Regenerate Christchurch Chief Executive Announced

The organisation established to lead regeneration across Christchurch, Regenerate Christchurch, has announced the appointment of Ivan Iafeta as its new chief executive.

Local resident Ivan Iafeta has over 15 years senior leadership experience, with a focus on working with people, organisations and initiatives to benefit the local community.

After being engaged in the emergency response to the September 2010 Canterbury earthquakes, Ivan was seconded to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority in early 2011. Working as part of the social response team, Ivan Iafeta was appointed general manager, Residential Red Zone, to lead the organisation’s approach across the residential red zones, where he focused on working alongside local community leaders within the most affected communities.

Prior to this, he worked for over 14 years with the Ministry of Social Development in roles including regional director in the Canterbury and Northland regions and project manager, Social Environment Task Group following the September 2010 earthquake.

Regenerate Christchurch, which was established in late April through the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016, represents a partnership between the Crown and Christchurch City Council. The organisation is governed by an independent board, with members appointed by the Crown and Christchurch City Council as well as representation from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Regenerate Christchurch chair André Lovatt says he believes Mr Iafeta’s experience, energy and understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities of the role make him the ideal person to lead the organisation.

“Ivan has an enormous passion for working with – and making a difference for – people,” says Mr Lovatt. “Over the course of his career he has demonstrated a real ability to build relationships and co-create approaches that greatly benefit the communities he works within.”

“He is also an extremely capable senior manager with a talent for translating planning and strategies into effective, real world results.”

As general manager, Residential Red Zone, Mr Iafeta worked with community and earthquake recovery leaders to develop collaborative approaches to community engagement, which included bringing together a team of over 140 staff and volunteers to visit 6,000 properties in the residential red zone and establishing outreach hubs that hosted over 13,000 individual meetings for local residents.

Mr Iafeta says one of the things that most attracted him to the role was the opportunity to reconnect people and communities with the residential red zone areas, and to involve them in the regeneration phase.

“It’s vitally important that everyone who has been affected by the earthquakes has the opportunity to be involved in the process, and in deciding how the areas that are special to them will be used in the future,” says Ivan Iafeta.

“In doing so, the process – how we work alongside them to create the best outcomes – is just as important as the decisions we make.”

The focus of the organisation means Regenerate Christchurch will be supporting regeneration in key areas of Christchurch, including the central city and New Brighton.

“We also have the opportunity to look at how these three areas connect, and how complementary planning can benefit them all,” says Ivan Iafeta.

Mr Iafeta says the work being done by Regenerate Christchurch, Development Christchurch and Ōtākaro Limited, the three organisations working in partnership on Christchurch’s regeneration, will establish a lasting legacy for the city.

“I have five children and what we are doing now will determine what we are going to leave for them – and future generations. Like every parent, I want my family – and my children’s children – to be really excited about what the future holds in Christchurch.”

“We have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Working alongside our community, Christchurch is going to be an incredible place to live, work and visit.”

Mr Iafeta will take up the chief executive role on 20 June.

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