Destination Queenstown Chief Executive to move to new Great South agency

The Directors of Great South, the newly formed Regional Development Agency for the Southland area of New Zealand's South Island, have announced the appointment Graham Budd as the organisation’s Chief Executive.

Currently Chief Executive for Destination Queenstown, Budd has previously held a number of executive and general manager positions in the agriculture and fast-moving consumer goods sectors and will take up his new position with Great South in early February 2020.

Advising that the Board is delighted to have someone of Budd’s calibre, experience and passion for destination development leading the organisation moving forward, Great South Chairman Ian Collier stated "with an outstanding track record for encouraging destination awareness and driving business success, we are looking forward to working with Graham to achieve great things for the Southland region.”

Budd Will replace Ann Lockhart who has been in the role of interim Chief Executive for the organisation since mid-June.

Noting that Lockhart has made a significant contribution to the organisation, overseeing the establishment of the Southland Regional Development Agency and working with key stakeholders to develop a clear vision for the organisation, Collier went on to say “Ann’s extensive understanding of economic and tourism development enabled Great South to quickly cement its position in the regional development space, setting a strong foundation for Graham to build on moving forward.”

Gary Tong, Chair of the Joint Shareholders Committee (a committee of Great South’s shareholders) and Mayor of Southland District, said Budd's appointment is proof that Southland is an attractive proposition for highly respected professionals, explaining “Graham’s appointment highlights the potential people see in Southland and we look forward to supporting him and Great South to build on this potential and leverage significant opportunities for the region."

Destination Queenstown Chairman Richard Thomas says Budd’s decision to move on comes at a time when the tourism body is in a strong position, and commended him on his leadership over eight years.

Thomas added “Graham’s contribution to Destination Queenstown over his 12-year tenure has been incredibly positive, during a time when Queenstown as a destination has gone through many changes.

“He has lead the organisation through significant milestones, including a total re-brand in 2015, the 30th anniversary of DQ, the evolution of the organisation and the increased focus on place-making and sustainability as core strategic priorities across the organisation will be a lasting legacy.”

“He has also represented the Queenstown tourism industry and Queenstown Lakes District at a national level on the boards of Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Regional Tourism New Zealand, where he was also Chair for three years."

Budd will finish at Destination Queenstown at the end of January 2020, taking up the new role based in Invercargill.