest Bank in New Zealand.

I should have retired but wanted to help Māori and Pacifika progress so undertook a role as Director for Māori and Pacific with MSD which I had the opportunity with working with some fantastic people.

After three years the role of CEO, Civic Financial Services Ltd was put in front of me and it just felt the right fit.

Sports crazy represented my country in both Football and Softball in age group and had the honour of coaching the best domestic football team in NZ called Napier City Rovers. (Liverpool supporter)

I try to play a little golf but really struggle!!!

Glenn has worked for Civic Financial Services since 1999.  Roles have included Assistant Accountant, Accountant, and Investment Accountant prior to being appointed to the role of Chief Financial Officer in 2019. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce & Administration (BCA), majoring in Accountancy and Commercial Law, and a Diploma in Professional Accountancy all completed at Victoria University of Wellington.