The change comes after former CEO Mr Peter Reidy announced in October 2018 he would be stepping down from the role later that year, with Mr Todd Moyle stepping in as acting chief executive in the interim.
Acting chairman, Mr Brian Corban, says the appointment sends a strong signal of the positive change occurring at KiwiRail.
Corban, a founding member of the KiwiRail Board in 2008 who returned to the organisation in 2018, says that while there were a number of strong contenders for the chief executive role, the board did not find the specific combination of skills required across commercial, supply chain, rail, international experience, leadership and transformation and decided Miller was the best fit for the position.
“We will all work closely together as several major projects now come to fruition, including the replacement of KiwiRail’s Interislander ferry fleet, the need for a major rolling stock replacement programme and new initiatives such as the reopening of the Napier to Wairoa line, an $NZ 80m ($US 52.9m) investment in our tourism services and a new multi-modal hub in the Palmerston North region,” Corban says.
Miller says he is honoured to take on the heavy lifting of the group chief executive role and has enormous faith in the strong management team around him.
“We are now at a pivotal point in the organisation’s history with the support of the government and the ability to make a once-in-a-generation difference to New Zealanders through easing congestion in our cities, taking trucks off vulnerable roads, reducing carbon emissions and driving investments in regional economies,” he says.
