From armed forces to transport networks

Colonel (Rtd) Duncan Roy had a very successful career in NZDF, obtaining senior leadership
positions, and earning a MNZM for his services to defence.

Duncan left NZDF in 2023 to become KiwiRail’s Interislander Executive General Manager. In that
capacity he oversaw the operational performance of the Interislander ferries.

In January 2026 he was appointed KiwiRail’s Chief Operations Officer, in charge of Kiwirail’s rail and
ferry operations. His job is to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of rail and ferry services for
freight and passenger customers.

When Duncan reflects on his army career, there are a number of qualities he has brought to his
KiwiRail roles which have assisted him, particularly when things don’t always go to plan.

“The formal leadership training provided by NZDF has been really beneficial. It taught me to lead an
effective team and gave me the opportunity to practice that leadership daily and in an operational
environment. These are skills that can be applied to any operational or commercial setting,” he said.

Duncan says the army taught him confidence in communication and leadership.

“I had to learn how to articulate a complex set of ideas to my team, and to communicate to people
across geographic locations. This has also been beneficial in a large commercial operation. For
example, when we committed to improving the technical performance of ferries, good logistical
planning and communications have been critical,” he said.

The nature of the military service leads to having generalist skills over a range of corporate
functions.

“As well as core army skills, during my career I gained experience in recruitment, strategic planning,
budgeting and many other professional areas. I have a range of skills to handle different situations
as do all Army personnel,” he said.

Duncan believes people in NZDF should be proud of the skillsets they have and be confident that
these can be adapted to roles outside of defence.

“As a general rule, defence people are humble about their skills. However, they’re highly skilled and
can add significant value to any organisation. Technical skills can be learned on the job. However,
good leadership skills and values come with the person and military training instils you with the right
tools to take to any organisation,” he said.