Wellington city looks for a new boss

The future of Wellington city council’s ceo is up in the air.

Garry Poole’s position has been advertised by recruitment firm Heidrick and Stuggles over the past week.

His five-year contract comes up for renewal in March, but it is not yet known if he will reapply.

Mr Poole earns more than $400,000 a year. He declined the opportunity to speak with NBR ONLINE, and spokesman Grahame Armstrong says he has "a lot on" at the moment.

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the council made the decision towards the end of August to advertise the position.

“The CE’s position is of critical importance to the council and the city, implementing our vision and leading the organisational culture. The decision to advertise the role of chief executive was made in the interests of openness and transparency – and a decision the council took seriously.”

She has credited Mr Poole’s expertise and says he has provided “real stewardship for this organisation and he continues to serve Wellington city with vigour, passion and distinction”.

The advertisement outlines Wellington city council’s vision to become a smart capital and there are four outcomes the ceo must focus on, including becoming:

• An eco-friendly city. Developing Wellington as an eco-city involves a proactive response to environmental challenges.
• A people-centred city. Wellington's people-centred city will be healthy, vibrant, affordable and resilient, with a strong sense of identity and 'place'. This will be expressed through urban form, openness and accessibility for its current and future populations.
• A connected city. Connections will be physical - allowing for ease of movement of people and goods; virtual – in the form of world-class ICT infrastructure; social – allowing people to connect to each other and their communities.
• A dynamic city centre. The central city will be a vibrant and creative place offering the lifestyle, entertainment and amenities of a much bigger city.

The council is keen to get on with recruitment process, with applications closing next Friday.