Dr John Gallagher, CNZM, KStJ, JP
Patron
Dr John Gallagher has served on the University Council since 1990, been Pro-Chancellor and Chancellor, and was formerly Chair of the Foundation before his current position as Patron. He also has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waikato.
The Gallagher Family has had a long relationship with the University, contributing significantly in time and money to the development of the Don Llewellyn Sports Pavilion, the Sir Edmund Hillary Programme, and the Academy of Performing Arts. In 2011 the Academy was renamed in honour of the Gallagher Group and family in recognition of their long term commitment to the University's endowment fund. In 2015 the Glenice and John Gallagher Foundation established the Dr John Gallagher Chair in Engineering, to further the University's engineering research.
Susan Hassall ONZM
Chair
Susan has a Master of Arts (Honours) from the University of Auckland, and was appointed to the University's Foundation in 2016. She is also a member of the University's Honours Committee, and was appointed Pro-Chancellor in 2017.
Susan is currently Headmaster of Hamilton Boys' High School. Beginning her career at the school as a first-year English teacher, in 2000 she was appointed Headmaster, and the first woman to lead a New Zealand boys' school. She has overseen the school's growth to more than 2000 students.
She has a particular interest in gifted education, and regularly contributes to the Minister's Advisory Group, and has served as an executive member of the Association of Boys' Schools since its inception in 2002.
In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours she was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to education.
Sir Paul Adams KNZM, CNZM
A trained civil engineer, Paul is the executive chair of Carrus, a property development company he founded in 1990 and has since built up as one of the largest land development operations in the Bay of Plenty and extending into Rotorua, Taupo, Hamilton, Palmerston North and Wellington.
As chair of the University of Waikato Campus Development Committee, he helped lead the development of the University's campus in Tauranga, and made major contributions to revamping Bay Oval and the Adams High Performance Sports Centre. He is also chair of Accessible Properties, a not-for-profit social and disability housing provider, and contributes significant governance expertise to a range of regional and national bodies.
In 2013 Paul was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to business and philanthropy. In 2019 he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to philanthropy and the community.
Dr Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor and Masters of Science, majoring in physics with first class honours in 1989. That same year, he became the University’s first Rhodes Scholar, which saw him attend Oxford University to complete his doctorate.
Andrew spent 16 years working in consumer and grocery markets worldwide for companies including Fonterra, Unilever and Procter and Gamble. In 2009 he was appointed CEO of Prolife Foods, known for brands such as Mother Earth, Alison’s Pantry and Donovan’s Chocolates.
Andrew was a founding supporter of the Community and Enterprise Leadership Foundation (CELF), a charitable trust established to develop future Waikato leaders. In 2019 he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University in recognition of his international business success.
In 2021 he established the Dr Andrew Smith Medal for Academic Excellence and is a foundation donor to the Distinguished Alumni scholarship, both to recognise outstanding student achievements.