More change at the top of Port of Tauranga as chairman David Pilkington retires

Outgoing Port of Tauranga chairman David Pilkington. Photo / NZME

Port of Tauranga chairman David Pilkington is to retire in July.

He has been nine years in the role and nearly 17 years on the board of the NZX-listed company, which operates New Zealand's biggest port.

Pilkington will be succeeded by Julia Hoare, who joined the board in 2015 and chairs its audit committee.

Pilkington said he was "incredibly proud" of the legacy the port company has built.

"I have been fortunate to work with a highly skilled management team and fellow directors, who have been open in sharing their diverse points of view. As a team, we have stayed focused on our long-term goals, while remaining flexible and responsive to the challenging environment in which we operate."

The port last year farewelled chief executive Mark Cairns after 16 years in the job. He was succeeded by Leonard Sampson.

Hoare has commercial, financial, tax, regulatory and sustainability expertise developed from both her extensive governance roles and over the course of two decades as a partner with PwC, said the company.

Julia Hoare will take over as Tauranga port's chair in July.

She is deputy chair of The a2 Milk Company Limited, and a director of Auckland International Airport and Meridian Energy. She is President of the Institute of Directors and a member of the Chapter Zero New Zealand steering committee.