Wealthy fund manager appointed to Airport Board

Simon Flood has been appointed to the Board of the Queenstown Airport Corporation, but his background suggests the appointment will do little to promote improved grass roots community involvement.

Mr Flood appears to have no Facebook profile and his LinkedIn profile lists no previous jobs or experience. Likewise, his shareholdings in four NZ companies give little away apart from his address in Speargrass Flat Road. That property is valued at over $10 million.

Mr Flood did drift into the spotlight for a few weeks when he was considering standing as a replacement National Party candidate for disgraced Clutha Southland MP Todd Barclay - but he then withdrew from the race. All we know is that Mr Flood is a former investment banker who now has a commercial interest in a number of Christchurch pharmacies.

Here's the official QLDC statement released this morning.

"The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has appointed a new director to the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) Board of Directors. Queenstown resident Simon Flood was recommended as the successful applicant at a governance subcommittee meeting in November 2019, and appointed by Council during a Public Excluded section of the 12 December meeting.

Mr Flood has an extensive business background, with more than 25 years as a business leader, investor and financial analyst. Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said Mr Flood’s experience would prove a valuable addition to the QAC board.

“We had a lot of interest in this vacancy with some highly skilled applicants. After a thorough selection process, we are happy to welcome Simon Flood to the board of QAC,” he said.

“We’re confident Simon has the right skills to help provide strong governance for the organisation during this busy and challenging time of growth. He has a solid track record of leadership and we’re looking forward to seeing that applied at QAC.”

 Main Image: Simon Flood.