Raveen Jaduram

Raveen Jaduram, ex-CEO of Watercare (6 years) and current Director of Auckland Transport, shares his journey from Fiji (leaving after the 1997 military coup) through a career arc spanning drainage engineering, Metro Water CEO, Australian irrigation MD, and into NZ's largest public utilities. The conversation centres on culture transformation, how he replaced a 22-year incumbent's culture at Watercare around safety, customer-centricity, and commercial focus. He provides a sharp critique of 3 Waters reform (stormwater should not be included) and argues that monopoly organisations must outperform competitive ones. His driving motivation: "I didn't like working for people who did not look after their people."

Key Topics Discussed

• Leadership Development / Culture transformation. At Watercare, replaced the culture built by a 22-year incumbent. Reoriented the organisation around three pillars: safety, customer-centricity, and commercial focus. Transformation required persistence and a willingness to challenge entrenched norms.
• 3 Waters reform critique. Stormwater should not be included in the reform package. It is not a packaged service like drinking water or wastewater, it is tied to land use and planning. Having the regulatory and service delivery functions in the same entity creates conflicts. The framework as proposed is flawed.
• Auckland Transport / Public trust. AT needs to regain public confidence through reliability, better customer service, and demonstrating wise spending. The visible problem of road cones with nobody working behind them erodes trust.
• Monopoly organisations. Must be held to a higher standard than competitive entities. If customers have no choice, the organisation has an obligation to be better than those operating in competitive markets.
• Career journey. Drainage engineer to Metro Water CEO to Australian irrigation MD to Watercare CEO to AT Director. Originally from Fiji, came to NZ after the 1997 military coup. Each role shaped his leadership philosophy.
• Leadership motivation. Became a leader because "I didn't like working for people who did not look after their people." Views engineering leadership as designing systems and growing people rather than buildings.

Notable Quotes

• Raveen: "I didn't like working for people who did not look after their people."
• Raveen: "As engineers we're designing systems and purpose, growing people rather than buildings."
• Raveen: Monopoly organisations must be better than competitive ones, customers have no choice.

Guest Background

Raveen Jaduram is originally from Fiji, relocating to New Zealand after the 1997 military coup. His career spans drainage engineering, CEO of Metro Water, Managing Director of an Australian irrigation company, CEO of Watercare (6 years), and now Director of Auckland Transport. He is a culture transformation specialist with deep experience in public sector infrastructure organisations.