Auckland Transport is preparing for a leadership change, with chief executive Dean Kimpton set to step down on May 1 after nearly three years at the helm.
The announcement comes as Auckland Transport approaches a period of structural change, with legislation expected to pass next month that will reshape the organisation’s remit and narrow its focus to public transport delivery. The shift is expected to place greater emphasis on service performance, network efficiency and outcomes for bus, rail and ferry users.
During Kimpton’s tenure, Auckland Transport oversaw two years of its largest capital investment programs to date, alongside changes aimed at improving how public transport is delivered and accessed. These included the rollout of new payment options, increased service frequencies and greater use of technology to lift network productivity.
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AT Board chair Richard Leggat says the timing of the transition reflects the scale of change ahead.
“The board agrees this is the appropriate time for alternative interim leadership arrangements, more aligned to the upcoming change,” Leggat says.
He says Kimpton’s leadership coincided with a stronger organisational focus on delivering agreed outcomes for Auckland Council, customers and communities.
As Auckland Transport moves toward a public transport–only mandate, attention is expected to turn to how leadership arrangements support day-to-day operations, including Auckland’s extensive bus network, which carries the majority of public transport trips across the region.
Auckland Council chief executive Phil Wilson acknowledged Kimpton’s broader contribution to local government, noting his previous roles at the council before leading Auckland Transport.
“There have been measurable improvements at AT during his tenure,” Wilson says, adding that Kimpton had worked with the council closely to prepare the organisation for future transport arrangements.
The AT Board will now work with Auckland Council to determine interim leadership arrangements ahead of the legislative changes and Kimpton’s departure. No successor has been named at this stage.
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