Public Sector

Tribe Executive has a strong commitment to local government and supporting our territorial, regional and unitary authorities, as well as their CCOs in the assessment and placement of roles at every level in the organisation.

Led by Someone Who's Done the Job

Public sector organisations have leadership needs that are genuinely different. The accountability structures, the relationship with elected members, the community expectations, the scrutiny — these are not factors a generalist recruiter will naturally understand.

At Tribe Executive, our public sector practice is built on lived experience. We've led local government organisations at CE level. We understand what elected Councils need from their CE, what CCO Boards need from their senior executives, and what it takes to attract and retain quality leaders in a sector that is increasingly complex and increasingly important.

Local Government & CE Appointments

David Hammond brings over a decade of Chief Executive experience across three district and city councils in New Zealand, including Nelson City (Unitary) Council. He has led and assisted numerous local government placements at every level, including Chief Executive appointments for councils and CCOs, and has deep understanding of the local government environment and its leaders.

His local government expertise spans tourism, devolved governance models, environmental planning, freedom camping policy, and economic development. David is a former national winner of the NZ Post/SOLGM Award for Best Project in Local Government, and has participated in LGNZ's Localism Taskgroup and Tourism Councils Workgroup.

CCOs, Health, Education & For-Purpose

Beyond core local government, Tribe Executive's public sector practice extends across the full range of organisations that serve New Zealanders. David has high expertise in CCO structures, agreements and relationships, as well as significant experience across the health, education and community sectors.

Whether you're a Regional Council, a tertiary institution, a CCO, or a health provider, Tribe Executive brings the same rigour and genuine sector understanding to every search.

Our Approach to Public Sector Search

At Tribe we believe that the elected Council's role is to probe, refine and decide — and our role is to provide the highest quality process, assessment and insight to support that decision. We treat every public sector search as a genuine partnership: your understanding of your organisation's needs combined with our expertise in finding, assessing and presenting outstanding leaders.

Our partners include

Appointing a Chief Executive or senior leader in local government or the public sector?

Talk to David Hammond for a confidential discussion.

Register with Tribe Executive

Experienced former Chief Executive with 10 years of experience at that level, now leading Chief Executive and Board search across the range of non-private sectors. A national expert in KPI development, bespoke remuneration assessment, Māori sector work, board advisory and entire structure reviews.

From Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Russell is the GM Wellington at Tribe and co-founder of Tau Mai. With 25+ years in recruitment, he has led senior appointments across many sectors, specialising in Māori-focused roles and governance, with a passion for culturally grounded leadership and equity.

As an entrepreneur at heart, James has a strong focus on how organisations attract and retain the best talent. We've shaped NZ’s most progressive, people-first recruitment and Search brand by surrounding ourselves with outstanding people, being bold with tech, and striving to do a better job than anyone else.

Behind every great leadership appointment is rigorous, human-led research. Mia supports the full search lifecycle: market mapping, sourcing, and candidate research for C-suite and governance roles. With curiosity and care, Mia focuses on the detail that makes the difference in executive search.

Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Zahrah proudly calls Aotearoa home. As an experienced executive assistant, she’s known for her bubbly personality, calm approach, and sharp organisational skills. Passionate about helping others thrive, she brings warmth and energy to every team she joins.

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Insights

Executive

Events

1 hr 30 min watch/read

Event - Mergers & Acquisitions in the For-Purpose Sector: Collaboration, Consolidation & Courage

With a panel of industry leaders, David Hammond discussed what the charity sector is really thinking about mergers & acquisitions. At this event we brought together Chairs, Chief Executives, and sector leaders for a candid, practitioner-led conversation.

Executive

10 min read

Commissioning Is Coming - Is Your Organisation Ready?

With commissioning on the rise, charities are under increasing pressure to merge and prepare. Tribe Executive's David Hammond shares his views on why this shift will only accelerate.