Ritchies Transport is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Thorne, as its new Chief Executive effective this month.
Commenting on the appointment, announced last week to Ritchies’ teams, Chair John Williamson, says Scott has been with Ritchies for more than three years as Director of Assets and Strategy and knows the business, its clients and people across the country well. “Since joining Ritchies, Scott has led growth, fleet and depot programmes, including the mobilisation of significant new service contracts.”
He says the appointment supports Ritchies continued commitment to safe, reliable operations and to the strong relationships it has built up with customers and partners.
Sector expertise
His experience spans both public transport operators and authorities, giving him an unusually broad perspective on the strategic challenges facing the sector. It has also provided a strong understanding of the commercial, operational and customer outcomes that underpin successful public transport partnerships.
Scott’s background includes strong credentials in performance improvement and sector reform:
- More than a decade in leadership roles with New Zealand Bus from 2006 to 2018, including Chief Financial Officer, General Manager Strategy and Chief Commercial Officer, with responsibility for finance, commercial performance, operations planning, fleet and customer relationships.
- Two years in an advisory role for Greater Wellington Regional Council (Metlink), where he worked with the Ministry of Transport, NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport on operator performance, service changes, commercial strategy and the transition to zero-emission buses.
- Represents industry interests as a member of the Board of New Zealand’s Bus and Coach Association.
Since joining Ritchies in 2023, Scott has led major strategic programmes spanning business transformation, contract mobilisation, acquisition integration, depot strategy, fleet strategy and procurement. This breadth of experience gives a rare combination of commercial discipline, strategic insight and practical understanding of public transport delivery.
Ritchies Chair John Williamson has also paid tribute to former CEO Michele Kernahan who has led the business for the past four and a half years, positioning it for this next chapter.
“Michele leaves with our sincere gratitude for her leadership and commitment to Ritchies, and our very best wishes. Under her leadership over the past four years, Ritchies has strengthened staff engagement and safety, improved internal processes and built a stronger market position,” he said.
Scott says he feels genuine pride in the appointment as CEO, and the opportunity to continue the momentum in performance across Ritchies. “We are lucky enough to have an engaged team of more than 3,000 people across the country who understand how important public transport is to people’s experience of New Zealand and to the country’s decarbonisation goals,” he said.
“With our growing investment in zero-emission fleet, and 30% of our depots across the country electrified we are helping to make a difference and encourage people to see the benefits of leaving the car at home and using public transport.’
Above: Ritchies’ CEO Scott Thorne
