This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with two influential leaders in the transport and infrastructure space – Mike Hargreaves the Director of Land Transport and Geoff Cooper, the CEO of the Infrastructure Commission.  We met to pre-record podcasts for our popular NRC On Schedule series, where we meet with leaders from across the transport, freight & supply chain and infrastructure sectors.

The joy of the podcast is that it allows us to have free-ranging, open conversations, expertly steered by NZ Trucking’s Dave McCoid, outside of a typical work meeting with a tight agenda. Mike and Geoff both have critical, complex roles for New Zealand and we had wide-ranging discussions with them that gave great insights as to how they approach their roles. I’m not going to give away too much about what we talked about, our podcasts will be released over the coming weeks, so you’ll be able to enjoy.

My takeaway from both discussions was how essential it is to have the right people in critical roles, and the importance of strong relationships. Our transport and freight and supply chain system is increasingly complex, with quickly evolving technology, and subject to frequent and often unexpected shocks. Leadership in this sector takes people who know how to operate across multiple disciplines, thinking both with the now of daily operations and the future with strategic choices, while maintaining relationships with a broad range of stakeholders who often have competing interests.

Both podcasts were recorded a day apart, and having these discussions so close together brought home to me how much it takes to build a functioning freight and supply chain system. The Director of Land Transport is responsible for delivering a safe, compliant and productive land transport system. The Infrastructure Commission works to ensure the system provides well-maintained and smartly-invested transport infrastructure to meet the needs of New Zealanders. And NRC works to make sure that this all comes together in a way that owner drivers and transport businesses can continue to deliver for New Zealand safely, efficiently and earn a living at the same time.

There is nothing simple about any of this – but strong relationships are key.

It is in the DNA of National Road Carriers to build meaningful and effective relationships with government. They are an asset that you can’t record on a balance sheet, but in the times when you need to disagree and hold to account, you can draw down on the relationship capital you’ve built.

Good relationships take time, patience and good intent on both sides to develop. They involve give and take, and you don’t always get what you want. But progress is made when the needs of both parties are taken into consideration. Working with the regulator and getting infrastructure built are the same. They take time, effort and expertise, but put it in and good results follow.

I’d like to warmly thank Mike and Geoff for their generously taking the time to join our NRC On Schedule podcast. 

Keep an eye out for these conversations in the near future. In the meantime, catch up on previous NRC On Schedule episodes here.

Justin Tighe-Umbers, Chief Executive, National Road Carriers Assn