Simon Craddock has been appointed chief executive of Port Taranaki Limited. Craddock succeeds Guy Roper, who announced his retirement earlier this year and leaves Port Taranaki on September 30. Craddock will take up the role in early October.

Craddock, 48, has more than 20 years’ experience across professional services, engineering and aviation, leading and working on strategy and transformation projects and, more recently, in governance.

He has a background in corporate strategy, operations and performance improvement, having held senior management positions at Air New Zealand, and having worked at Deloitte and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. He has also worked in structural design in the United States and asset management in the United Kingdom.

He currently operates his consulting practice Orua Strategic Advisory, which works with boards and senior executives on strategy, transformation, operations, technology development and performance improvement across aviation, defence, manufacturing, and financial services sectors.

 A chartered member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, Craddock has governance experience as a director of a number of companies, including WRAL Group (Hamilton Airport), Sounds Air Group, and Airwork Holdings Limited.