Chief Executive Phil Wilson has announced his new leadership team, with changes at tier two expected to be in place by the end of June and recruitment for tier three roles currently underway.
All tier two roles, except for the Tumuaki Huanga Māori, on the executive team were disestablished under the change proposal and new appointments (while open to senior leaders across the council group) have been made from existing director and general manager-level roles, and all from within the organisation.
Mr Wilson says that through the recruitment process, each of the chosen candidates demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities.
“A strong commitment to the success of Tāmaki Makaurau and a sharp focus on what the council needs to do to as we move forward and deliver on our Long-term Plan commitments shone through.
“This new team will be instrumental in the success of the organisation as we look towards the future, being the council Aucklanders need us to be.
“I will now be turning my attention to confirming the appointments of the tier three roles.”
In early May Mr Wilson confirmed a leadership change proposal, which followed consultation with staff on a new structure and a proposal to see greater leadership accountability, enable better collaboration, reduce duplication and deliver a modest net reduction in top-tier staffing numbers.
The transition to the new Executive Leadership Team will begin from 22 June. Joining Mr Wilson and Tumuaki Huanga Māori Nick Turoa on the Executive Leadership Team are:
Rachel Kelleher
Director Community
Rachel has held a number of specialist and leadership roles in both central and local government organisations, including the Department of Conservation, Waikato Regional Council and Auckland Council. She is currently the General Manager of Environmental Services and one of the Duty Controllers for Auckland Emergency Management.
Ross Tucker
Group Chief Financial Officer
Ross has headed up the council’s Financial Strategy and Planning team since 2018. Over that time, he has helped guide the council group through tough financial challenges including the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, cost increases for the City Rail Link, rapid rises in inflation and interest rates and the devastating weather events of 2023.
Megan Tyler
Director Policy, Planning and Governance
Megan’s 26-year career in local government in Auckland spans planning, policy and governance. She has been a member of the Executive Leadership Team since she took on the role of Chief of Strategy in 2019, has spent considerable time building and maintaining key relationships with central government and is committed to fostering strong relationships with elected members.
Barry Potter
Director Resilience and Infrastructure
Barry joined Auckland Council’s Executive Leadership Team in 2015 as Director of Infrastructure and Environmental Services, during which time he has also played a pivotal role in the development of the City Rail Link (CRL) as the Sponsor’s Representative. He has considerable private and public sector executive and leadership experience in New Zealand and overseas.
Parul Sood
Deputy Director Resilience and Infrastructure
Parul is a strong public service leader with almost 20 years of experience in local government in Auckland, firstly with the former Rodney District Council, followed by Waitakere City Council and now Auckland Council, where she has been the General Manager Waste Solutions for the past five years. Parul is also the Chair of the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand and one of the Duty Controllers for Auckland Emergency Management.
Max Hardy
Director Group Strategy and Chief Executive’s Office
Max is currently the Chief of Staff to Mayor Wayne Brown. Over the past 18 months, he has overseen an ambitious programme and contributed to significant progress on the Mayor and the council’s objectives for Auckland. Max was previously a lawyer and a partner at Meredith Connell, one of the top law firms in New Zealand.
