We wish to congratulate and introduce Leonie Rae as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Leonie is familiar to many within our organisation as well as the public.
She has been our Chief Operating Officer since August 2021 and is the first internal appointment to the most senior role since its establishment in 1989.
Leonie has previous experience in the CEO role, having stepped up for a year from March 2022.
These are understandably two very different roles; one is about ensuring continuity, support and efficiency, whereas being an appointed CEO comes with different expectations of leadership, strategic guidance and delivery, and relationships.
With her experience at a senior executive level in Christchurch City Council before, during and after the devastating earthquakes and leading the recovery of that Council’s regulatory building accreditation, we see an executive that has and will bring new and different perspectives to challenges.
Mayor Tim King said that “in making this appointment the Council was looking for a seasoned executive who has the experience and insight to identify what is working within the organisation and what can be improved.
We were grateful to have received a good number of applications from very qualified people that met this expectation”.
Leonie will take up the role from 19 February 2024.