Paul Desborough

Over a ten year period that saw the transformation of the city, he was closely engaged in strategy development for Wellington, including leading the City Council’s Strategy Unit and being responsible for transport, economic development, democratic governance, and international relations. During this time the city/region has been able to develop a strong offering in terms of quality of life, vibrancy, and economic opportunity. The integration of the whole Wellington region as a single economic entity was considerably advanced, something that the other major urban centres in New Zealand have struggled with.

He has developed a robust skill set in the areas of strategic analysis and strategy development, particularly in the area of infrastructure networks such as telecommunications, transport, road charging and investment, rail, airlines and airports, and electricity lines networks.

Because of their essential nature, these complex networks must achieve a balance between commercial imperatives, high standards of service, risk, community expectation, and in most cases regulatory intervention. Navigating and optimising these difficult tradeoffs, in an environment where there are typically multiple stakeholders, is his speciality.

Paul has an MBA degree achieved with Distinction. He is married to Angela with two teenage boys and enjoys taming nature on his family’s lifestyle block on the Kapiti Coast, as well as some mountain-biking, skiing, and wine.