Zealandia boss steps down from role

Zealandia chief executive Hilary Beaton has left the conservation organisation.

Beaton has stepped down from the top job at the Karori sanctuary less than two years after taking up the role in October 2013.

Beaton, who was Wellingtonian of the Year in 2009, declined to comment on her departure, saying only: ‘‘There’s no drama . . . I’m just moving on for personal interests.’’

She came to Zealandia from Downstage Theatre, where she served as chief executive for five years. She left when it closed.

When she took over, Zealandia was at a challenging point: the attraction had lost $1.15 million in the 2012-13 financial year, and $1.38m the previous year.

The centre had failed to meet lofty targets since opening a new visitor centre in 2010, with many people criticising the high prices for keeping people away.

There had been a second annual drop in visitor numbers, to 82,749 – less than half the target set when the $16m centre opened. The shortfall led to Wellington City Council giving an extra $350,000 a year to the sanctuary and increasing monitoring of the organisation.

Shortly before Beaton took over, prices had been slashed to attract more visitors, and more realistic targets were set. Since then the situation has improved vastly: there were 99,213 visitors in the next financial year.

This year it was on target to meet the elusive 100,000 visitors originally targeted.

Zealandia is advertising for a replacement. An ad calls for a person who will ‘‘provide strategic and operational leadership, with a focus on continuing to build organisational capability with staff, volunteers and supporters’’.

Applications close on September 7.