Garry Smith - who is presently the top man at the Auckland District Health Board - has been named as the new CEO of the Selwyn Foundation.

He will succeed the Rev Duncan Macdonald, who recently announced his retirement as head of the Foundation, which is one of New Zealand’s leading not-for-profit providers of aged care services.

With twenty years’ experience in the health sector, Garry Smith has held a number of senior management positions with public and private healthcare organisations throughout New Zealand. 

Prior to his appointment in 2003 as CEO of Auckland District Health Board, he had been ADHB Chief Planning and Funding Officer, having joined from the White Cross Group, Auckland, where he had been Chief Executive Officer. 

His other former roles have included General Manager of Christchurch Hospital and General Manager, Clinical Support and Client Service, with Health Waikato Limited, where he was subsequently appointed Chief Executive.

Garry Smith  is a qualified accountant,  amember of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand, and has expertise in management, planning, accounting and finance. 

He also has experience of the banking industry, having held positions as Assistant General Manager with Trust Bank Waikato and Manager, Group Retail Banking, with Trust Bank NZ Ltd.

As CEO of Auckland District Health Board, the country's largest health board, Mr Smith is credited with leading the organisation from a projected deficit of $100 million in 2003 to a breakeven position for each financial year since June 2008. 

During his tenure, construction of the new Auckland City Hospital building and Greenlane Clinical Centre was completed and both facilities commissioned.  He also spearheaded the move towards ADHB becoming a ‘true DHB’, focussing on the health needs of the Auckland Central population and developing and implementing a health system to achieve improved outcomes.      

Mr Smith is also the current Chair of the Auckland Homeless Steering Group (Auckland Council and Social Sector Leaders Group), Joint Chair of the National Cancer Steering Group, a member of the Whanau Ora Regional Governance Group and the Cardiac Network of New Zealand, and is also an Ex Officio member of the Starship Foundation.

He says he's honoured to have been appointed to The Selwyn Foundation role.

"I look forward to preserving the strong heritage of the Foundation and ensuring that the delivery of care is innovative and at the forefront of the aged care sector.”

Meanwhile, Dr Kay Hawk, the Chair of The Selwyn Foundation Board says her board is "extremely fortunate to have a CEO of the calibre and with the qualities and experience of Garry Smith. 

"He is the ideal person to continue the strong growth path and Selwyn culture established by the Revd Duncan Macdonald, and to lead the Foundation into a new era in which we meet the needs of the next generations of ageing New Zealanders.”   

Mr Smith will assume his new role on 2 April 2012, with the Revd Macdonald continuing as CEO until then.