Executive management

Shaun Coffey
Drew Stein
Jeff Lycett
George McIrvine
Vikki Smithem
Tim Armstrong
James Corrigan
Peter Stipkovits
Gavin Mitchell
Roger Ridley
Richard Templer

Shaun Coffey

Shaun Coffey

Chief Executive Officer – MAgrSc, G Dip Chg Mgmt, G Dip CD, FTSE, CRSNZ, CompIPENZ, FAIM, FAICD

Shaun Coffey has had an extensive involvement in leading research and development enterprises in Australia and New Zealand. An agricultural scientist by training, his recent interests have included the application of complex systems science and the redesign of animal agriculture systems. Shaun joined IRL from CSIRO Australia in 2006 and has focused on returning the company to its core purpose and restoring financial stability. Among his honours and awards, Shaun is a recipient of the Silver Medal of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (2001), a Centenary Medal of Agriculture from the University of Melbourne (2006), and the Royal Society of New Zealand's prestigious Thomson Medal for his inspirational leadership in the management of science and his outstanding contribution to the development and application of science and technology to wealth generation in New Zealand and Australia (2010). He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2004 and a Companion of the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand in 2008. He is also a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Management. In 2009, he was elected a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Shaun is on the editorial boards of the Open Proteomics Journal and of E: CO (Emergence: Complexity & Organization) and has been Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland since 1999.

Drew Stein

Drew Stein

Deputy CEO

Drew Stein is responsible for developing a range of high-level client-focused strategies which complement the new role of IRL following the implementation of the recommendations of the recent CRI^[?] review. Drew has spent most of his working life in chief executive, director or chairmanship positions with major international corporations, including as managing director or chairman of Mobil Oil’s international subsidiaries; director of Deloitte’s international utilities group; and as chairman of an Australian computer company based in Brisbane. In New Zealand Drew has held the roles of CEO of ECNZ subsidiary Electricorp Marketing, Chairman of Southland Electric Supply Company, and Managing Director of Transend, NZ Post’s international arm, and has founded a cattle consultancy business. Drew is regularly sought after as a keynote speaker, has written books on best management practice focusing on governance issues and regulatory reform processes and has been strategic advisor to a number of governments and boards of directors of major global corporations.

Jeff Lycett

Jeff Lycett

Executive Officer – BA (Hons)

Jeff Lycett’s position as a member of the IRL executive comprises two elements. As Executive Officer, he is required to provide professional support, sound and well-reasoned advice, and practical assistance to the CEO in the planning, execution and achievement of IRL’s strategic and operational objectives, in the management of the business of the office of the CEO, and in the management of change programmes. As Board Secretary, he provides professional services to the Board, Board committees and nominated subsidiary and associate companies. Jeff’s background is mainly in the Human Resources area. He was previously General Manager with the New Zealand Dairy Board (now Fonterra) and with the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (ECNZ). Most recently he has carried out consultancy assignments with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, New Zealand Post and EDS. 

George McIrvine

George McIrvine

General Manager Corporate Services – ED, BBS, CA

As General Manager Corporate Services, George McIrvine has responsibilities for three main areas.  Those are facilities both current and future including health and safety, professional services such as legal and intellectual property, and commercialisation process management and business growth. George has considerable commercialisation experience in the science sector including being part of the teams that commercialised Zespri Gold and concluded the sale of the HortResearch share of the Time Capsule business.  He also has been involved in the establishment with the Massey Ventures Group of Companies around businesses such as Polybatics Ltd, Anzode Inc, Estendart Ltd. A key feature of these ventures has been securing the intellectual property assets at an early stage so that significant science and engineering technologies can build the potential to develop new industries for New Zealand businesses. 

Vikki Smithem

Vikki Smithem

General Manager Industrial Biotechnologies - MSc (Japan) 

As GM Industrial Biotechnologies, Vikki Smithem is responsible for managing the activities of IRL’s three chemistry teams: Integrated Bioactive Technologies, Carbohydrate Chemistry and GlycoSyn. With over 12 years in the biotechnology and food industries in business development and marketing roles, Vikki has considerable experience securing new business from overseas and within New Zealand, and with out-licensing and research and development collaborations. She has previously worked as a Commercialisation & Business Development Manager at IRL and for several dairy companies. Other achievements include establishing the Australia New Zealand Biotechnology Partnership fund, managed by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and overseas trade postings. 

