Governance and leadership

Meet our Council members 

Our Council members have a wealth of experience across a range of industry sectors. They regularly connect with a wide variety of stakeholders and engage with our local community. Between them, they bring a high level of governance expertise and are passionate about the ongoing success of Otago Polytechnic. 

John Gallaher
Chair of Otago Polytechnic Council

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John is a Senior Advisor at Forsyth Barr.

He has over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry in funds and investment management, commercial and chartered accounting, management and banking. This is complemented by over 25 years of governance experience, across the education, health, forestry and technology sectors.  

John is currently Chairman of NZCEO Ltd/NZCEO Finance Ltd, New Dunedin Hospital (NDH) Southern Engagement Group, Grow Dunedin Partners and Te Kupenga CLI.  

He’s a Director of the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust and past Chairman of Mercy Hospital Ltd and City Forests Ltd. 

John also has an active involvement in the non-profit and sporting sectors as Chairman of the Catalytic Foundation and the William Sherriff Charitable Trust, Trustee of The Dunstan Hospital Foundation and previously as Chairman of Basketball NZ and Member of the FIBA Finance Commission.  

Rowena Davenport 
Deputy Chair of Otago Polytechnic Council

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Rowena is a governance professional based in Dunedin with experience across the legal, financial services, education and sport sectors.  

Her current roles include Director of the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, Independent Director of Finance Now and AWS Legal, Trustee of the Halberg Foundation, and member of the Institute of Directors Otago–Southland Branch Committee.  

Her previous governance roles include serving on the New Zealand Rugby Board and chairing the Otago Rugby Football Union, contributing to work on strategy, organisational settings and long-term resilience. In 2022, she was awarded a World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship in recognition of her contribution to the sport. 

Rowena’s executive background covers strategy, risk, culture and operational leadership, providing practical insight into organisational performance and decision-making.  

She is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and a member of Global Women. 

Mike Collins  
Otago Polytechnic Council member

Raised on a farm in Northern Southland, Mike has lived in Dunedin for 40 years. With a public sector career spanning local government, health, and education, he became Business South’s inaugural CEO in 2021, advocating for Dunedin and Otago/Southland businesses.  

Mike brings extensive governance experience and currently serves as a Director of Mercy Hospital, Director of Business New Zealand, Director of Aukaha, and as a member of the New Zealand Small Business Advisory team. He also has strong connections to Otago Polytechnic, having spent 17 years in various roles, including as part of the leadership team and board of directors.  

Mike is passionate about rejoining the Otago Polytechnic Council. He has seen first-hand the positive impact Otago Polytechnic makes on our learners and the wider community and is confident it can reclaim its position as New Zealand’s leading polytechnic for both quality outcomes and financial performances. Mike believes the key lies within a strong organisational culture, a future-focused strategy and supporting our people, he tāngata. 

Scott Mason  
Otago Polytechnic Council member

Scott is a professional director across a range of industries including ed-tech, forestry, manufacturing, retail, Software as a Service (SaaS), and other membership bodies.  

He has recently retired from a 40-year career in chartered accountancy in NZ, Australia and the UK, having led Findex’s tax consultancy practice across Australasia and been a Managing Partner in several regional practices.  

Scott has always had a strong interest in primary, secondary and tertiary education with 11 years spent on school boards, 10 years involved in building a world-leading ed-tech, tertiary level lecturing, running a technical training company, and currently chairing a financial literacy provider in the primary/secondary school market (NZ/Australia).  

As well as being a commercial advisor in the High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWI) markets, Scott is highly regarded as a thought leader in tax policy, dispute resolution, and leadership in business strategy. He is very highly regarded for the not-for-profit thought leadership he provides to trusts such as StartUp Dunedin, for professional bodies and across several sectors including the arts, residential care, and sports. 

Our Council meetings

2026

2025 

Get in touch 

If you'd like to connect with our Council, please email OPCouncil@op.ac.nz