He was fortunate to lead a team of experts who worked in an environment where they collaborated and supported each other, he said.
“I have personally benefited from that support, from my colleagues and our board, and I have the excellent advantage of knowing how much potential Whanganui has, how far we’ve come and how much we can achieve together.”
Whanganui & Partners board chairman Pahia Turia said Sykes’ appointment ensured the agency would continue to make a positive impact on the local business community and economy.
“When a CE steps down, it can often cause uncertainty, and although we are sad to farewell Hannah, we are proud to be able to follow up with such a positive outcome for Whanganui & Partners,” Turia said.
Turia will step down from his position at the board’s mid-September meeting after three terms, having joined in 2015.
He recently became chairman of Te Ohu Kaimoana Māori Fisheries Trust, having previously held the role of deputy chairman, and felt grateful he could focus on the new role with confidence Whanganui & Partners was on the right track.
“I am proud that my final significant task as chair is having the opportunity to announce such a capable and motivated chief executive.”
Sykes said Turia’s impact on the agency had been exceptional and he would be sorely missed.
“Pahia’s popularity in our office is undeniable; it’s fair to say our team is buoyed whenever Pahia is around, and we have always recognised and valued how special a leader he is.
“Having him as our figurehead has helped tell a story of an organisation full of purpose, with a desire to support our community,” he said.
A new chair will be appointed at the September board meeting.
Whanganui & Partners has begun recruiting for a new strategic lead of marketing, a position Sykes held from 2019 until now.
Those duties were currently being carried out by senior communications adviser Rebecca Black.
