New senior manager announced for NPDC

The final vacancy in New Plymouth District Council’s executive leadership team has been filled.

Alan Bird will start as Group Manager Business Performance on 6 July, taking on the responsibility of the Council’s financial, information technology, legal, risk management and property functions.

Chief Executive Barbara McKerrow says Mr Bird’s experience as a chief financial officer in the private and public sector will benefit the Council and the community.

"He brings to us significant experience in leadership of large organisations and has an extensive commercial background, which will add to the mix of skills in the Council," says Mrs McKerrow.

Mr Bird says he was drawn to NPDC due to its high reputation for how it performs in local government.

"The role has quite a wide range in terms of planning the business performance of the Council, which I’m looking forward to," he says.

Mr Bird was born in Patea and grew up in New Plymouth.

He has more than 20 years experience in accounting and senior finance or management roles within a range of sectors, including senior roles at Kotuku Productions, Kapiti Cheeses Limited, AgResearch Limited and the New Zealand Employment Service.

For the last six years he has been Chief Financial Officer of the state-owned enterprise AsureQuality Limited, which provides food safety and biosecurity services to the food and primary production sectors.