Ateed boss O’Riley moving on
Chief executive ready for next challenge after shepherding economic agency through amalgamation
Ateed is on the hunt for a new boss after chief executive Brett O’Riley announced his resignation yesterday. O’Riley, who has been at the helm of the region’s economic growth agency since May 2012, will stand down from the role on September 1.
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed) chairman David McConnell said the council body would be advertising locally and overseas to recruit a suitable candidate.
“There will be external candidates, hopefully internal candidates as well,” McConnell said.
“Fortunately we’ve got a good length of time to work through that. Until the 1st of September, so seven months.”
According to Ateed’s annual report, the chief executive’s salary was last year between $380,000 and $390,000.
O’Riley, 54, took over the top job shortly after Auckland Council’s turbulent amalgamation into a Super City.
“I spent a lot of my career in the private sector, so I tried to apply a lot of those experiences and disciplines to the organisation,” O’Riley said.
“So on the one hand it was a merger exercise because the organisation that I became chief executive of was this amalgam of all these organisations.”
On the other hand, he said, Ateed in the early days had the characteristics of a start-up company.
“There was a need to make sure we had the right strategy, the right processes and, importantly, that we had the right culture,” he said.
“There was no blueprint from how Ateed was going to develop, there certainly was no agency like this in New Zealand.”
O’Riley has been involved with some big projects and events includ- ing the development of the Wynyard Quarter, hosting the NRL Nines and the Cricket World Cup.
He said it had always been his intention to stand down after five years and his decision was not influenced by Phil Goff becoming mayor.
“Five years is about right for a leader in this type of role with the time commitment required and Ateed will continue to lead and positively contribute to Auckland’s growth with a new chief at the helm,” O’Riley said.
Five years is about right for a leader in this type of role with the time commitment required
“I’ve loved every minute of it but there will be elements of not having to work the hours and do all that sort of stuff that I won’t miss.”
O’Riley said he would become actively involved with several busi- nesses in the technology and education sectors as a director following his resignation.
McConnell said O’Riley had been instrumental in turning the organisations into “an outstanding, progressive agency which Auckland and Auckland Council can be proud of”.
“Auckland has changed immeasurably in the past six years since amalgamation and we are proud of the prominent role that Ateed, on behalf of Auckland Council, has played in the region’s economic development,” the chairman said.
O’Riley’s tenure has not been without controversy.
Last year he pledged $500,000 to Duco Events to help fund Joseph Parker’s world title fight before looking at the event’s business case and backing out.
Ateed spent half a million dollars on a global branding exercise for Auckland: “The Place Desired by Many”.
Ateed was also criticised after creating a special contract in London for one of its senior executives costing ratepayers more than $230,000.
Brett O’Riley