Dame Beverley Wakem, Porirua, DNZM, for services to the State
In 2005 Ms Beverley Wakem was appointed as an Ombudsman and in 2008 she was the first woman to be appointed as the Chief Ombudsman. In October 2010 she was elected President of the International Ombudsman Institute. She is the first woman and the third New Zealander to hold this position. From 1997 to 2004 Dame Beverley was a member of the Higher Salaries Commission (now the Remuneration Authority). Prior to this she was Commercial Director, then General Manager of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs for Wrightson Limited, and Executive Chair of Hill and Knowlton New Zealand, an international communications company. Dame Beverley was Chief Executive of Radio New Zealand from 1984 to 1991. Her achievements in this role were recognised with the honour of a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to broadcasting, in 1990.