Rod Drury 'incredibly proud' of mayoral candidate Victoria Crone

Xero chief executive Rod Drury. Photo / Dean Purcell

Xero chief executive Rod Drury says he feels "incredibly proud" of New Zealand managing director Victoria Crone, who has resigned from her role at the accounting software developer to make a bid for the Auckland mayoralty.

Crone, who spent nearly two decades at Telecom and Chorus before joining Xero last year, announced her candidacy this afternoon.

Victoria Crone announces she will stand for Auckland Mayor. Photo / Jason Oxenham

The city needed leadership that was fresh, inspired and fit for the future, she said.

Drury said Crone's resignation wasn't a blow for Xero, and the firm would announce her replacement in the new year.

"It's fine - we always do lots of succession planning," he said. "[Victoria's] a very exciting and different candidate for Auckland."

Crone was elected to the board of Contact Energy last week, and will earn standard fees of $126,500 for that role, plus additional fees for committee services.

At the company's annual meeting last week Crone told shareholders that she would be making a decision on the mayoralty bid this week and that she had told Contact's board that "if something were to happen" the firm would remain her "top priority".

Meanwhile, Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett, previously thought to be another centre-right contender for the mayoralty, said he would not be standing.

"With a clotted market I think there's going to be a bit of dilution of the vote occurring," Barnett said.

"It's not an attractive environment to be putting up your hand, frankly."

He said he wished Crone luck in her bid.

Other contenders include Orakei local board member Mark Thomas, right-winger Stephen Berry and activist Penny Bright.

- Additional reporting Bernard Orsman