Disgraced CEO Tim Boyd paid over $300k a year in his previous government job

Wednesday, 23 November 2022

Tim Boyd worked for the Ministry of Social Development while he was wanted in the United States.

Disgraced former chief executive Tim Boyd was likely being paid more than $300,000 a year at his previous job – funded by the taxpayer – while he remained a wanted man in the United States.

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) released his salary on Wednesday, after previously refusing to release it due to privacy concerns. It has also released a review into his work, which found “no substantive concerns” with it.

Boyd was employed in an advisory position within MSD’s strategy and insights team between March 2019 and September 2021.

While working there, Boyd was still wanted on unresolved 2018 drink-driving charges in Arizona.

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He had also been ordered to pay more than $30 million in damages in the US as part of civil lawsuits that involved allegations of fraud and unpaid money.

One of the lawsuits played out in a Los Angeles court while he was working at MSD.

Disgraced former chief executive Tim Boyd was likely being paid more than $300,000 a year at his previous job – funded by the taxpayer.

Boyd later became the chief executive of the Christchurch City Council’s holding company – a role he departed amid the revelations about his time in the US.

On Wednesday, MSD deputy chief executive of strategy and insights Sacha O’Dea said the ministry was “satisfied” with Boyd’s work during his two-and-a-half year tenure.

A review of his work had been undertaken and found “no substantive concerns”, O’Dea said.

The review also said there was “no unusual activity” within his emails.

Boyd was initially contracted at MSD as an “SAS License Negotiation Specialist”. SAS is an analytics software platform.

He later became a commercial manager and lead on the “Data Warehouse Replacement Programme”, which is replacing a 20-year-old data warehouse with an updated cloud-based solution.

MSD did not employ him directly, but had a contract with its recruiter, Finite920.

While Boyd was working in New Zealand, he was wanted on unresolved 2018 drink-driving charges in Arizona.

The total value of that contract was between $850,000 and $950,000, O’Dea said. That equates to an annual cost of between $340,000 and $380,000, or a daily rate of $1300 to $1500.

O’Dea said those costs included Finite920’s fees and “all-of-Government contract fees”.

The value of the contract was consistent with market rates and within expectations, O’Dea said.

A spokesperson for Finite920 declined to comment, except to say they followed all processes and there were no adverse findings.

In its review of Boyd’s work, MSD said Finite920 ran “standard recruitment activities and checks” on Boyd.

That included checks of ID, credit, criminal history in New Zealand and two references.

Finite920 advised the ministry the checks “did not contain any adverse findings or raise any concerns in regard to the honest character and integrity of Boyd, or his suitability and capability”.

MSD also conducted a “usual process” background check on Boyd, which MSD said raised “no areas of concern”, despite Boyd being asked to declare any convictions, pending charges or criminal charges.

This background check would not cover civil judgments in foreign jurisdictions, MSD said.

Similar checks, described as “robust and industry standard”, were carried out on Boyd when he joined the Christchurch City Council’s holding company, Christchurch City Holdings Ltd (CCHL).

Recruiters Decipher Group previously said its checks for that role would not pick up civil cases or pending charges in the US.

CCHL previously said the recruitment process for Boyd was “rigorous”.

But amid revelations about Boyd’s past, CCHL ordered a review of its hiring processes, and a law firm had also been appointed to also review Boyd’s work history and legal matters.

CCHL said both reviews would be presented to its board before the end of this month.

Boyd did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

No-one answered the door at a property he co-owns at Jack’s Point, near Queenstown. (The co-owner previously said she was in litigation with Boyd over the property).

Boyd has yet to comment publicly since revelations about his past emerged.

Stuff confronted him at Christchurch Airport in September, but he refused to answer any questions and simply repeated: “No comment.”