5 May 2005

Auckland City announces new top management team

New Zealand’s largest city today announced a new top management team – and tasked it to deliver on the “big ticket” issues, including transport, growth and neighbourhood and heritage protection.

The new team, led by chief executive designate David Rankin, who replaces retiring chief executive Bryan Taylor, includes:

John Duthie, general manager city development (currently group manager, city planning) Trish Langridge, general manager organisation performance (currently general manager, quality and performance improvement, Auckland District Health Board) Andrew McKenzie, general manager finance (currently chief financial officer, Wellington City Council) Jill McPherson, general manager community arts and recreation (currently director of planning services) Stephen Rainbow, general manager transport (currently director of urban strategy, Wellington City Council).

Mr Rankin said the new management team would be responsible for focusing on “big picture issues and big picture results”.

The team had been formed around the council’s key strategic challenges, including: encouraging growth, while protecting neighbourhoods, the city’s heritage and achieving good urban design delivering a balanced transport system ensuring the community lifestyle, leisure and cultural aspirations of an international city were met helping the organisation build on its efforts to be more accessible and easier to deal with, and address the funding challenges of a high growth city.

Mr Rankin said the management team’s job was to help the mayor and councillors build a world-class city.

There were 145 applicants for the five positions.

The appointments, which were supported by the mayor and councillors, followed a rigorous selection process undertaken since February.

“The contenders set a high benchmark,” said Mr Rankin. “We’ve achieved a team with a good blend of personalities and experience to deliver us the benefits of both continuity and new blood.

“We placed a strong emphasis on candidates’ leadership records, their commitment to develop leadership skills in their teams and to securing people committed to collaborative working behaviours, with both internal and external stakeholders.”

The council provides thousands of products and services. With a balance sheet of $6.2 billion, it would rank as the country’s fifth biggest business.

“The changes at the top are aimed at delivering further improvements on how we involve, listen to and take action for the 420,000 people who live within our boundaries – and the tens of thousands more who commute to the city for work or recreation.

“The current chief executive and management structure have a record of major achievements – including significant projects and prudent financial management.

“We are going to build on that legacy with this very strong new team,” Mr Rankin said.

ENDS

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