Simon Arcus has resigned as the chief executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and parent organisation Business Central, effective today. 

The departure was announced in a statement by the organisations’ board, saying it is “grateful to Simon for his service and helping the chamber to navigate the challenges of the past few years”. 

Arcus, a born and bred Wellingtonian, took up the role in March 2021 after working as a senior governance consultant at Mercer Australia. 

“Mr Arcus returned from overseas in early 2021 to steer the organisation through a period of significant change and uncertainty in the post-Covid era”, the statement said. 

He is also a board member for the country’s main business membership organisation, BusinessNZ. 

When Arcus was announced as the CEO in 2021, combined council chairman Vaughan Renner welcomed the appointment, saying, “We are delighted to have been able to attract someone of his calibre. 

“His knowledge and experience across business, membership, and advocacy organisations will be of huge benefit to our members and the business community”, Renner said at the time. 

Business Central chairman Greg Pollock said the board was “grateful to Simon for his service and helping the chamber to navigate the challenges of the past few years, which have included subdued business and consumer confidence, high costs and persistent inflation, which is finally starting to ease this year”. 

Simon Arcus, chief executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce and Business Central recorded a $432,000 loss in its most recent annual report, which cited a “difficult year” for 2023/2024, blaming an “extremely challenging economic environment”. 

“The beginning of the financial period saw changes in management roles and the team was preoccupied with restoration of various functions and operating processes in membership and learning and development”, the report states. 

In the 2023 report, the chamber and Business Central also saw a substantial loss, recording a deficit of $486,000. 

The 2022 report recorded a surplus of $229,000. Earlier annual reports are not publicly available. 

The board will begin a recruitment process for a replacement CEO. 

Member services manager Amanda Wood will serve as acting chief executive “to ensure the continuity of the organisation”, the statement said. 

Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. Ethan can be emailed at [email protected].