The NZ Transport Agency has appointed Kane Patena to its newly created role, general manager of regulatory.

Announcing the appointment, NZTA chairman Michael Stiassny said Patena was the outstanding candidate in a strong field.

“Mr Patena has extensive regulatory compliance experience in both the public and private sector. He has a proven track record of improving the compliance teams that he has led and in 2016 he was awarded New Zealand Compliance Practitioner of the Year,” Stiassny said.

“His contribution will be critically important to the Transport Agency as it transitions towards a best practice regulatory compliance model.”

Patena joins the NZTA following three years with the Wellington City Council where he most recently held the position director of strategy and governance.

He was previously a partner at law firm Meredith Connell and served as a crown prosecutor. He will begin work with the NZTA in Wellington in April.