Dr Pim Borren has been appointed interim chief executive of the Otago Regional Council (ORC) in an emergency meeting, following Sarah Gardner’s departure last month.

Sarah held the chief executive (CEO) position since January 2018. She announced her resignation on May 11 and finished up just one week later. 

The ORC has been beset by internal tensions between staff and councillors during the past few years, following a professorial review of the council's planning framework in 2019.

During Sarah’s four year tenure she was instrumental in making significant changes to the council’s culture, delivery and operations, the ORC said in a statement.

ORC chair Andrew Noone said she had been a “well-respected and highly thought of chief executive” who made a considerable contribution and would be sorely missed. 

 New interim CEO Pim, who has 27 years in corporate, local government, tertiary education and private sector economics and includes 15 years as a public sector chief executive, will start next Tuesday (June 7).

The interim role is for approximately nine months, or until a permanent CEO is appointed and the search for a permanent chief executive will be undertaken by the new council following the October elections. 

Andrew thanked acting chief executive Nick Donnelly for his contribution and leadership during the past three weeks.

Pim (61) is a former OSPRI NZ’s interim chief executive, and joint chief executive for NZ Bus & Coach and the NZ Rental Vehicle Association.

His most recent appointment was as chief economist to the government of the Cook Islands, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The country’s economy, which was 85 per cent reliant on international tourism, was badly affected by the pandemic.

Pim was responsible for the Cook Island’s 2021-2022 Budget including economic planning, modelling, forecasting and overseeing the country’s Economic Response Plan and Economic Recovery Roadmap.

During the border closures he implemented successful business support programmes and worked closely with a private sector taskforce to assist keeping businesses afloat and retain labour in the country.

Pim spent four years as chief executive of the Masterton District Council (2014-2018).

From 2011-2013 he was chief executive of Brisbane’s Southbank Institute of Technology, Queensland’s largest vocational institute, with annual revenue of $130 million,1000 staff and 25,000 students.