New CEO aims to boost social housing
Kāinga Ora has announced the appointment of Matt Crockett (pictured above) as its new chief executive, effective from early September.
Crockett brings extensive leadership experience, both within New Zealand and internationally, having guided organisations through major strategic transformations across industries like telecommunications and construction.
Farewell to Andrew McKenzie
After more than eight years at the helm, Andrew McKenzie stepped down as CEO of Kāinga Ora.
McKenzie led the organisation through significant milestones, including the 2019 merger that created Kāinga Ora, the COVID-19 pandemic, and various major weather events.
“Your mahi has enriched the lives of countless people across the motu by improving access to social housing,” the organisation said in a LinkedIn post.
Crockett’s extensive background in transformation leadership
Crockett’s career spans several high-profile roles, including chief executive positions at Telecom New Zealand and Fletcher Building.
He also served as chief transformation officer at Spark NZ, Optus, and Vodafone NZ, where he led key organisational changes.
Most recently, Crockett has been supporting large-scale transformations globally, focusing on executive coaching and capability building.
See LinkedIn post here.
Focus on building engagement and sustainable growth
Crockett is known for his ability to enhance organisational engagement, culture, and performance. He now aims to apply this expertise at Kāinga Ora.
“My number-one driver for accepting the role of CEO was the important work Kāinga Ora does for New Zealand and the people we support,” he said.
Crockett stressed the organisation’s continued focus on delivering new social housing and creating a more sustainable operating model.
Leading Kāinga Ora into the future
As Kāinga Ora moves forward under Crockett’s leadership, the focus will remain on scaling up the delivery of social housing while ensuring the organisation’s long-term sustainability.
The appointment comes as a recent review led by Bill English finds Kāinga Ora faces financial challenges, lacks cost transparency, and needs better value for money, putting pressure on the new CEO to drive improvements. The organisation also recently announced a new partnership with Te Rūnaka o Awarua, a Ngāi Tahu hapū in Motupōhue (Bluff), to boost the hapū’s efforts to provide affordable housing at Aotearoa’s southernmost marae.
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