Meet the powerHouse Team

Board | Management Team

Phil Holliday (Chair), Board

Phil is MD of Holliday Corporation, a business growth and angel investment company. Phil is an industry figurehead who achieved success through the multi-million dollar sale of his electronics and wireless company Holliday Group Ltd to iTouch PLC in the UK.

John Walley, Board

John has a wide experience in globally competitive research, development, manufacturing and distribution companies, in the marine, electronics and software sectors. He is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institute of Professional Engineers NZ, Member of The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management and Fellow of the Institute of Quality Assurance UK. John also has a number of investments in start-up technology companies.

Steve Wilson, Board

Steve has 32 years experience as a CEO of both public and private companies. He is currently the Managing Director of Talbot Plastics, a company established in 1972 to provide a custom injection moulding and mould making service to the manufacturing industry. He is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management. Steve is a director of a number of technology companies and a former director of Adrenalin Ventures, a Canterbury based private equity fund.

Dr Grant Ryan, Board

Grant has founded a number of companies including GlobalBrain.net (sold to NBCi), RealContacts, SLI Systems (a profitable fast growing SaaS search company), Eurekster (North America Red Herring 100 in 2006) and more recently, YikeBike. On the board of Canterbury Development Corporation, Grant has also served on the boards of the New Zealand Government’s Venture Investment Fund and the Foundation for Research Science and Technology. Grant has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Ecological Economics from the University of Canterbury.

John Barr, Board

John is the managing director of Ayrshire e.b.a. Ltd which specialises in providing governance and business holistic and operational advice at Managing Director/Owner level primarily for SMEs together with directorship roles. John has chief executive and directorship level experience across a broad range of industry environments, covering manufacturing, contract manufacturing, technology and electricity trusts together with involvement in the NZ Trade & Enterprise Beachhead programme and the GlobalScots network.

Peter John, Board

Peter has been Director Research and Commercialisation at Lincoln University since 2005. Prior to this, beginning in 1993, he was Chief Executive Officer at Lincoln Ventures Limited (LVL), a research, development and consulting company owned by Lincoln University. At LVL he managed the commercialisation of a number of hardware and software technologies and specialist fee-for-service businesses. Peter has been a Director of the Canterbury Innovation Incubator for nine years, from when was founded in March 2001.