Structure and key staff
CCMAU has three sector-focused advisory teams:
- Communications, services & infrastructure.
- Energy, land & environment.
- Science & innovation.
These three teams are supported by a dedicated Appointments & Governance team and corporate staff.
Murray Wright, Executive Director
Murray Wright has been Executive Director since May 2001.
Murray began his career in the meat industry before joining the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in 1980 where he held a number of lending and credit management positions. When the DFC was placed under statutory management in 1989, Murray was retained to assist with the recovery of DFC’s assets. He left DFC in 1993 and undertook consultancy work before joining CCMAU in 1995 as a senior advisor and, later, Principal Advisor CRIs.
Murray has a degree in food technology from Massey University and a postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Canterbury.
Chris Jones, Manager – Energy, Land & Environment
Chris joined CCMAU in January 2006 as a Senior Advisor, and
shortly thereafter was seconded to the Office of the Minister for State
Owned Enterprises as a Private Secretary. Chris returned to CCMAU in
July 2007, and became Manager of the Energy, Land & Environment team in
July 2008.
Before joining CCMAU, Chris held a range of positions in the public and
private sectors, both here and overseas, as an economist, consultant and
strategic/business analyst. Chris has an Economics (Hons) degree from
Otago University.
James Cunningham, Manager – Communications, Services & Infrastructure
James Cunningham joined CCMAU in 1996 and was initially involved in the monitoring of hospitals. James managed the Health Monitoring Group until this group was transferred to the Ministry of Health in 2000. He then became a Senior Advisor in the SOE team. James has been Manager of the Communications, Services & Infrastructure team since 2003.
James is a chartered accountant and began his career at BDO Hogg Young Cathie in 1989 where he was involved in auditing, general accountancy work and fraud investigation. He then travelled, and lived in England where he had a variety of contract jobs in the banking, health and machinery industries.
James has a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University of Wellington.
David Ryan, Manager – Science & Innovation
David Ryan joined CCMAU as a Senior Advisor in 2003 and has managed
the Science & Innovation team since February 2007.
David has an MBA from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom and an
MA in Public Administration and
a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from Victoria University of
Wellington. He has also spent in a
year in Mexico on a scholarship from the Mexican Government writing a
thesis on Mexican economic and public sector reform.
Before joining CCMAU, David had
marketing and analysis roles, mostly in the financial services industry
in Wellington and London. He also carried out a six-month project with
IRL, one of the Crown research institutes.
David is multilingual and speaks nine
languages.
Steve Rich, Manager – Appointments & Governance
Steve Rich joined CCMAU in 2001 as a senior advisor responsible for many of the operational aspects of the appointment and governance processes. He was appointed Appointments & Governance Manager in 2004.
Before joining CCMAU, Steve worked for the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) where he supported organisational governance, disputes resolution and performance in service delivery. Steve was Corporate Secretary of the ACC subsidiary company, Catalyst Insurer Services Ltd, that was established when the workers compensation market was privatised (1999 – 2000).
Steve has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography and Political Science from the University of Waikato.
