Chief Executive Officer

Air Whanganui has been serving the Whanganui community and wider region for almost 40 years, delivering essential aeromedical and patient transfer services that play a vital role in New Zealand’s healthcare system. These services are supported by a small, well-maintained fleet of King Air aircraft.

Alongside this, the organisation operates a high-quality, nationwide charter service from its centrally located base, utilising a recently acquired Cessna Citation jet to support a diverse range of clients across New Zealand.

As a “for purpose” and “for profit” organisation, Air Whanganui combines meaningful community impact with commercial ambition, creating a unique platform for growth and innovation. The rare opportunity to lead this unique organisation as the Chief Executive Officer has arisen and we are looking for a talented professional with a passion for the aviation industry to join the team. Sound like you?

Reporting to the Board of Directors, this is a significant leadership opportunity to guide Air Whanganui through its next phase of growth and development. Leading a close-knit and highly capable team, the CEO will be responsible for setting and delivering strategy, strengthening operational performance, and ensuring the highest standards of safety and compliance.

A key priority will be driving revenue growth, particularly through expanding the charter business.

Based at Whanganui Airport, this role offers the opportunity to lead a respected organisation with both community impact and commercial potential. As the CEO, your accountabilities will include:

• Providing strategic leadership and delivering a clear, future-focused direction for the organisation.
• Continuing the leadership of a strong, safety-first culture aligned with CAA requirements.
• Driving growth across both aeromedical and charter services, with a focus on commercial expansion.
• Ensuring 24/7 delivery excellence across existing contracts and client relationships
• Providing sound financial stewardship and performance oversight
• Working closely with the Chair and Board to achieve strategic and organisational outcomes

About you

To be successful as the CEO, you will be a proven senior leader with the ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution in a complex, safety-critical environment. You will bring strong commercial acumen and a track record of driving growth, alongside a genuine appreciation for purpose-driven services.

Your key attributes include:

• Demonstrated experience in senior leadership, ideally within aviation, transport, logistics, or another regulated industry
• Strong understanding of safety, risk, and compliance frameworks
• Proven success in business development and revenue growth
• Strategic mindset with the ability to translate vision into practical outcomes
• Highly developed stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, including advocacy and input into policy
• Financial and operational leadership capability

In addition, you will have a true passion for the aviation industry and be motivated by this exciting opportunity. If this sounds like you, please get in touch for a discussion.

For a copy of the position description view this role on the Decipher Group Opportunities page. To discover more about Air Whanganui, visit www.airwhanganui.co.nz/

For a confidential discussion about the role, contact Deb Vaughan at Decipher Group on 022 850 0188 or by email to [email protected]