MOTAT appoints Amit Prasad as new Chair

Media Release, Amit Prasad appointed Chair of the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) Board, 26 November 2024

New MOTAT Board Chair Amit Prasad (centre) is pictured with MOTAT Chief Executive – Museum Director Craig Hickman-Goodall and outgoing Chair Helen Atkins.

MOTAT is pleased to announce that Amit Prasad has been appointed Chair of the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) Board effective from 21 November 2024.

Amit has been a member of the MOTAT Board since 2018 and was appointed Deputy Chair in 2021. Amit has been Chair or a member of several MOTAT Board sub committees during his time at the Museum, including Audit and Risk, Safety and Wellbeing, and the Appointments, Performance and Remuneration Committee (APR).

He has broad experience in audit, governance, financial and risk management in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. He is also the current Independent Chair of The Pinnacle Group and Midland Regional Health Network Trust (PHO) and has other board engagements in his portfolio.

Amit says, “I am passionate about enabling MOTAT’s Vision to inspire the future innovators of Aotearoa and helping to build a brighter future for the country. The Museum is kaitiaki of an important collection of transport, science and technology objects telling stories of Kiwi progress and ingenuity and the MOTAT Team is doing an incredible job bringing those stories to life though exhibitions and programming – I look forward to supporting the Chief Executive/Museum Director Craig Hickman-Goodall, the Executive Leadership group and the whole MOTAT Team in this mahi.”

MOTAT Chief Executive/Museum Director Craig Hickman-Goodall says, “I wish to congratulate Amit on his appointment and look forward to working with him and the Board as we continue to build on the successes of recent years. And I would also like to thank our outgoing Chair, Helen Atkins, for chairing the Board during the past three years.”

Wayne Schache, a former MOTAT General Manager – Business Services and now Operations and Finance Director for the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, is the new Board Deputy Chair, while Alastair Carruthers and Heather Ruru (Ngāi Tai, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Whakatōhea) are new Board Members.

Alastair is a Board member of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board and Cornwall Park Trust Board. Among many board appointments, he recently chaired the NZ Film Commission and is currently Chair of TVNZ and Deputy Chair of Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Heather is a Principal Advisor at Houkura – Independent Māori Statutory Board, and Co-Chair National Board of Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi Playcentre Aotearoa.

For further information on MOTAT Governance and current Board Members please see here.