WREDA appoints insurance head as new chief executive

The Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency has named its new chief.

Lance Walker, the Wellington-based chief executive of Cigna Insurance, has been appointed to take up the reins at WREDA.

Mr Walker will take up his new role on April 1, with Derek Fry continuing as the interim chief executive until then.

The economic development agency’s previous head, Chris Whelan, quit in May.

He was the first chief executive appointed to the Wellington City Council-funded agency, which was formed three years ago to bring together economic development group Grow Wellington, tourism bodies Positively Wellington Tourism and Destination Wellington and operational arm Positively Wellington Venues and Major Events.

Critics claim the organisation has not blended as smoothly as hoped – with the economic development arm not slotting in well with tourism and events – and councillors have questioned its lack of progress this year.

WREDA chairman Peter Biggs says Mr Walker was chosen to “lead the organisation into an exciting new era,” while making Wellington the “most prosperous, vibrant and liveable region” in Australasia by 2025.

The board set out to find a chief executive who has the experience to build and inspire the organisation’s culture and focus on executing big projects, he says.

“We also wanted someone who, along with the ability to execute, possesses the necessary empathy and relationship skills to take a complex mix of stakeholders along on the journey.”

Mr Walker is also the former head of Loyalty NZ, which operates the Fly Buys loyalty scheme, and past chairman of the NZ Marketing Association.

He has lived and worked in the Wellington region all his life, and says WREDA needs to set its sights higher to “make this the globally competitive region it deserves to be.”

In March this year, Wellington City Council called the organisation to account for its progress and asked for more specific plans to further the city’s economy.

After that, WREDA launched its “LookSee” campaign, which offered free travel from anywhere in the world for 100 tech workers, for interviews in Wellington with potential technology employers.

The campaign went viral, with more than 48,000 submissions received, although some technology commentators criticised its potential impact.