The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has approved the
election of existing director and Deputy Chair Simon Flood to the position of
Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC).
Mayor Glyn Lewers confirmed that councillors agreed to adopt
the QLDC Governance Subcommittee’s recommendation during a public excluded
session of the Full Council meeting on Thursday, 19 September. After an
extensive and robust recruitment process facilitated by external recruitment
consultants, Mr Flood was identified as the preferred candidate for the
position.
“I would like to take this opportunity to formally
congratulate Simon. As QAC gets well under way with the implementation of its aspirational master plan, Simon brings to the Chair a wealth of experience, strong leadership
and continuity for both the Board and the company. The Governance Subcommittee
was unanimous in making its recommendation which reflects Simon’s depth in
safety and operations, financial acumen and overall understanding of the
business and industry. He has continued to focus on a positive relationship
with Council and regularly fronts up with councillors at meetings and
workshops,” said Mayor Lewers.
Mr Flood’s election will be formalised at the 30 October
2024 Annual General Meeting of the QAC, which will see existing Chairperson
Adrienne Young-Cooper step down from the position. Under the QAC Constitution,
Mrs Young-Cooper has completed the maximum number of terms allowed and is unable
to seek reappointment.
Mayor Lewers added his thanks on behalf of QLDC and the
elected Council to Mrs Young-Cooper. QAC Chief Executive Glen Sowry also
extended his congratulations to Mr Flood on his appointment. “Simon has
demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities
Queenstown Airport faces in the years ahead. With a clearly defined 10-year
strategy and Master Plan, the broad depth of experience and capability Simon
brings to the leadership of the organisation will be invaluable to ensuring the
airport is able to best serve the region in the future,” Mr Sowry said.
Mr Flood joined the QAC board of directors in December 2019.
He said: “It has been a great pleasure to serve on the Queenstown Airport board
over the past five years and I am grateful to have been selected as Chair for
the remainder of my term. It has been a privilege to work under the leadership
of Adrienne Young-Cooper who has contributed so much to the Board and the
business during her tenure and leaves the business in a much stronger place. As
a local, I recognise the importance of Queenstown Airport to our community,
acting as it does as a gateway to the region for both our fellow Kiwis, as well
as those who travel sometimes thousands of miles just to have the opportunity
to take in the beauty of the place we call home.”
“As we look to the future, there is much to do as we embark on the delivery of the Master Plan, while continuing to serve the air transport connectivity needs that are so important to the region. My colleagues on the Board and I take our responsibility as custodians of the airport very seriously and we look forward to working with QAC’s outstanding team led by Glen Sowry as we work together to ensure that our airport remains an asset that our communities love to travel through as well as take pride in."
Mrs Young-Cooper’s retirement and the internal election of Mr Flood leaves a vacant position on the Board. QLDC is currently progressing the process to make a further appointment.
