Media Veteran Takes Top RNZ Board Role
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Brent Impey has been appointed chair of RNZ by Minister for Media and Communications Paul Goldsmith, who also named Paula Browning and Richard Dellabarca as new governors to the board.
Impey had been serving as an RNZ governor since September 2024. Goldsmith said the appointment "provides critical continuity for RNZ's governance and leadership" and that the three appointments would "bolster the Board for the next three years, supporting RNZ to be a financially sustainable and trusted state broadcaster".
Impey brings decades of media experience to the role. He led MediaWorks New Zealand for around 11 years, overseeing brands including More FM, The Rock, The Edge, Radio Live and Kiwi FM, and was involved in a reported NZ$777 million MediaWorks deal. Earlier in his career he served as executive director of the Radio Broadcasters Association and practised as a media lawyer until around 1990.
Outside media, Impey chaired New Zealand Rugby from 2013 to 2022, steering the organisation through COVID-19 and leading contentious negotiations with investment firm Silver Lake. He also chaired SANZAAR from 2015 to 2020. He currently chairs the Fijian Drua and Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting, and is a director of Devon Funds Management and the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand.
Impey said he strongly believed RNZ played a "pivotal and growing role" as a trusted news source at a time of "increased populism and polarization".
"The New Zealand media sector is under stress and that makes a high performing RNZ more important than ever," he said.
He said he would advocate for journalistic independence alongside robust audience and performance measurement, and would work to grow both live listening and digital audiences.
"Trust grows when journalists have the support and freedom to tell the stories that matter to all New Zealanders."
Goldsmith described Impey's leadership style as "decisive and transparent" and said his media sector experience and commitment to editorial independence would guide RNZ into the future.
New governor Paula Browning is an executive and director with digital technology expertise. She is currently part-time executive director of WeCreate Inc and deputy chair of the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board.
Richard Dellabarca is a chartered accountant and Bachelor of Laws graduate with a background in financial management and governance. He chairs Epic Char and sits on the Drive Electric board.
Goldsmith thanked outgoing board members Dr Jim Mather, who served three terms, along with governors Jane Wrightson and Irene Gardiner, for their contributions to RNZ.