03 June 2009

CIAL further strengthens executive team

Christchurch International Airport Ltd has appointed two of the company’s senior staff to its executive management, growing the team from four to six executive managers.

Rhys Boswell was yesterday appointed to the position of General Manager Planning & Environment, and Leeanne Carson-Hughes as General Manager, Human Resources.

Jim Boult, CIAL’s Chief Executive, said that the two appointments would add strength and diversity to the management team. 

“These appointments highlight the importance of these two areas of our business, and will provide us with leadership and expertise in Human Resources and Planning matters.  Rhys Boswell has many years’ professional experience in airport management gained at Hong Kong and Christchurch International Airports, and I am pleased to welcome his expertise in planning and environmental issues to the executive table.

“The range and nature of the issues addressed by the Planning function, and the critical importance of them to the delivery of our business objectives, make it essential that it has appropriate representation at the executive level”, said Mr Boult.

Rhys Boswell brings specific experience to the executive team, including RMA planning, master planning, environmental management, project management, property development, marketing, business analysis and operations management.  For the past year he has reported to the Chief Executive.

“Leeanne Carson-Hughes has been a non-executive member of our management team since November 2008, and will now fill the General Manager Human Resources which has been vacant for some months.  In her time with the company, Leeanne has achieved outstanding results and developed many excellent practices within the executive team.

“Leeanne is an experienced General Manager, who has held senior roles at Wrightson and more recently as the General Manager Human Resources at Crop & Food Research.  Leeanne is also the President of the Canterbury branch of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ).

“It is common in companies of our size to have an HR presence at executive level, and the complexity of the airport company operation, with various industrial relations requirements, requires senior HR input to successfully navigate the company through these challenges”, said Mr Boult.

Both appointments are effective immediately.