Paul Reynolds

Paul Reynolds was a Trustee of the Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Trust from 2016-2017. From 1998 onwards Paul held senior positions in the New Zealand Public Service at the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, culminating with a seven-year period as Chief Executive at the Ministry for the Environment (MfE), which finished in March 2015. He led the Ministry through a significant transformation journey seeking to lift the capability and performance of the organisation.

During his time at MfE Paul also served as the leader of the Natural Resources Sector Group of Chief Executives. He also served both as a board member and as chair of the Leadership Development Centre and also as chair of the Advisory Board to the Victoria University of Wellington School of Government.

Prior to his Wellington-based career, Paul was a research scientist, first at the University of Missouri, USA and then with the DSIR and one of its successor organisations, HortResearch. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Otago.

Currently Paul is serving on a number of Boards, including as:

• Deputy chair of Landcare Research Ltd,
• A director of AgResearch Ltd,
• A trustee and deputy Chair of the Sir Peter Blake Trust,
• A trustee of the Eastland Community trust, and
• Chair of the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge.