Barbara Bridger

Barbara has been the CEO of the Otago Community Trust, a philanthropic Trust based in Dunedin, for two years. Barbara is a Chartered Accountant by background. She spent almost 10 years working in the Banking and Financial Services sector both in New Zealand and Overseas, firstly as an external Auditor with Ernst and Young before joining Credit Suisse First Boston in their Investment Management Subsidiary in London. From 1996 until 2013 Barbara was the Practice Manager at Dunedin’s Mornington Health Centre, one of New Zealand’s largest medical centres. Whilst there she established the Country’s first stand alone Primary Health Organisation (PHO) and she was its Chief Executive for 8 years until its disestablishment due to the establishment of one PHO for the whole of the Otago/Southland region. Barbara has also been involved in a number of not for profit organisations as a volunteer and board member including Kiwi Swim Club and St Hilda’s Collegiate School.Barbara is married to Ken Lister and they have two daughters studying at Otago University and a son in the senior school at Otago Boys High School. She has a keen interest in her local community and in particular in issues affecting young people. In her spare time Barbara enjoys entertaining, gardening, travel and keeping fit and in the weekends during winter can be found on the ski slopes in Central Otago.