Authority leadership team

Shelley Turner – Acting Director of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive

Shelley was appointed as Acting Director and Chief Executive in May, and prior to this was the Authority’s deputy chief executive responsible for organisational development and support.

This is Shelley’s second stint with the CAA – 15 years ago she was the Authority’s Director of Human Resources. Since then, Shelley has held senior leadership roles at the State Services Commission, and the New Zealand Intelligence Community, including a six-year tenure as Deputy Director-General of Security.

Over her career in New Zealand’s public sector, Shelley has led a range of large transformation projects, with a strong focus on rebuilding organisational cultures, and on delivering meaningful, long-term performance improvement.

Shelley holds a Master of Business Studies (Distinction) and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Massey University, and has participated in the London Business School’s Proteus Program, and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government’s Executive Fellows Programme.

Mark Wheeler – General Manager Aviation Security Service

Responsible for the executive leadership and management of the Aviation Security Service (Avsec), and for leading the delivery of robust and efficient security services at New Zealand’s six security designated airports.

Dean Winter – Acting Deputy Chief Executive Aviation Safety

Responsible for the executive management and regulatory activities of the following CAA units:

• Certification
• Licensing and standards
• Monitoring and inspection
• Investigation and response.

Cathy Robinson – Acting Deputy Chief Executive Performance Monitoring and Assurance

Responsible for the executive management of the functions monitoring the performance and effectiveness of the Authority, the safety performance of the aviation sector and overseeing the following units:

• Legal
• Organisational system and performance (which includes our intelligence function)
• Enterprise portfolio management office
• Quality systems.

Mahanga Maru – Deputy Chief Executive Stakeholder and Sector Engagement

Responsible for the executive management of the Authority’s stakeholder and sector engagement functions, including the following:

• Stakeholder and sector engagement strategy
• Media and corporate communications, safety promotion and education
• Aviation safety advisors and industry liaison
• Management of complaints and feedback.

John Kay – Deputy Chief Executive System and Practice Design and Acting Deputy Chief Executive Organisational Development and Support

Responsible for the Authority’s policy development, regulatory strategy, and executive management of the following units or programmes of work:

• International and regulatory strategy (which includes the Authority’s policy function)
• Operational policy, practice and guidance
• Regulatory interventions
• New Southern Sky.

Responsible for the executive management of CAA and Avsec support or enabling services and leadership of the following units:

• Finance
• Infrastructure and property
• Information and technology
• People
• Strategy and planning.

Chris Ford – Deputy Chief Executive Aviation Security and Infrastructure

Responsible for the executive management and regulatory activities of the following units, and domestic and international engagement on aviation security and wider national security matters:

• Security regulation unit (which independently regulates the Aviation Security Service, and the security obligations of airports, airlines, and regulated air cargo agents)
• Aeronautical services (which regulates air traffic management services, airports, aeronautical information suppliers and procedure design organisations, and oversees New Zealand’s airspace).

Graham Puryer – Executive Group Manager, Aviation Security Service

Responsible for overseeing the Aviation Security Service’s executive matters at national office and across our stations including:

• Training
• Programme development and delivery
• Data analysis
• Workforce management 
• Business performance
• Airport identity cards.

Karen Urwin – Group Manager Operations, Aviation Security Service

Responsible for leading the Aviation Security Service’s national operations of the six Avsec stations including:

• Policies and procedures
• Explosive detector dog unit
• Intelligence
• Rostering
• Behaviour detection.

Pete Lockett – Group Manager Compliance and Improvement, Aviation Security Service

Responsible for national compliance and improvement activities across the Aviation Security Service including:

• Internal quality assurance
• Operational systems testing
• Continuous improvement
• Quality performance and reporting
• Exposition ownership and control responsibilities
• Incident investigation and reporting.

Ben Smith – Group Manager Strategic Development, Aviation Security Service

Responsible for leading and executive management of the Aviation Security Service’s strategic and operational capability development.  This includes the functions of:

• Organisational strategy development
• Security innovation development
• Operational capability delivery
• In-service technical support.