Iain Rennie announces new transport secretary for New Zealand
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) chief Peter Mersi will become transport secretary and chief executive of the transport department in July, state services commissioner Iain Rennie has announced today.
Mersi has lead LINZ, which manages land titles, geodetic and cadastral survey systems, topographic information, hydrographic information, managing Crown property and supporting government decision-making around foreign ownership, since 2012.
Before joining LINZ, Mersi was the deputy commissioner for business transformation at Inland Revenue where he developed the strategy for delivering on the department’s vision.
He spent six months between 2011 and 2012 as acting secretary for Internal Affairs and chief executive of the Department of Internal Affairs, before which he worked as deputy secretary, State Sector Performance Group at the Treasury for seven years providing budget analysis and advice in the areas of education, health, justice, labour markets, defence, social development, and the public sector management system.
He has worked in the public sector for most of his career, with the exception of a short period with the Bank of New Zealand.
Mersi, who holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration in Economics from Victoria University, Wellington, has been described by Rennie as “a highly regarded senior public servant” and “an effective leader who works constructively and collaboratively with stakeholders and other agencies.”
Rennie added: “I am very pleased to appoint Peter Mersi to this important role.
“New Zealand’s transport system is a major part of our national infrastructure and is vital to our economy.
The Ministry of Transport is the government’s principal advisor on transport, covering land-based as well as maritime and aviation.
It oversees the performance of transport Crown entities, as well as managing and accounting for the public funds invested in the transport system.
“Making sure our public agencies work together as a single system focused on delivering better outcomes for New Zealanders is a major priority for the state services,” Rennie said.
“Mr Mersi’s wide experience and established relationships with other chief executives and senior leaders will help ensure the Ministry of Transport is well integrated into the system.”
Mersi is taking over from Martin Matthews, who is leaving government after eight years as secretary for Transport and 18 years as public servant.
Mersi who has been appointed for a five-year term starting on 18 July, will temporarily be replaced by Andrew Crisp, deputy chief executive, building, resources and markets at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, until a permanent appointment is made.
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About Winnie Agbonlahor
Winnie is news editor of Global Government Forum. She previously reported for Civil Service World - the trade magazine for senior UK government officials. Originally from Germany, Winnie first came to the UK in 2006 to study a BA in Journalism & Russian at the University of Sheffield. She is bilingual in English and German, and, after spending an academic year abroad in Russia and reporting for the Moscow Times, Winnie also speaks Russian fluently.
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