Heart of the City initiates ‘external review’ amid CEO stand down
Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Heart of the City has initiated an “urgent” external review of its executive committee membership.
It follows reports from The Post that central city businesses had sought clarification from the committee on whether some of its executive members were eligible for their roles.
That request for clarification had been raised in the wake of Viv Beck having been stood down as the organisation’s chief executive.
Steve Bielby of the Auckland Notable Properties Trust said he had “engaged the committee” and was awaiting “a formal response”.
When The Post originally contacted members of the executive committee for comment, it received a statement from a PR spokesperson claiming “a special interest group [was] seeking to destabilise the current board”.
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It said the “validity” of its executive members had been confirmed.
However in an updated statement, Heart of the City has now confirmed it has taken further legal advice and requested a review.
Meanwhile, a growing number of businesses have been calling for a Special General Meeting (SGM) so that questions can be put to the executive committee.
Several business owners spoken to by The Post said they had put their name behind the call.
According to Heart of the City’s constitution, if 5% of the city centre’s some 15,500 businesses request an SGM, a meeting must be held.
It’s understood that the executive committee will meet imminently to discuss the possibility of proactively holding an SGM.
“We are aware of some efforts to initiate an SGM, in relation to concerns about membership eligibility,” a spokesperson for the executive committee said.
“The [executive committee] intends to discuss this at our next board meeting. This has been communicated to the representative of the group requesting a SGM.”
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Executive membership under review
Waitematā Local Board member Greg Moyle - a business owner and former executive committee member - is among those who have concerns.
He said that Heart of the City is required to keep a physical register of members, and there were some on the executive committee whose name did not appear in the document.
“I went back and checked, because I’m entitled to as a member,” he said.
He believes it raised questions about their eligibility to be on the executive committee.
According to Heart of the City’s constitution, business members must either own or tenant a commercially rated premise in the association’s targeted area.
In a previous statement to The Post, a spokesperson for Heart of the City’s executive committee said to “specifically target the membership status of select members” would be “defamatory”.
The spokesperson copied in defamation lawyer Linda Clark in the email to The Post.
“The validity of all executive committee members was confirmed by both the previous chair and current CEO when they approved members’ names to appear on the AGM election ballot paper,” the spokesperson said.
However in a subsequent statement to The Post, a spokesperson says it has initiated a review.
“The [executive] needs to be certain that the membership database reflects a true record of members, and that it has been collected, maintained and recorded in such a way as to comply with the Incorporated Societies Act, as well as the HOTC constitution,” it said.
“We have requested an external review of this, under urgency, and have received initial advice, which we will share with our signed-up database prior to announcing more widely.”
It said that its practice had so far been to “take a broad interpretation of who can be members”.
“For example, ‘operating a business’ has not been interpreted to mean owning a business. It is sufficient to be carrying out business from a central city location.”
Chief executive’s absence noted
Meanwhile, Greg Moyle said it was “outrageous” that the city’s “most important business support organisation” was now, in his view, “rudderless”.
“I read in the paper that she [Beck] is still the CEO … that's fine, but she's not at work. You haven't got a chief executive who's functioning.”
In a now deleted statement on the Heart of the City website, it said that the whole Heart of the City wished to make it clear that Veck was “still the CEO”.
However, it is understood that she has been stood down. The Post has asked the organisation for an update on Beck’s status as chief executive, but it has not responded.
Steve Bielby of the Auckland Notable Properties Trust claimed there had been a “vacuum of information” regarding Beck’s position.
“I usually have semi-regular communication with her and other staff at Heart of the City and her being MIA is certainly noticed.”
“There needs to be some communication with the members I think because when there's a void, that breeds uncertainty and speculation which isn’t helpful,” said Bielby.
Bielby said he also felt reported criticisms from politicians that Beck had been too “negative” in pushing for support for CRL-affected business and a response to anti-social behaviour in the city centre were unfair.
“I do have concerns for Viv,” he said. “It’s really unfortunate and not deserved for someone who has actually given a lot of their time, whether she's got detractors or not.
“No one likes having to be the naggy voice, but if you're not being listened to, you have to take that role.”
Moyle echoed that.
“Viv would have upset a few people but she was arguing in support of the business owners that were affected in Albert Street, similarly with Midtown.”
Moyle said that in his time as a former member of the executive committee he had found members and staff at Heart of the City to be “hardworking and committed”.
He hoped that the executive would respond to the request for clarification from businesses and that it would bring an end to the “disharmony”.
“A good healthy functioning Central City business association, I think, is pretty important to the success of Auckland.”
The Post has made several attempts to contact Beck via phone, social media and mail.