The Dunedin City Council-owned company announced yesterday it had appointed Richard Fletcher to take over from the outgoing Grady Cameron.
Dr Fletcher, who is the head of the commercial and regulatory functions at gas and electricity distributor Powerco, will take up his new position in January.
Before joining Powerco, he was a senior manager at Transpower New Zealand and was the head of economic regulation at Welsh Water PLC from 2000 to 2005.
A spokesman for Aurora said Dr Fletcher would not be giving interviews until after he started his new role.
Aurora Energy chairman Steve Thompson said the appointment of a permanent chief executive completed the separate board and management structures for Aurora Energy and Delta.
''We are confident he has the right skill set to head our new team and build on Aurora Energy's strong focus on safety, people and customers.
''Richard is very well placed to lead the work ahead of us, to renew the network, regain the public's trust and navigate the regulatory environment, while preparing for uptake of new technologies.''
Dr Fletcher's background in strategy, investment planning, engineering and project delivery and his knowledge of the regulatory context Aurora operated in would be invaluable.
Controversy has surrounded the manner of Mr Cameron's departure after it was revealed he would receive an exit package of $980,000, which included his more than $560,000 salary.
