New General Manager for Outdoors New Zealand

Well regarded outdoor enthusiast Paul Chaplow, has been appointed General Manager of Outdoors New Zealand (ONZ).

Chaplow is presently the programme manager for the areas of alpine, rock, first aid and risk management with the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (NZMSC). During his time at NZMSC, he has successfully completed a post graduate diploma in Business Administration with Victoria University.

Chaplow has a strong participation and leadership background in a wide range of outdoor pursuits in roles including being a ski instructor, sailing watch captain, instructor/operations manager at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre, sea kayaking operations manager, eco-tourism lodge manager and staff development manager with Outward Bound NZ.

These roles give Chaplow an ideal grounding for his new position.

The members of the Executive of ONZ are unequivocal in their support for him and are excited about what he will bring to the position.

Commenting on the appointment, ONZ Chairperson Dr Mike Boyes explains "(Paul) brings considerable experience and management skill, and there is no doubt he will hit the ground running."

One of Chaplow's early tasks will be the management of the annual forum to be held in September, 2009. This will be an opportunity for the outdoor sector and others to meet the members of the newly formed Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Recreation Council and hear about the forthcoming plans to implement the SPARC Outdoor Recreation Strategy. In addition, a key section will be discussing the implications and lessons to be learnt from the Mangatepopo tragedy for the outdoor recreation/outdoor education sector.

Outdoors New Zealand is an umbrella federation of about 120 outdoor recreation and outdoor education bodies and focuses on advocacy and promotion of the outdoor recreation sector.