Consultant wins director award

Over the past 30 years Maree Turner has had an interesting and varied career in the maritime industry, earning her oceangoing Master's Ticket, managing stevedoring gangs, organising cargo movements, and even helping to plan new container terminals.
She has held her own in the man's world. Now, she is taking the next big step in her career - gaining the experience to become a full-time company director.
Turner, 47, headed off four other strong finalists to win the inaugural Aspiring Director award, organised by the Institute of Directors' Bay of Plenty branch.
She received complimentary membership of the institute and complimentary attendance to all branch functions for one year, and a $2000 contribution to the Company Directors course.
She will be mentored by an experienced director, Graeme Elvin, chairman of Tauranga City Venues (TCVL), and she will take up director development positions on two boards, TCVL and DMS Progrowers, for one year, without having voting rights.
"This is a huge opportunity to get more experience," said Mrs Turner, who is now a consultant with NZL Group, based at Mount Maunganui. "There is now a willingness to give younger senior managers development opportunities.
"If you look through a board make-up and you are not an accountant or lawyer, then you've got to have something special. I've gone into port company, shipping and union meetings and been the only woman there," she said.
"I guess I've got tenacity and leadership skills. And I've always believed that people should be chosen on ability, not gender - and that you shouldn't pre-judge them," said Mrs Turner.
She held that belief when she left Carmel College in Auckland and headed for the Union Steam Ship Company.
"I didn't realise there weren't any women there. Here I was, from an all-girls school and the only girl on the ship."
She was actually the third female sea cadet in the country but the only one in her intake of 35 in 1982. Another cadet that year was Tauranga-born Peter Jackson, who became her husband and is a ship's pilot at Port of Tauranga after also earning his Master Mariner certificate.
Turner began as a Third Mate on the cargo ships Rotoiti, Marama, Ngahere and tanker Amokura during two tough years at sea.
"We cleaned the bilges, changed the crane wires, went down the crank case, and over the side of the ship to paint. Cleaning out the chain locker was a dirty, dangerous job, and we also went on the bridge to do some navigation and sights. You knew all about the ship, and the jobs, from top to bottom."
Turner progressed to Second Mate, then Chief Officer and finally gained her Master's Ticket after having six years at sea and study periods at the New Zealand Maritime School.
She worked on the Sea Link Cook Strait ferry, the gas tanker Tarahiko, and Forum Line that delivered general cargo around the Pacific Islands.
Then she was selected for P&O's main fleet and joined the Fishguard Bay container vessel on the Eastern Asian run between Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Jakarta.
"The ship had a Chinese crew and British officers, and I was the only New Zealander and woman. It worked out fine and I certainly learned how to manage people," said Turner.
She came ashore in 1992 and moved to Tauranga to become cargo superintendent with Tasman Asia Shipping (now Quadrant Pacific), planning the loading of ships.
She was also a container planner at the Sulphur Point terminal and then joined NZL as stevedoring supervisor.
Mrs Turner finished up as NZL's logistics manager, overseeing the container parks, warehousing and stevedoring.
She is now consulting. Her present project is helping to prepare the legal case for NZL - supported by Ports of Auckland - to reinstate its container terminal operation at Sulphur Point.
Turner, who has a post-graduate diploma in management studies from Waikato University, was director on the Conlinxx board, a joint venture between Ports of Auckland and NZL that established and operates the inland port at Wiri.
She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and is running for national vice-president this year.
"Yes, I would like to do it full-time. It's a big goal and we'll see what comes along in the next couple of years. It's an important time, career-wise," said Turner.
The other Aspiring Director Award finalists were: Peter Roden, owner of Adobe Homes and past president of Tauranga Registered Master Builders Federation; Helen Mason, Bay of Plenty District Health Board's general manager planning and finance; Damien Radesic, sales manager for Mainfreight Rotorua and Taupo, and Rotorua Chamber of Commerce vice-president; Jodi Tong, Zespri International category manager for gold kiwifruit.