Wintec’s search for new boss

Wintec Council bosses will meet on Friday to review candidates to replace disgraced chief executive Mark Flowers.

Members of Wintec’s people and culture committee met yesterday, following the release of a damning Audit New Zealand report into spending by Wintec executives. No mention of the report was made by committee members.

Instead, committee chair Margaret Devlin said she, Wintec Council chairman Barry Harris and council member Niwa Nuri will met on Friday to review candidates to replace Flowers.

Applications for Wintec’s top job closed yesterday. Devlin said Friday’s meeting would review a ‘‘long list’’ of possible contenders.

Wintec’s people and culture committee was established in February, 2018 and was tasked with conducting an annual review of the chief executive’s performance and pay, and make recommendations to the Wintec Council. The committee was scheduled to review the chief executive’s performance in February but Devlin said that process has been delayed.

‘‘We clearly have a number of items that would have been considered today particularly around the CEO’s performance. But given where we are in respect of the CEO and acting CEO, that will be an item we will come back to at a later time,’’ Devlin said.

Flowers quit in November after taking sick leave in August. Flowers cited health reasons for his decision. He officially finishes at Wintec at the end of February.