Auckland Council appoints new chief executive Jim Stabback

Friday, 17 July 2020

Auckland Council has appointed a new chief executive to lead the organisation during the Covid-19 recovery.

Jim Stabback formerly occupied senior roles at ACC and Westpac, and will take over the role on September 1 in place of outgoing chief executive Stephen Town.

Mayor Phil Goff said Stabback would be taking the reins at a crucial time for the city.

“Yesterday, councillors passed the toughest budget in our city’s history. Now the hard decisions that elected members have made over the last few months have to be implemented,” he said.

**READ MORE:

* Auckland emergency budget: Need to strike balance on job cuts and workers' pay

* Coronavirus: Public sector CEOs react to 20 per cent pay cut

* Coronavirus: PM's pay cuts too deep for some in Waikato

**

“This is where Jim’s long experience in both the private and public sector makes him well prepared to deal with the challenges we face.”

Auckland Council announced an emergency budget on Thursday which included an average 3.5 per cent rate increase, project delays and 500 redundancies.

Stabback has held senior leadership positions in both the public and private sector, including four years as deputy chief executive and chief operating officer at ACC and three years as the chief operating officer at Westpac New Zealand.

In the decade to 2011, Stabback held executive leadership positions at the Bank of Queensland, Telstra Corporation and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Stabback, who moved to Auckland in 2011, said it was a privilege to step into the role to serve the people of Auckland.

“I know I am coming into this role at a challenging time for not only Auckland Council but also the people, businesses and communities of this city,” he said.

'I am excited to get started and working on meeting the challenges, as well as finding and supporting the opportunities that will ensure the continued growth and success of this amazing city.”

Goff said as with other recent appointments, Stabback has been appointed at a lower pay than the departing chief executive.

His pay will be $600,000 while Town was paid $698,000.