The New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) has appointed Pamela Bell as its new Chief Executive. Pamela was the founder and former chief executive of PrefabNZ (now OffsiteNZ) and is a leading advocate for sustainable, innovative building methods.

Pamela takes up the role on Monday, 25 July replacing Malcolm Fleming who recently became Chief Executive of construction sector membership association the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB).

NZIOB Board Chair John Hemi said, “Pamela comes to the Institute of Building as an Innovation Consultant and Board Director for a range of start-ups, Council-controlled entities and commercial organisations in the built environment. Her work has been focused on innovative construction, affordable housing, and added-value timber. She has subject matter expertise in offsite manufacturing, design-thinking approaches, dynamic strategy, and future-focused governance.

“Pamela is best known in the building sector as the founding Chief Executive of the innovative design and construction industry social enterprise and member-based organisation PrefabNZ Incorporated, the peak body for innovative offsite construction.”

She has a Master of Architecture from Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), with her thesis “Kiwi Prefab” not only inspiring the inception of PrefabNZ, but also a book and museum exhibition.

Pamela has also been the recipient of several awards, including the VUW Alumni Award (2019). She is an Adjunct Professor at VUW investigating the relationship between design thinking and business. Most recently, she has become intrigued about the interface between design thinking and governance for the boardroom with a series of articles and upcoming workshop for the Institute of Directors.

Pamela says she is excited to lead the Institute into this next pivotal period for the future of the built environment in New Zealand. She acknowledges the importance of listening directly to Members about their current experiences of the industry’s challenges, connecting with learnings from other collaborative organisations locally and globally, and creating a pathway for future-proofing the Institute of Building going forward.

John Hemi said, “The NZIOB Board are delighted to be able to appoint a Chief Executive of the calibre of Pamela and look forward to working with her.”