Telecommunications Dispute Resolution Limited (TDRL) has been established to enable independent governance of the Telecommunications Dispute Resolution Scheme (the Scheme).
The role of TDRL
Our board provides strategic direction and governance. It includes consumer and industry representatives, and an independent director who serves as the Chair.
The TDRL is governed by a Constitution and Terms of Reference.
Principles
The key functions of the TDRL Board are to ensure the independence of TDRL and to ensure that the Scheme is well-run and effective.
Through its governance, the TDRL Board ensures the delivery of the Scheme’s Key Principles:
- ensuring that customers have access to an effective independent dispute resolution mechanism to address issues where the Customer is not satisfied with the outcome from their Scheme Member’s internal Complaints handling or dispute resolution process in relation to a Complaint;
- facilitating the resolution of Complaints relating to Telecommunications Services in New Zealand through practices that are fair and equitable and are consistent with the purposes and provisions of the Telecommunications Act 2001;
- providing prompt, fair, and independent resolution of disputes, having regard to the Customer Care Code and the service standards it sets out, as well as relevant legal requirements.
TDRL
Chief Executive Officer
Herman Visagie
Herman Visagie was appointed the CEO of TDRL in July 2024. He is an experienced executive leader and general counsel, with extensive experience across crown entities, central government, industry associations, regulators and the private sector.
Herman brings a strong background in law, compliance and consumer dispute resolution, as well as a track record of effectively working with a variety of stakeholders including consumer groups, industry participants and policy makers.
TDR Board Members
Independent Director and Board Chair
Barry Jordan
Barry is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and has worked almost his entire career in the field of dispute resolution, latterly as a Wellington based commercial mediator.
With a background as a forensic accountant, restructuring expert, commercial negotiator and Court expert witness, Barry has the hands-on experience to help make things happen and navigate effective solutions to seemingly intractable positions. Barry knows where to look to find clarity within detail. His commercial expertise is supported by a controlled yet facilitative approach to get things done. Barry is empathetic and composed, yet persistent and responsive, narrowing issues swiftly and articulating them clearly.
It is with this background, and since retiring as senior partner with Deloitte, that he was selected to fill numerous governance roles including ministerial appointments to be the Establishment Board Chair of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (now Te Pukenga), a director of Southern Institute of Technology Ltd, a director of UCOL Ltd, and a director of Southern Lakes English Language School. Barry has been a Council member of AMINZ (Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand) over the past four years and has also recently been appointed to the Board of Bowls Wellington. In all these roles, Barry has chaired or led the Finance, Audit and Risk aspects of the Board’s governance. He has worked with senior management in all of these, and numerous other public sector organisations, helping with their strategic options and to help build the capacity and capability of their staff.
Consumer Representatives
Don Cowie
Don is currently engaged as a volunteer and in governance roles with a number of community-based Not-For-Profit entities including Citizens Advice Bureau of New Zealand and Citizens Advice Bureau of Auckland City. He has previously worked in banking and financial services, business strategy, business and IT project management, and risk management/governance.
Judi Jones
Judi has significant experience in designing and delivering industry based consumer dispute resolution, having been Australia’s Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and New Zealand’s Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner. She holds qualifications in law and dispute resolution, is an experienced mediator and has taught mediation and negotiation at graduate and post-graduate levels at Massey University.
Judi is a member of the Media Council and of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and provides mentoring on a professional and volunteer basis.
Kate Tokeley
Kate is an Associate Professor of Law at Victoria University of Wellington. Her area of speciality is consumer law and policy.
She is an author of academic articles and chapters on consumer law and policy issues in both New Zealand and internationally. She is the co-editor and co-author of Consumer Law in New Zealand (3rd ed, 2023, LexisNexis, Wellington).
Kate is also the Deputy Chair of the Consumer NZ Board and a trustee of the Hawkes Bay Foundation.
Industry Representatives
Hallitt Bresloff
Hallit was born and raised in Israel and immigrated to New Zealand in the late 2003.
She joined CallSouth in 2004, a small telecommunications company that was based in Oamaru, and managed their service, sales and retention teams. In April 2007 CallSouth was bought by Trustpower and Hallit has held multiple senior management positions with a core focus on Telecommunications. Hallit played a key role in the delivery of " bundled services" which were the first of their kind in New Zealand. She has a vast Telecommunications industry knowledge and experience, and extensive experience in customer operations and service. In 2022 Mercury acquired the Trustpower business and Hallit was an integral member of the leadership team planning and delivering the merging of the Mercury and Trustpower brands.
Hallit’s passion is the development and growth of people within the business, delivering excellent services to external and internal customers and has a ‘can do’ attitude. Hallit places a high value on continued personal development and growth. Hallit currently holds the position of ‘Head of Provisioning and Assure’ and is currently the ‘Stream Lead Customer Operations’ delivering the merged brands customers onto a common technology stack.
Laureen Reeve
Laureen Reeve has been with One NZ, previously Vodafone NZ for 15+ years.
She is a people focused leader with a rich background in building winning teams. Laureen has significant experience in transforming large operations and teams to be more effective, enabling a culture of empowerment and growth for our customers and our people.
She has comprehensive experience and understanding of Technical, Business & Consumer Operations, UX & CX Continuous Improvement, People, Process and Technology.
Louise Henderson
Louise is the General Counsel and Head of Risk at 2degrees and is one of the telco industry representatives on the Board. Louise has more than 15 years’ experience working in legal and risk roles overseas and in New Zealand.
With 2degrees’ ‘fighting for fair’ mantra engrained in her DNA, Louise is a strong advocate for fairness and transparency at all levels of governance. She is passionate about ensuring Consumers have access to effective and independent dispute resolution schemes that offer easy, fast and inexpensive avenues for resolving issues.
Louise is proud to be part of the inaugural Telecommunication Disputes Resolution Limited Board of Directors and looks forward to supporting the development of a strong independent organisation.
Contact information
TDRL
You can get in touch with members of the TDRL Board by:
- Email: secretariat@tdr.nz
For phone and internet complaints
You can use the online form
More information
Resources