Meet our new CEO

We'd like to welcome our first CEO for the Temporary Traffic Management Industry Steering Group, Simon McManus.

This has been a while in the making and is an important and exciting step for the continued establishment of foundations that will enable us to deliver our ambitious strategy and programme of activity to support the collective TTM sector. Simon comes from a similar role leading the peak body Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand (ITSNZ) and has just led a successful campaign to host the ITS Asia Pacific Forum in Auckland in 2027.

Introduction from Simon

I’m excited to be joining the Temporary Traffic Management Industry Steering Group as Chief Executive Officer at a time when the sector is adjusting to significant change.

I have spent the past ten years with Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand (ITSNZ), seven as Executive Officer. ITSNZ is a not-for-profit incorporated society for intelligent transportation systems focused on tech-enabled solutions that improve transport outcomes.
 
I am proud of my former achievements; growing membership by 100 percent and developing the annual T-Tech conference into a multi-faceted success. ITSNZ recently won a hard-fought victory to host the 21st ITS Asia-Pacific Forum in Auckland in 2027, and I expect that will be a catalyst for the transport and smart-city sectors in New Zealand.

At home I’m a husband and a father to an 8-year-old. I'm also 18 months into a renewed interest in running (mid-life crisis!); often towing a labrador that I blame for lack of pace. I’m also starting a record collection and working to restore a piece of weed-infested whenua. 

At TTM-ISG, my new mission is simple but urgent: to save lives around road works and help lead the sector’s transition to a modern, risk-based approach to traffic management. I’m impressed by the TTM-ISG’s work to date and it’s great to see all parts of the sector coming together.

I am bringing to the CEO role an understanding of the opportunities created by technology and collaboration to make our transport network safer, smarter, and more efficient. My experience has both deepened my passion for innovation—and reinforced my belief that we can and must do more to protect lives on our roads, on both sides of the cones. The TTM-ISG has an important role to play and it is vital that we move forward together to achieve better outcomes in the least amount of time. I’m looking forward to working with the steering group, wider team and our partners across the industry to help TTM-ISG grow in size and effectiveness over the coming years, helping stakeholders adjust to significant change, raising the bar for safety, efficiency, and innovation. It’s a critical time for change — and I’m honoured to be part of shaping what comes next.

Simon McManus