Hamilton City Council has appointed Janet Carson as its new Partnerships, Communication and Maaori General Manager.

The new position was created as part of an Executive Leadership Team review in June this year which saw the number of Chief Executive direct reports drop from 12 to eight roles. All other roles were filled from within the existing senior team.

Ms Carson is of Ngaati Rangitihi and Ngaai Tuhoe descent and is currently Chief Executive of GasNZ. Previous to that she has held a number of executive strategy and communication roles across the energy, infrastructure and Maaori business sectors and has also held a number of governance positions.

The new Partnerships, Communication and Maaori Group was created in June to give greater focus on delivering Te Tiriti commitments and enabling collaborative partnerships.

Hamilton City Council Chief Executive Lance Vervoort says the appointment of Ms Carson is a fantastic move for the organisation – and for the city.

“Council has committed to delivering on our He Pou Manawa Ora Strategy which aims to achieve better outcomes for Maaori and all Hamiltonians and this role will be a critical driving force behind this,” said Vervoort.

“Janet brings with her an in-depth understanding of Te Tiriti, expansive experience across both the private and public sectors, and an impressive track record of building empowered, inclusive and high performing teams. She’s going to be a great addition to the team.”

Carson is currently Wellington-based but grew up in Hamilton and is looking forward to making the move back.

"The Hamilton I grew up in is not the Hamilton of today; it has grown more dynamic with each generation and I look forward to contributing to make Hamilton an even better city for the generations to come,” said Carson.

"Strong relationships and partnerships will be key and I am excited to join with Hamiltonians in the ongoing evolution of Kirikiriroa as a world class city.”

Carson will be starting in her role with Council on 8 January 2024.

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