Auckland Transport chief executive Dean Kimpton. Photo: Supplied / Mark Tantrum
Auckland Transport (AT) has announced its new chief executive will be Dean Kimpton.
He is coming into the job on a fixed-term agreement for 18 months and will start on 3 April.
Kimpton replaces Mark Lambert who was taking on an interim role since July 2022, after the departure of former chief executive Shane Ellison.
AT board acting chairpersons Wayne Donnelly said the appointment of Kimpton reflected the need for a fundamental change in approach.
Mayor Wayne Brown has been highly critical of the transport agency's performance and called for the entire board to resign - so far only a few have obliged.
In a statement, Donnelly said the board had elected for a fixed-term chief executive because he would need to come up to speed quickly and make some crucial decisions for the organisation.
"Auckland Transport is at a critical moment in time, where we will need strong change leadership to overcome some immediate challenges, while also not losing a focus on the future," Donnelly said.
"The board is confident that Dean brings the experience and strategic oversight needed to do that, and we are pleased to have someone of his calibre join us."
Kimpton was previously the chief operating officer at Auckland Council, a board member for Infrastructure New Zealand, and managing director of a civil engineering firm.
Donnelly said the board believed Kimpton was the right person to help deliver the significant budget savings the council had proposed.
The board said it had requested a strategic review of AT be undertaken as a priority, and it also expected a far greater focus on customers and delivery.
"It is also critical that AT plays a leading role in a strengthened regional transport plan for Auckland written by Aucklanders, and works hard on our region's recovery from the recent weather events," Donnelly said.
Last year, it was revealed a preferred high-calibre international candidate was identified but did not go through with accepting the offer after the arrival of a new council and changes to the board.
It is understood the candidate wanted to have a conversation with the mayor before they moved to Auckland, but never got one.
