TTK mourns passing of director George Paterson

28 August 2017 TeamTalk Limited (NZX: TTK), the publicly listed telecommunications services provider is deeply saddened by the death of board director George Paterson on Saturday 26 August 2017 following a battle with cancer. George joined the TeamTalk board in late 2012 bringing his customary energy and enthusiasm to the role, together with extensive skills and experience he had gained in both the professional and commercial sectors. He began his professional chartered accounting career in Gisborne in 1985 after graduating from the University of Canterbury with a BComm. He was a partner for eight years, providing business advisory services to the health, local government, accident compensation, and agribusiness sectors. His external directorships included Riversun Nurseries, Port Gisborne, and Eastworks Limited. In 1999, he was appointed the chief financial officer of Southern Capital Limited when that company listed on the NZX. Southern Capital later acquired and became Hirequip and George was appointed joint chief executive, a role he held up and until the sale of that company to private equity interests in December 2006. Since then, he has undertaken a number of advisory roles for companies on both sides of the Tasman as an investment consultant, merger and acquisition specialist, and chief financial officer. Most recently he has been general manager of Ecopoint, a start-up company in the LED lighting market, and general manager, strategy & finance for ContainerCo (NZ) Limited, the container depot storage and repair operator. TeamTalk chairman Roger Sowry said, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of George, who was a widely respected and valued member of the TeamTalk board. Our hearts go out to George's wife and family at this difficult time." Apart from his business and governance roles, George's interests centred around his family and motorsport. He had been active in the community as a coach of high school cricket and rugby, the former chairman of the Board of Trustees of Adventure School in Whitby, and was a former Councillor of Tairawhiti Polytechnic and Trustee of the Gisborne Palliative Care Service. George is survived by his wife, Jill, his two sons Mike and Tim, and daughter Emily. End CA:00306238 For:TTK Type:GENERAL Time:2017-08-28 09:05:32