Press release
18 October, 2021
Monday 18 October, AUCKLAND: Drive Electric has appointed two new board members at its recent Annual General Meeting, Kirsten Corson from Zilch and Carbn Group Holdings along with Dennis Kelly from FleetPartners.
Mark Gilbert says, “We are delighted to welcome Kirsten and Dennis to the Drive Electric board. Drive Electric is growing quickly, as e-mobility becomes an ever-important part of the future of transport.
“We are at a tipping point in the history of e-mobility. We are seeing a number of forces lining up, including government climate policy, technology, lowering EV prices and the relatively high cost of petrol.
“Both Directors bring exactly the skills and experience we need to seize this change, and redouble our commitment to promoting electric. They join a board of directors from across the e-mobility ecosystem.”
Kirsten Corson is the Co-Founder and Director at Zilch, an innovative all-electric mobility as a service business, along with Carbn Asset Management, a green fleet consulting company, and Sustainable Fleet Finance, which delivers flexible finance for both EVs and chargers.
Kirsten says of her appointment, “I’m looking forward to making a positive contribution to the sector as we are in such an exciting growth phase across all forms of e-mobility.”
Dennis Kelly is the Director Pan Tasman Fleet at FleetPartners and has over 40 years’ experience in leasing, commercial asset financing and banking. FleetPartners is one of New Zealand’s leading vehicle leasing and fleet management companies and is helping businesses with their journey to carbon zero. This includes a 5-step framework that businesses can use to help them transition to more sustainable fleets.
Dennis says of his appointment, “At FleetPartners we are passionate about helping New Zealand businesses significantly reduce their carbon footprint, which will contribute to New Zealand meeting its overall CO2 emission reduction targets. I’m personally delighted to be given the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution with the team at Drive Electric.”
Dennis and Kirsten join the current board, which includes:
- Mark Gilbert, Chair
- Annette Azuma, Director, Business Advisory Services,
- Baker Tilly Staples Rodway
- Matthew Bailey, Chief Investment Officer, Still
- Tim Calder, Emerging Markets and Innovation Lead,
- Meridian Energy
- Ewan Morris, Country Managing Director, ABB New Zealand
- Eric Pellicer, General Manager Business Development, Powerco
- Dean Sheed, General Manager, Audi NZ
- Duncan Stewart, Director, Greenhouse Capital
- Steve West, CEO, ChargeNet
For more information, contact:
Drive Electric Chairman, Mark Gilbert, 021 972 244 mark@driveelectric.org.nz
About Drive Electric
Drive Electric is a not-for-profit membership organisation with one goal – Mainstreaming e-mobility to support New Zealand’s low-carbon future.
We were established in 2011, and since then have become the leading voice on e-mobility uptake in New Zealand. We are an independent, apolitical voice which is energy agnostic.
Drive Electric has a membership of over fifty leading organisations representing the convergence of the e-mobility ecosystem: finance, automotive, infrastructure, energy and government. Our membership includes ABB NZ, ACEV, Arup, Audi, Autolink, Baker Tilly Staples Rodway, Bentley, Beyond Clarity, BMW NZ, Charge Net, ChargeSmart, Contact Energy, Custom Fleet, Critchlow Geospatial, EECA, Electrify, Evnex, FleetPartners, Ford, Giltrap Group, Go Rentals, GVI Electric, Hyundai, IntDevice, Jaguar, Kings Plant Barn, Lamborghini, Land Rover, LeasePlan, Lexus, Maritime EV, Mercury, Meridian Energy, Mitsubishi Motors NZ, Mevo, Nissan, Orix, Peugeot, Porsche, PowerCo, Renault, Retyna, SG Fleet, Singer Electrical, Skoda, Smartrak, Spartan, STILL, Tesla, THL, Toyota, Unison, Vector, VIA, Volvo, Volkswagen, Waste Management, Wedgewood White, Westpac NZ, YHI, Zilch and Zurich Insurance.
