Auckland Council has appointed Julie Hardaker and Andrew Ritchie to the board of Auckland Transport.
When looking for directors, the council sought candidates that would assist the board with experience from within the transport sector, experience in organisation transformation and culture change, strong commercial acumen and experience in implementing innovative technologies for the transport sector.
Councillor Maurice Williamson chaired the selection panel, representing the Performance and Appointments Committee, and he welcomes the new appointments.
“Arriving at the final two appointees was an incredibly difficult task as we were fortunate to have had a long list of exceedingly well-qualified applicants. In Julie Hardaker and Andrew Ritchie, Auckland Council has found two directors who will make a very strong contributions for the betterment of Auckland.“Julie’s record as an experienced governor and thorough understanding of the issues facing transport means that she will be able to bolster the board in key areas and make an immediate impact as a director.
“Andrew was particularly impressive to the panel in his deep industry understanding from his career leading Ritchies Transport Holdings. His voice will be a different perspective around the board table that will help us get the best out of our services for Aucklanders,” says Cr Williamson.
These appointments bring the Auckland Transport board up to its full complement of eight council-appointed board members along with one non-voting Waka Kotahi- New Zealand Transport Agency representative.
The appointments were approved by the Performance and Appointments Committee on 16 April. The committee is responsible for all appointments to the boards of council-controlled organisations, in accordance with the council’s Appointment and Remuneration Policy for Board Members and the Local Government Act.
About Julie Hardaker
Julie Hardaker is a practicing lawyer and experienced independent director and chair in a range of public, private and not for profit roles. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute and has first class LLB (Hons) and MMS (Hons) from Waikato University. Julie is currently Deputy Chair of Bay Venues Ltd, Chair of Chartered Governance Institute New Zealand and Women on Boards New Zealand, Chair of Orchestras Central Trust and trustee of Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.
Julie is the former Mayor of Hamilton and previous board roles include chair of the Environmental Protection Authority and Heads of Australasian Environmental Protection Authorities.
About Andrew Ritchie
Andrew Ritchie has had over thirty years’ experience as a leader across the transport and tourism industries, with a notable focus on public transport as Director of Operations for Ritchies Transport Holdings. He is also a former chair of Northland Rugby. Andrew currently chairs North Harbour Rentals and Traveller Australia.
Andrew is known for his ability to build and nurture relationships across different sectors, often serving as an advisor on complex issues. Actively involved in the Auckland community, he contributes to local fundraising events, demonstrating his commitment to community welfare.
With expertise in long term planning and asset stewardship, Andrew is dedicated to delivering tangible results that positively impact stakeholders and the broader community.
Note to editors:
The selection panel was comprised of Cr Maurice Williamson (panel chair); Cr Christine Fletcher; Tau Henare – Houkura Independent Māori Statutory Board member; Richard Leggat – Auckland Transport Chair; Phil Wilson – Auckland Council Chief Executive and Max Hardy – Chief of Staff.
