Port chairman to head development agency

Northland Port Corporation chairman Colin Mitten has been appointed chairman of the new regional economic development agency (the blended former Enterprise Northland and Destination Northland) for the next two years.

He has also been named acting chief executive for the next three months, pending appointment of a permanent CEO and a board of trustees.

Former NRCCT trustees and Destination Northland directors Irene Durham, Bill Shepherd, Andy Britton and Rawson Wright will support him in the roles for the next three months.

Mr Mitten has owned companies in the service and manufacturing sectors in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and has also been chief executive of the Welsh Investment Bank Finance Wales.

His company, Welcon Investments, invests in New Zealand businesses and provides consultancy services on economic development and business strategy to public organisations. Mr Mitten is also a director of NZ Food Innovation Auckland.

He says he believes the staffs of the blended groups are "keen to make a real, lasting impact on the financial wellbeing of Northlanders and in turn drive the economy of the region" and that "there is no good reason why Northland is languishing at the bottom of the GDP statistics for New Zealand when there are so many natural attributes in the region and a willingnesss of Northlanders to help improve their financial environment".