City Rail Link Limited has recently announced the appointment of Dr Sean Sweeney as Chief Executive after a global search conducted by SEQEL. CRLL is undertaking New Zealand’s largest ever infrastructure project, a $3.5B rail loop and associated works/buildings under the Auckland CBD. Sean will be relocating from Melbourne and commencing his new role in July. The announcement from CRLL’s Chair, Sir Brian Roche, follows:

City Rail Link Limited has today announced the appointment of a new chief executive, Sean Sweeney, a New Zealander currently working in Australia.

Dr Sweeney, an engineer with a PhD in Construction Economics from the University of Melbourne, will take up the position on the 2^nd of July.

He replaces the former CEO Chris Meale who retired in March last year.

John Williamson has been the interim CEO during the recruitment process.

After graduating in engineering from the University of Auckland, Dr Sweeney spent seven years working on the development of Te Papa in Wellington before heading overseas to work in the USA and Europe and then settling in Australia.

In Australia, he delivered a programme of major public infrastructure in Victoria and ran a top tier Australian construction firm. More recently he established and implemented a $2.5bn prison construction programme for New South Wales.

City Rail Link Ltd board chair Sir Brian Roche, said Dr Sweeney brings a wealth of relevant and current experience to the position as well as a strong academic background which will put the CRL project in a great position as it heads towards the delivery of major contracts.

Dr Sweeney says he is really looking forward to returning home to lead the delivery of New Zealand’s biggest infrastructure project.

“My experiences of living in Melbourne and Sydney have shown me how absolutely vital major transport infrastructure investment is”, says Dr Sweeney. “And in a city experiencing enormous growth, this infrastructure investment is of vital importance to Auckland. It supports the ongoing economic development of the city and meets the ever growing demand for public transport”.