Mark Darrow becomes acting chair of Auckland Transport

Auckland Council has appointed Mark Darrow as the Acting Chair of Auckland Transport, with his new role coming into effect on November 1, 2023, until a permanent chair is selected by the Board.

Darrow will replace Wayne Donnelly who has been the Acting Chair since 8 October 2022. Donnelly asked to remain on the board as the Deputy Chair until March 2024, continuing to provide his transport expertise to the board.

The new chair was first appointed to the Auckland Transport Board in 2021 and has been supporting Donnelly as Acting Deputy Chair and as Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee.

Not only does Darrow live in Auckland, but he is an experienced Independent Board Chair and Director with extensive knowledge across many sectors. He is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, and a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Darrow is currently Chair of TSB Bank, Armstrong’s, Invivo & Co, MTF Finance, and Riverton Farm and Chairs Inland Revenue’s Risk and Assurance Committee.

His previous Board roles have included Waka Kotahi (NZTA), Counties Manukau DHB, The Lines Company, Leighs Construction, Primary ITO, Sime Darby NZ, Charlies Group, Trustees Executors, MTA, and VTNZ, and was seconded to the Eke Panuku Audit and Risk Committee during 2020-21.

“At the best of times chairing the Auckland Transport board is a challenging job and Wayne has stepped up to this admirably for the last year,” says Mayor Wayne Brown.

“I thank him wholeheartedly for his efforts and continued commitment to Auckland. I wish him and his family all the best and am pleased he is staying on the board.

“In Mark Darrow, we have a highly skilled director with real-world experience in the transport sector and I have great confidence in him to professionally deliver on what Aucklanders need. He is well placed to steer Auckland Transport while we go through the process to select a new chair.”