Auckland Regional Council announces departure of CEO

The Auckland Regional Council today announced that its long-standing Chief Executive Officer, Jo Brosnahan, will leave the position at the end of this year.

During the eight years she has been in charge of NZ’s largest regional council, Jo Brosnahan has overseen substantial improvements in the region’s public transport network, major upgrades of regional parks and significant environmental achievements, and the Council has won a number of Business Excellence Awards.

She will step aside on December 31, 2004 to assist in the establishment of the new non-profit organisation, Leadership New Zealand and to take on a number of directorships.

“Since my Harkness Fellowship, I have always had a passion about leadership and its importance in making great organisations and communities. I wish to spend some time focusing on the establishment of a culture of leadership in NZ. I also want some time to study, read and write and to investigate other opportunities”.

The Auckland Regional Council Chair, Gwen Bull said “we are extremely disappointed with Jo’s decision to leave after she has contributed so much to the Council and to the Auckland region. Her commercial acumen and focus on leadership and organisational culture has resulted in a significantly improved Council and public services for Aucklanders.”

“It has been a pleasure to work with Jo in the two and a half years that I have been Chair, we will miss her.”

“She can be extremely proud of her record with the ARC and we wish her all the best as she continues to strive for excellence,” she said.

Mrs Bull, said that the new Council would undertake the search for a replacement after the elections.

Mrs Brosnahan said that with the election of a new Council and the formation of a new holding company and a new transport authority, the timing was right to move on. With the two new organisations in place and working in partnership with the ARC and with a major public transport infrastructure upgrade underway, the ARC is now well placed to deliver for Auckland into the future.

“I am extremely proud of the ARC’s achievements during my tenure and would like to thank the Council and staff for their hard work and support over the past eight years. The staff are an exceptional group who are both skilled and passionate about Auckland: I will miss them.

Prior to her departure, Mrs Brosnahan will manage the introduction and briefing of the incoming Council, and will also oversee the transfer of ARC transport staff to the new Auckland Regional Transport Authority.

During Mrs Brosnahan’s tenure, the Council was granted Business Excellence Awards in 2001, 2002 and 2003, from the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation. The Silver Achievement Award in 2003 was the highest awarded to any organisation in New Zealand last year. This award allows the Council’s activities to be benchmarked using an international system that evaluates leadership, strategy, process, information, human resources, customer focus and results.

The Auckland Regional Council has achieved several other notable milestones during Mrs Brosnahan’s tenure. These have included significant improvements in public transport through increased services and patronage, a major expansion of the Auckland rail system, including new trains and the double tracking of the western line, the opening of Britomart, the appointment of Connex, and the formation of the new Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA). The Council has played a significant role in the development of the Auckland Regional Economic Development Strategy in 2002; purchased new parks and undertaken a major upgrade of parks facilities around the region; and launched The Big Clean Up environmental campaign. Regional assets, including the port, have been returned to the overall ownership of the ARC, through a new organisation, Auckland Regional Holdings.

The Council has also won several IT innovation awards in recent years, including the Computerworld Excellence Award, the Telecommunications Users Association Award, and the

Supreme Bearing Point Award for public sector innovation with the Rideline Text-to-Mobile service, with Rideline more recently winning the TUANZ Contact Centre of the Year Award.

Jo Brosnahan Biography

Jo Brosnahan has been Chief Executive of the Auckland Regional Council for the past eight years. She has a background in transport and development, having worked for New Zealand Railways and the Northland Harbour Board before running her own consultancy business. She was then appointed CEO of Northland Regional Council.

Jo was awarded a Harkness Fellowship to study leadership in the US from 1995 - 1996, based at Duke University. She is also an Aspen Scholar. She is a recognized expert on leadership issues and organisational change in New Zealand, the US, South Africa, France and Australia. She is currently involved with the establishment of a new organisation, Leadership New Zealand.

Jo has had various political roles and has served on the Board of NIWA and Northpower, and as Chairman of CIT in New Zealand. She is currently on the Boards of Leadership NZ, Asia 2000, the EEO Trust and Netball North Harbour.

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