Bay of Plenty Business News November/December 2016

BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS November/December 2016 9
Chamber boss leaves
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce is on the
lookout for a new chief executive following
Darrin Walsh’s departure in November.
By GEOFF TAYLOR
Mr Walsh finished up in
the role on November
16 to start a position
setting up a business banking
section at Credit Union
Central.
Mr Walsh told Bay of
Plenty Business News the
new job was a challenge he
couldn’t resist.
“I was asked to go and set
up a business lending division
at Credit Union Central.
“They don’t have one and
that’s a challenge for me. I
was always on a three year
contract at the chamber and
that came to an end in July.
The credit union offered me
the opportunity and it was a
role that sparked my interest.”
Mr Walsh, who before taking
up the chamber role, was
with ANZ for 29 years, said
the role was a return to his
“passion for banking”.
He set up a business banking
division in Wellington
which went on to become one
of ANZ’s biggest in the country.
“A lot of my time at ANZ
was in business banking. I’ve
always enjoyed helping businesses
achieve their goals. It’s
what I like doing.”
I came in at a time
when the chamber
needed new direction.
We now have a stable
membership and a
really good profile and
our finances are in
order again.”
Asked about the one week
notice period Mr Walsh said
there was “nothing sinister” in
the short turnaround. He said
Credit Union Central wanted
him to start as soon as possible.
“I guess in the lead-in
to Christmas things quieten
down (at the chamber) and it
was a good opportunity to get
a few key priority things done.
The board was happy for me
to go.”
Mr Walsh said he had
enjoyed his time of chief
executive at the chamber.
“I came in at a time when
the chamber needed new
direction. We now have a stable
membership and a really
good profile and our finances
are in order again.”
Outgoing Rotorua Chamber of Commerce
chief executive Darrin Walsh.
New boss at Priority One
Economic development
agency Priority One has
a new boss.
Priority One’s executive
board announced this month
the appointment of Nigel Tutt
to the position of chief executive,
after an extensive search
that attracted strong interest
from candidates from around
New Zealand and overseas.
Originally from Mount
Maunganui, Mr Tutt brings
significant commercial experience
and knowledge to this
key role from his background
in the private sector.
Most recently he has been
chief executive of Affinity ID
Limited, an industry leading
marketing technology company
with offices in New
Zealand and Australia.
He also led the digital
media arm of Fairfax Media
New Zealand and has worked
in senior roles in supply chain
management, export planning
and sales and operations.
Priority One chairman
Brett Hewlett said he is excited
at the prospect of having
someone of Mr Tutt’s commercial
experience join the
Priority One team.
“He will be a great complement
to what has proven
a very successful team
at Priority One, and sets us
up nicely to take economic
development in Tauranga and
the Western BoP to a new
level.”
Mr Tutt will commence
his role on November 28.
Priority One chief
executive Nigel Tutt.
Infrastructure New Zealand launched
New Zealand's peak
infrastructure body,
the New Zealand
Council for Infrastructure
Development has relaunched
as Infrastructure New
Zealand.
"Infrastructure New
Zealand better reflects the
wide range of priorities facing
the organisation today,
including transport funding,
project procurement
and regional governance
and planning reform," says
Infrastructure New Zealand
chief executive Stephen
Selwood.
"When NZCID was created
12 years ago, New
Zealand's infrastructure
challenges were of a different
kind. We had severely
under-invested in assets critical
for economic and social
development for a generation.
We needed investment
and we needed it urgently.
Our entire organisational
focus was on infrastructure
development.
"Pleasingly, as a country
we have since tackled many
of our most urgent priorities.
We've invested in our electricity
backbone, ramped up
investment in transport networks
across the country and
transformed our telecommunications
sector from a global
laggard to world leader,
for example.
"But significant opportunities
for improvement
remain.
"Lifting capability in
public procurement of major
projects has potential to
save the country billions of
dollars over coming years.
Getting land use and pricing
right could make our transport
dollars go much further
– especially in Auckland.
Revising infrastructure
responsibilities so that asset
owners have the resources
and capability to deliver
could see a step change in
service delivery in the provinces.
"Our new name -
Infrastructure New Zealand
– better encapsulates our role
as New Zealand’s peak infrastructure
industry body.
"Our immediate priorities
will be to focus on the really
challenging issues that continue
to hold New Zealand
back including:
- The need for reform of
our planning laws and institutions
to better align infrastructure
planning, funding
and delivery
- The need to shift to road
pricing to fund much needed
transport investment and
manage traffic demand more
effectively
- Lifting procurement
capability across the industry
- Accelerating the use
of private capital to deliver
better outcomes across the
sector
"The new logo represents
a connected New Zealand. It
symbolises networks across
transport, energy, water, telecommunications
and social
infrastructure.
"It also symbolises our
strong desire for effective
partnerships between the
public and private sectors to
deliver better outcomes for
all of New Zealand," says Mr
Selwood.
EECA appoints new boss
The Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Authority
(EECA) has announced
James Hay as its new chief
executive.
He will take up the role in
mid-January.
“James has an impressive
background spanning the
energy, transport and public
sectors, working with infrastructure
and energy businesses,
and with community-facing
organisations,” says EECA
chairman Tom Campbell.
“This is an excellent fit for
EECA, which is a government
agency known for its expertise
in working across all sectors
of the economy.”
As network general
manager – motorways for
roads and maritime services,
James is currently overseeing
the $AUD16.8 billion
Westconnex motorway
scheme under construction in
Sydney.
He has previously been
acting chief executive for
Meridian Energy, and a
director of Marlborough
Lines Limited and Cloud M
Limited.
James, who originally
trained as a lawyer, has
also held leadership roles at
Christchurch-based civil engineering
company, Central
Plains Water Limited, and
the Canterbury Earthquake
Recovery Authority (CERA).
EECA’s current chief executive,
Mike Underhill, retired
in mid-November after nearly
10 years in the role.
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