Council begins hunt for new boss for second time in two years

Tuesday, 10 March 2026

When Christchurch City Council chief executive Mary Richardson was appointed in October 2024, she told the council she did not want to serve a full five-year term.

The search for a new boss to lead Christchurch City Council is about to begin – again.

For the second time in two years the council will advertise for a new chief executive, as Mary Richardson’s contract ends on June 30.

Richardson was appointed in 2024 after the council chose not to employ any of the 37 people who originally applied for the position.

The role was left vacant after previous chief executive Dawn Baxendale left abruptly in November 2023, with 11 months left on her contract.

Richardson had already been doing the job since Baxendale left.

When appointed, Richardson told the council she did not want to serve a full five-year term, and also insisted that her salary be reduced to $450,000.

Mary Richardson’s contract as chief executive expires on June 30.

Last year she received $466,569. Baxendale was on about $548,500 when she left.

Mayor Phil Mauger said on Monday that Christchurch-based recruitment firm Echelon Group has been appointed by the council to find a replacement for Richardson.

He was unsure when a replacement would be appointed, but said it was unlikely to be before Richardson’s contract expired.

A council spokesperson said no decisions had been made about who would step into the interim role or if Richardson would stay on until a replacement was found.

The council still had to decide on a job description, Mauger said.

During the last search, the council said it wanted to hire someone with an understanding of New Zealand local government.

When asked if that was likely to be a priority this time, Mauger said the council perhaps did not need “so much lens on that this time”, but it would depend on what councillors decided.

Last time, the council produced a 19-page candidate briefing pack that stated the successful candidate should have a “connection and commitment to Christchurch”, along with “exceptional emotional intelligence”.

The entire council, which includes 16 councillors and Mauger, will decide on a successful candidate.

But Mauger said they have been continually told that they do not have to pick someone if they do not feel comfortable.

“This is the biggest decision that the council will ever make because you've got to get on with the chief executive. The chief executive has got to get on with the staff and there’s a whole lot of balls in the air that have got to be right. It’s a very critical appointment.”