Appointment of Chief Executive of Department of Labour

4 September 2007

The State Services Commissioner, Mark Prebble, announced today the appointment of Mr Christopher Blake as Chief Executive and Secretary of Labour.

Mr Blake is currently chief executive of the Department of Internal Affairs, a position he has held for the last five and a half years. Previously he was the chief executive and National Librarian, National Library of New Zealand from 1997-2002. He has also been acting chief executive at the Ministry of Housing, and was the first chief executive at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, from 1991-1997.

"Christopher Blake has established a track record of achievement and delivery, exactly the elements that I consider are essential for the Department of Labour into the future. He is a seasoned and successful manager of people, processes and relationships,” Mark Prebble said.

"Christopher Blake is a good fit for the organisation. He has experience of Department of Labour activities due to the overlap between the Departments of Labour and Internal Affairs, notably in the Identity Services sector and through the Office of Ethnic Affairs.

“The Department of Labour is a large and complex organisation, which requires an experienced leader and manager who can effectively lead change, improve business systems, and link strategy and operations to deliver timely, high quality services,” Mark Prebble said.

The Department of Labour’s primary role is to improve the performance of the labour market, and so strengthen the economy and increase the standard of living for all New Zealanders.

The chief executive vacancy arose when Dr James Buwalda resigned in May 2007. Since that time Mr Graham Fortune has been the acting chief executive of the Department of Labour. Christopher Blake will take up the position of chief executive on 23 October 2007.

Mark Prebble thanked Graham Fortune for leading the department over the last few months and said he would start immediately an appointment process to find a new chief executive for the Department of Internal Affairs. If necessary an acting chief executive will be appointed for an interim period.

ENDS

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