James Crichton

James has had experience as a Chief and Member of the Employment Relations Authority since his initial appointment as a Member in 2004.   His first seven years were based in Christchurch with a move to Auckland in 2011.  James was appointed Chief of the Employment Relations Authority in August 2015,  a position he held until he retired from the Authority in 2019.

Before his appointment to the Authority, his varied career included a period working in the ports industry as a senior manager, a period as chief executive of a local authority, and a lengthy involvement in governance in the health sector.   He was variously a trustee of a private hospital trust, a member of a Crown Health Enterprise Advisory Committee, a director of a Crown Health Enterprise and a member of a district health board.

As a practising lawyer for the twenty years prior to his appointment to the Authority, James specialised in employment law and alternative dispute resolution, looking after clients in a range of industries including health, but also accepted engagement as a statutory intervener under the Education Act, acting as commissioner or limited statutory manager of four state schools.