New National Manager leads Standards New Zealand’s next chapter

Malcolm MacMillan, Standards New Zealand National Manager

Malcolm, who joined us in April, leads Standards New Zealand’s team of 30 staff. He has a background in strategic and operational leadership and has led the design and delivery of regulatory reform initiatives across a range of sectors. He is very familiar with the standards and conformation world, having dealt with New Zealand standards, accreditation, certification, licensing, registration, audit, performance review, and quality management and assurance schemes.

New Zealand Standards Executive Sanjai Raj says, ‘Malcolm has that essential understanding of the framework that standards exist in, and experience with standards across policy, regulation, and implementation. Standards New Zealand works closely with international partners and being able to see the bigger picture, not just across a New Zealand context but a global one, helps us play our role as the national standards body.’

Relationship management, engagement, and collaboration with stakeholders are at the heart of Malcolm’s role. As he has worked in diverse sectors such as building and construction, health and safety, primary industries, housing, COVID-19 response, emergency response and recovery, aviation security, and local government, he has seen for himself the impact that standards can have.

Malcolm says, ‘I’m pleased to be able to lead this organisation and its crucial work, which is needed now more than ever. Standards matter and should be at the heart of decision making.’ 

A time of action

Malcolm joins us at a time when substantial projects are helping to lead big changes for New Zealand across multiple sectors, from building and energy, data and digital, and primary industries, to the environment, health, and local government. With standards development we are: 

• Setting the path for improvements to energy efficiency, the adoption of renewables like hydrogen, uptake in electric vehicles, and carbon reduction through our work with Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (ECCA);
• Protecting human health and safety through our work with WorkSafe’s Energy Safety division;
• Updating building and construction standards through MBIE’s Building System Performance branch;
• Supporting Waka Kotahi’s road and vehicle safety requirements; 
• Encouraging innovation in the digital technology space which includes cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

'Many of the projects we are working on will help New Zealand grow', Malcolm says. ‘New Zealanders need to work together, and the world needs to work together, to recover after these challenging few years. Standards help make sure we’re all on the same page and, when created through Standards New Zealand, they ensure different viewpoints are considered to remove bias, give independent oversight, gain consensus, and protect the authority of what that standard is. It’s worth reflecting on how much we would trust using services and products or working in an environment that didn’t have standards.’

Malcolm also acknowledges Standards New Zealand’s unique role. ‘Standards New Zealand is our nation’s trusted kaitiakitanga of standards, with a heritage literally built on meeting New Zealanders’ specific needs. I look forward to meeting our many commissioning organisations and stakeholders over the weeks and months ahead.’

Connecting all parties

Much of Standards New Zealand’s work is in partnership with commissioning organisations, many of which are government agencies, regulators, and leading industry bodies. With his experience in all these areas and a thorough understanding of the machinery of government, Malcolm will help connect parties in pursuit of standardisation. Previous work has taken him beyond the domestic environment, into broader international markets and partnerships, where he has represented New Zealand’s interests at international forums and working groups, fronted select committees and cabinet meetings, and been on an advisory oversight committee for an independent accreditation body’s accreditation of inspection bodies scheme.

With Standards New Zealand now in its 90th year, Malcolm will lead the next chapter and oversee the important role that it plays as New Zealand’s national standards body.