Tim Armstrong

Tim Armstrong

Director Measurement Standards Laboratory - BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, MNZIP

Tim Armstrong worked as a Post-Doc at several universities in the Netherlands, UK and South Africa before joining MSL^[?] over 20 years ago. He worked initially in Length Standards and then moved into Time and Frequency standards, his specialty for the past 19 years. As well as being the Director of MSL, he also holds the statutory title of Chief Metrologist of the Measurement Standards Laboratory and in this role is New Zealand’s "verifying authority" in respect of units of measurement. In his time at MSL, Tim has been involved in a number of research projects including the stabilisation of lasers, the development of new means of GPS time transfer and in a successful MSL project to measure the Newtonian gravitational constant (G). This measurement produced three measurements of G, one of which is currently the internationally recommended value. He has also been involved in assisting the NZ Police in improving the accuracy of speed measurement both with measurement advice and appearing in court as an expert witness.  

James Corrigan

James Corrigan

Chief Financial Officer – BCA (Victoria University), Chartered Accountant

James Corrigan leads IRL’s finance and IT/Information Systems operations, ensuring appropriate policies, procedures and practices are developed and maintained. His teams provide the full range of financial and IT services in support of IRL’s operations, including financial reporting and commercial advice to management and to the Board to allow them to effectively undertake their respective roles. James is a chartered accountant with 25 years of business and commercial experience. His work experience prior to IRL has been predominantly within the NZ Post Group of companies in senior finance leadership roles across a range of different businesses encompassing mail operations, distribution/transport, banking, retailing, data management/IT, outsourcing, and international consultancy. James has led or contributed to a number of significant change initiatives including the establishment of Kiwibank, several overseas consultancy projects with Transend Worldwide, and leading a very successful project to raise $200m for the NZ Post Group from the retail debt market. 

Peter Stipkovits

Peter Stipkovits

General Manager People and Culture

The position of General Manager People and Culture was created in mid 2010 following a decision to elevate the Human Resource Manager role to the Executive. This reflected the importance of that area to IRL and its evolution over the last few years. Peter was appointed to the role in September 2010.  He is an experienced senior HR leader who has undertaken both management consultancy and senior contracting roles including large national operational and general management roles. He brings an uncommon mix of corporate and line management experience to the HR role. His career started with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries where he eventually attained the position of GM HR. Peter has worked in a number of parliamentary, crown and corporate entities and was a council member of the Employer and Manufacturers Association for a number of years. 

Gavin Mitchell

Gavin Mitchell

General Manager Industry Engagement

Gavin Mitchell is responsible for managing the industry-facing activities of IRL. This includes working with industry clients and industry groups to develop partnerships to solve problems, create business opportunities and make a positive impact to the New Zealand economy. The Industry Engagement team are located throughout New Zealand to enable them to work closely with our clients. Gavin has worked extensively in the ICT and science sectors and has wide experience in commercialising New Zealand developed intellectual property in international markets. Gavin also has extensive experience in executive management, sales and marketing of high tech solutions, capital raising and independent directorship.  

Roger Ridley

Roger Ridley

General Manager Strategy and Evaluation – BSC (Hons), MSc, PhD (Monash, Australia)

Roger is responsible for leading evidence-based strategy development across IRL.  Roger has spent the past 15 years in operational and policy roles in central government including the Treasury and eight years as General Manager in the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology.  Roger led work on changes to the science and CRI funding system, obtaining funding for infrastructure initiatives such as the advanced network and high performance computing facilities, and the design of business R&D and technology transfer schemes to incentivise research-based innovation in business.  Roger brings to IRL a wealth of experience in working with Ministers, central government agencies and government Budget processes.  Prior to working in central government, Roger applied his background in Physics and Applied Mathematics first as a professional meteorologist in MetService, including two summers in Antarctica and then as a research scientist.  On completion of his PhD in 1991, Roger became a founding member of NIWA^[?] where he specialised in pollution dispersion modelling and developing high-resolution weather prediction models incorporating New Zealand’s mountainous terrain.

Richard Templer

General Manager Advanced Manufacturing Technologies – PhD, FiPENZ, AFNZIM

Richard Templer

After completing his mechanical engineering degree, Richard worked for Volvo in Sweden and MacMaster University in Canada.  Returning to New Zealand he received two scholarships for his PhD(Eng) study, completed while working for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s design team. He moved to Industrial Research, where he developed robotics for the worldwide meat industry, won a joint Royal Society Science medal, and became Automation Systems team manager in 2000. In 2001 Richard was the NZIM Young Executive of the Year and also won the iPENZ Innovation award in 2002. Richard moved to Wellington in 2002 to work for the meat and wool industries as GM R&D. In late 2007 he joined the Foundation for Research Science & Technology as an Investment Strategy Manager, in July 2008 became the GM Investment Strategy Team and in July 2009 Group Manager Industry & Environment responsible for $380 million of public investment. In late 2010 Richard was the acting Foundation’s CEO during the transition to the Ministry of Science and Innovation then acting Deputy Chief Executive Science Strategy & Investment at MSI, before joining IRL for the second time.