Annual reports and AGM

Results of AGM Vote

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Union Medical Benefits Society Limited (UniMed) was held on Monday 30 October 2023 at the Distinction Hotel, 14 Cathedral Square, Christchurch at 6pm.

Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting and to all our Members who took the time to vote or nominate a proxy to vote on their behalf.

The results of the vote for the two resolutions below are as follows:

Total count: 1,286

That BDO is re-appointed as the auditors of the Society and that Directors are authorized to set the auditor’s remuneration.

• For: 1,141
• Against: 55
• Abstain: 88
• Invalid: 2

That there is no increase in Director remuneration for the 2024 financial period. This reflects the Board’s awareness of cost-of-living increases and recent premium increases.

• For: 1,239
• Against: 30
• Abstain: 17
• Invalid: 0

As such both resolutions were passed.

Our new board members

Justine Gilliland, Director

Justine Gilliland is an independent director and strategy consultant, currently serving on the boards of ESR, Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, the Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust, Economic Development NZ, UniMed, and Taranaki health provider Tui Ora.

Justine is the former Chief Executive of regional development agency Venture Taranaki. Prior to which she was Deputy Director-General Sector Partnerships and Programmes at the Ministry for Primary Industries, leading multi-million-dollar investment in research and development programmes, Māori partnerships, and regional development.

Justine also chairs or is a member of advisory/governance groups for energy sector and food & fibre sector companies. Justine's consulting work is currently mainly focussed on developing offshore wind energy for Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as the development of the 2023 Manawatu Food Strategy.

Having been has been admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, Justine holds law and arts degrees, and resides in Taranaki with her young family.

Erin Polaczuk, Director (she/her)

Erin is the managing director of Lewa Consulting, focused on providing pay equity, organisation-building and industrial-relations advice.

Erin has held elected roles in international bodies such as Public Service International and has held numerous board roles including with HealthcarePlus and the Worker Education Trust. She has held advisory positions such as the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women.

Her current roles include Kāpiti Birthright, the Greenpeace voting assembly and the Grants for Good scholarship committee.

Erin is passionate about good governance, equity and social justice matters.

She became a leader of the largest union in Aotearoa (PSA) at age 33 where she worked for 8 years following leadership and organising roles in other unions. She is experienced in working with and growing membership organisations and completed her leadership training through the ACTU and Harvard University. She is a member of the Institute of Directors.

Polaczuk is a Polish name. The Polish side of Erin’s family came to New Zealand as refugees during the Second World War. Erin grew up in Naenae, the fifth of ten children, and has two children of her own. She resides in Kāpiti.