VTNZ CEO eyes CITA board

VTNZ chief executive officer Mike Walsh is in the running to join the International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (CITA) ahead of its 18th general assembly in Croatia next month. The vacancy on CITA's Bureau Permanent follows Dr Thomas Aubel's resignation in October last year. “I firmly believe that periodic technical inspections contribute significantly to road safety for all road users,” Walsh said in his tender for the CITA Bureau Permanent. “It is important that we, as CITA members, work collaboratively together to ensure standards are upheld and safety benefits are understood and valued by national governments and regulatory bodies.” Walsh has a long history in the New Zealand auto industry. He is also a member of the Automotive Safety forum, and before his 13-year tenure as CEO of VTNZ, he was an operations manager and director for Mobil New Zealand. VTNZ has grown significantly since Walsh took the helm in 2004, and employs over 1000 staff in 90 locations across the country. The independent business is part-owned by the Motor Trade Association (MTA), who has a 40 per cent share, and German-based DEKRA SE. Walsh highlighted the importance of keeping pace with growing driver assistance and road safety technology in his application. “Worldwide the automotive industry is undergoing significant technology driven change,” he said. “Autonomous vehicles are today’s reality, and driver assist technology is commonplace.” “Therefore, CITA has an important role to promote future focused vehicle inspection/certification studies to ensure the industry stays relevant and inspection standards and techniques are appropriate for vehicle technologies today and into the future.” The next CITA conference and the general assembly is taking place in June Zagreb, Croatia. New Zealand CITA members include Vehicle Inspection New Zealand (VINZ) and the New Zealand Transport Association (NZTA). In recent years, the CITA conferences have attracted up to 500 industry experts and policy-makers from across the globe, and delegates from national and international administrations, ministries, vehicle roadworthiness operators and equipment manufacturers regularly attend. This year's theme is "Partnering to Improve Road Safety and the Environment," and the event will include seven different split sessions.