Andrew Kirton has been selected as the Labour Party's new general secretary.
Mr Kirton is a former adviser to Helen Clark and a former president of the New Zealand students' union.
More recently, he was head of public affairs for Heathrow Airport and head of global corporate affairs for construction company Mace Group in London.
While in London, he campaigned for the expat vote and organised Labour's support network.
"Andrew has the attributes of energy and dynamism, coupled with a firm commitment to Labour's values, which equips him ideally for this demanding role", Labour Party President Nigel Haworth said.
