NZTA appoints new CEO

The board of the NZTA has appointed Brett Gliddon, its group general manager of transport services, as chief executive.

Gliddon will take up the position on February 17 when he replaces Nicole Rosie. He has held his current position with the transport agency for the past five-and-a-half years and is also its acting chief executive. 

He holds governance roles nationally and overseas, including deputy chairman of Austroads.

Gliddon says he’s looking forward to the top job at the NZTA, and the wider strategic responsibilities that come with leading it and delivering on expected performance.

Vanessa Browne, national manager of portfolio and standards, will be acting group general manager of transport services until a permanent appointment is made.

Gliddon is described as one of New Zealand’s “foremost transport professionals” having worked in the sector for more than two decades.

Transport services, which he previously headed, is the NZTA’s business group responsible for planning, design, delivery and operating the country’s integrated transport system. 

His background is in engineering, and projects he has delivered include Tauranga Northern Link, and Auckland’s Northern Busway and Waterview Tunnel. 

Gliddon is a system leader “with a focus on whole-of-life transport system outcomes, strategic planning and multi-modal integration”, according to the NZTA’s website. 

It adds: “He’s dedicated to engagement with iwi, the community and local government. Brett is also passionate about environmental outcomes that can be achieved through improving the transport system.”

Gliddon was appointed to Transit NZ before it merged with Land Transport NZ to become the NZTA. He has a bachelor of engineering, with honours, in civil engineering from the University of Canterbury.

The NZTA’s chairman, Simon Bridges, says the board undertook a comprehensive recruitment process involving international candidates leading up to Gliddon’s appointment and thanked Nicole Rosie for her support of a smooth leadership transition.

“Brett is a widely respected leader, and has a deep knowledge of the transport system and a track record of large-scale infrastructure delivery,” adds Bridges. “He is a qualified civil engineer who has played an integral role in shaping our modern transport network.

“Brett has experience in leading the establishment and delivery of diverse funding models, including public-private partnerships and alliances. He is committed to driving excellence in the supply chain with a focus on performance and improving health and safety.”

Rolling back the years

Brett Gliddon was the NZTA’s group general manager of transport services before being appointed as its CEO. 

In July 2009, he became principal project manager and led the client project team managing the investigation phase of the $1.2 billion Puhoi to Wellsford motorway project. 

It took the scheme from a blank sheet of paper to a preferred alignment including planning, project management, consultation and stakeholder management. 

Next up was being client procurement lead for setting up the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Alliance from April 2011. He was there for four months.

This involved representing the NZTA, Christchurch City Council and the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Authority in the establishment of a management alliance to respond to February 2011’s earthquake. 

Gliddon then became highway manager for Tauranga for three years. In this role, he was responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance and operation of the Bay of Plenty’s state-highway network. This business unit with 19 staff had annual expenditure of around $130 million.

He was then promoted to highway manager for Auckland and Northland, which was a role he held until June 2017. His area consisted of 150km of motorway and 800km of two-lane rural highways covering a population of 1.6 million. This unit’s annual turnover was some $700m.

After that, Gliddon led a team of around 85 staff for one year in the design of an integrated transport system across the country with the NZTA’s partners. His title was senior manager of system design. He was then promoted to general manager of the same department, a role he held for 15 months, before his appointment as general manager of transport services.

Farewell to Rosie

Nicole Rosie’s role as chief executive of the NZTA comes to a close when her term ends in February after four-and-a-half years. 

“Leading the NZTA has been a highlight of my more than 20 years in senior management,” she says.

Rosie joined the crown entity as its CEO in February 2020. During her time, she steered it through Covid-19, weather events including those across the North Island in early 2023, and major growth in its work programme.   

“Now is the right time for me to move on to other challenges. I want to thank the wonderful team at NZTA and the partners, stakeholders and communities who are valued contributors to our work.”