Bharat Ratanpal was appointed Chief Information Officer in March 2022. He has led Meridian's IT function since 2018. Bharat's appointment to the Executive team acknowledges the strategic importance of digital transformation to our business. Bharat has a wealth of experience with previous roles as Head of Technology at Education Payroll, and 15 years at Vodafone New Zealand and its predecessor Telstra Clear. He not only has a wealth of expertise, he has demonstrated his ability to lead, partner and enable others to put customers at the heart of our business through our digital programme. Bharat holds an MBA from Massey University, New Zealand and a Bachelor of Engineering from Pune University, India. Bharat and his team are responsible for the information and communication platforms, tools and technologies that support Meridian's operations, as well as Meridian’s cyber security strategy and programme.