Our People
The team behind Democracy Reform NZ
Godfrey Bridger — Founder & Secretary
Godfrey Bridger holds an ME (Electrical) and an MBA (Executive). His career spans elected governance, corporate leadership, and public-sector innovation.
Approximately 30 years ago, Godfrey was elected to the Auckland Regional Services Trust — a body that owned the Ports of Auckland, Watercare Services, the Yellow Bus Company, Northern Disposal Services, the Americas Cup Village, and other major regional assets. The Trust’s electorate was the largest in New Zealand and if it existed today would still be the largest, giving him first-hand experience of the tensions between left and right in democratic institutions.
He went on to serve as a board member of Mercury Energy (now Vector), Chief Executive of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) — reporting to a board, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Minister of Energy — and held several R&D management and innovation roles across both the private sector and government.
These experiences convinced Godfrey that New Zealand’s democratic institutions need the same kind of evidence-based renovation that has transformed energy, infrastructure, and corporate governance over the past three decades. Democracy Reform NZ is the result.
Mark Sayes — Treasurer
Mark Sayes began his career as a teacher at Auckland Grammar School before founding ESA Publications in 1994. The company grew to publish 230 workbooks and study guides spanning Years 1 to 13, and was acquired by the Open Polytechnic in 2015.
Mark is a Life Member of the Publishers Association of New Zealand, a Director of Copyright Licensing Limited, and a Life Member of the Eden Epsom Tennis and Squash Club. He brings deep expertise in publishing, copyright, and education to Democracy Reform NZ’s governance.
Paul Bridger — Board Member
Paul Bridger holds a BSc in Neuroscience. He is a highly experienced IT and artificial intelligence application adviser and developer, and has led several technically complex teams delivering AI-driven solutions.
Paul brings deep expertise in emerging technology — particularly in how AI tools can be applied to democratic accountability, transparency, and civic engagement — making him a natural fit for Democracy Reform NZ’s commitment to building practical, technology-enabled reforms.
Wayne Cartwright — Board Member
Professor Wayne Cartwright (M.Agr.Sc, PhD Economics) spent 34 years in tertiary education, including three decades as a professor in the business schools of Massey University and the University of Auckland, where he held the chair in Strategic Management. His background spans agricultural science, economics, marketing, strategic management and international business — as academic, consultant and company director — and he has served on several corporate boards.
Wayne’s current work, through his practice Prisma Partners, focuses on strategic foresight: the global drivers of change, long-range scenarios for businesses and sectors, and public policy for times of great change. A past chair of Sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand (SANZ), he co-wrote and edited the 2009 SANZ publication Strong Sustainability for New Zealand: Principles and Scenarios and has served on the Council for Socially Responsible Investment. His deep experience in how institutions prepare for profound change — and the education, ethics and cooperation that transition demands — makes him a natural fit for Democracy Reform NZ’s mission of renovating democratic institutions for the century ahead.