Just 18 months ago, Victoria Crone was fizzing about her new role as Managing Director, NZ and New Markets, of accounting software giant Xero. A month into the job and she was enthusing on the company blog about "a fun and energy to this place that's infectious", and how "I love a company that eats its own dog food". She ended the entry: "Who wouldn't want to be part of this?"
On Monday it turned out that Ms Crone didn't. She wanted to be mayor of Auckland instead. She's walked out on the job where so recently, she'd "been overwhelmed by people's friendliness, energy, pride [and], willingness to help", into the bear pit that is local government politics.
You have to wonder how on earth the two grand dames of the National Party, Michelle Boag and Sue Wood, who came knocking and pleading, managed to pull it off. Cordon bleu dog food, perhaps?
You have to give her points for resigning her highly paid day job to pursue this new adventure. Though her sudden loss of salary will be cushioned by the $126,500 base annual stipend she's about to start receiving following her election last week to the board of Contact Energy. At that meeting, she told shareholders if anything were to happen, like becoming mayor perhaps, Contact would remain her "top priority".
At her campaign launch she said it was important that "experienced leaders of my generation step up". She added that "not being a serial politician is actually the biggest asset I bring to Auckland". Her first point is a good one. Auckland local politics could do with some 42-year-old "new blood". But her naive comment about "serial" politicians reminds me of former prime minister Keith Holyoake's much repeated advice to tenderfoot MPs, to "breathe through their noses" from the sidelines until they've learned the ropes.
