Governance

Our mission is to empower dispute resolvers, advance the practice of dispute resolution, and foster a culture of excellence in dispute resolution throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

AMINZ is governed by an elected Council of up to seven, including a directly elected President and Vice President. Online elections are held annually, and members who are Associates or Fellows of the institute are eligible to vote. Terms last for two years and in accordance with governance best practice there are limits on the number of terms individual members may serve.

Council is responsible for ensuring good governance of the Institute. As well as having monitoring, accountability and reporting functions, Council has responsibilities both as an employer and a property owner. It is focused on ensuring the Institute’s strength and sustainability. AMINZ Council Members are also expected to take lead roles as subject matter experts and to put in additional time to assist the institute as volunteers.

Council meets approximately six times a year, with four face-to-face meetings and the rest online.

Council retires by rotation, ensuring the ability for succession planning. The new Council takes over at the Annual General Meeting, usually held at the annual conference.

Meeting dates for 2025

  • Council Strategy Day 19 February

  • Council Meeting 20 February

  • Council Meeting 18 June

  • Council Meeting 7 August

  • Annual General Meeting 27 August (AMINZ Conference 28–29 August)

  • Council Meeting 20 November

Our Council

Our dedicated council members are the driving force behind AMINZ, working tirelessly to shape the future of dispute resolution in Aotearoa New Zealand. Each member brings a unique set of skills, experiences, and a shared passion for promoting fairness, cooperation, and excellence in resolving disputes.

Malcolm Wallace
President

LLB, FAMINZ (Arb)

Malcolm is a Christchurch-based Barrister, Arbitrator, and Mediator, and is an accomplished legal professional. He became an AMINZ Fellow in 2012 and serves as a Panel Member for Arbitration, Family Law Arbitration, and Mediation.

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Dr Anna Kirk
Vice President

PhD, LLB (Hons), BA, FAMINZ (Arb)

Dr Anna Kirk is a barrister at Bankside Chambers, specialising in commercial and investment arbitration, acting as arbitrator and adjudicator. A Fellow of AMINZ and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Anna has extensive experience and contributions in the field.

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Council Members

  • Ann Skelton

    LLB, BA, FAMINZ(Med)

    With a background in law, Ann specialises in mediation and conflict resolution. She has worked in various legal roles, including insurance and employment law. Ann's experience spans local government, the Disputes Tribunal, and insurance. She's involved in community panels and networks, promoting diverse mediation practices.

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  • Kate Wiseman

    BCom LLB(Hons) FAMINZ(Arb)

    Kate is based at Bankside Chambers, Auckland and is an experienced dispute resolver with 20 years of business background. Kate specialises in mediation, arbitration, and law and has expertise in various industries, especially trust, estate, and relationship property law.

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  • Heidi van Eeden

    GradDip BusStuds (Dispute Resolution), BSc (Hons), Dip ConsTech, Dip Civil Eng. FNZIQS, Reg. QS, AAMINZ

    Heidi is a Registered Quantity Surveyor that has worked across many sectors of the industry, be it mining, civil, vertical or horizontal construction. They worked for subcontractors, main contractors and consultancy businesses in South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand for the last 26 years and understand the perspectives of most groups within the sector.

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  • Steve Alexander

    NZCB, FAMINZ, MNZIBS, LBP Design Level 3, MNZIOB

    For the past 27 years, Steve has been active in dispute resolution in the building and construction sector and was privileged to be admitted as AMINZ Fellow in 2000. Currently based in Auckland, Steve’s work has taken him to all corners of Aotearoa New Zealand. Steve is regularly appointed as an adjudicator, expert determiner or mediator of disputes.

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  • Emmolina May

    BConsr (Cons Econ), BConsr(Prop Dev), NatDipQS, AAMINZ, MAANZ, MNZIQS, Reg QS

    Emmolina is a Registered Quantity Surveyor, construction law specialist and practising adjudicator.

    She has worked across dispute resolution, construction and education, with experience in residential and commercial builds and major infrastructure projects.

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Constitution, Bylaws and Code of Ethics

AMINZ is governed by a Constitution, Bylaws, and by a Code of Ethics. There are also internal policy and procedural documents that relate to the day-to-day running of the operations of the Institute.

View the Constitution

View the Bylaws

View the Code of Ethics

Complaints

From time to time, AMINZ receives complaints about its members. Complaints must relate to a member acting in their capacity as an independent neutral dispute resolution professional. In order to be considered, a complaint must fall within the scope of professional misconduct under the Institute’s Rules and would then be considered in line with the complaints process as set out in the Rules.

Read more about the complaints process here.