From leading contingents to leading communities

Major General (Rtd) John Boswell says it’s important to have a positive mindset when transitioning
from military life to civilian life.

Since August 2024, John has been the Chief Executive of the Marlborough District Council. This
followed over 40 years’ service with the New Zealand Defence Force, the last five and a half years as
the Chief of Army.

“I miss the NZDF no question, the great people in particular, but I look back on a career that really
did give me great experiences and immense personal satisfaction. For me, the change has been a
reset, a chance to shift focus and bring a new purpose to my life. But I recognise transition is not
always easy.”

“Ultimately, if you have an open mind, a determination to succeed, and a good work ethic, you will
eventually land in a really good space. Just like when you served, if you are finding things are not
easy, you have to grab the situation by the throat, shake the shit out of it, and just get on with it”, he
said.

John draws on his experiences with the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to serve the council and
communities of Marlborough.

“My time in NZDF shaped who I am and how I conduct myself. Good values are incredibly important, particularly in leadership roles, but one of the key strengths you learn during service is how to make good decisions. You learn how to take stock of a situation, take into account all relevant factors, consider all options, identify the best way ahead, and take action with confidence,” he said.

John enlisted in 1984 as an infantry officer. On leaving school he had wanted to be a police officer
but that option wasn’t available so he chose the army. John served in Singapore, Angola, Timor-
Leste, Afghanistan, the Middle East, India and the United Kingdom, as well as several senior roles in
the New Zealand Defence Force. He participated in a multitude of senior level bi-lateral and multi-
lateral security engagements, deployed operationally on four occasions and, on his last deployment,
led New Zealand’s contribution to Afghanistan.

Major General John Boswell visiting the Officer Cadet School (OCS) of New Zealand, who were taking part in Exercise Veiliutaki in Fiji in 2022. Photo credit: NZDF

John’s service in Afghanistan was acknowledged in the 2011 Queens Honours with the award of the
Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD). John was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of
Merit (ONZM) in 2024.

When reflecting on life after service, John misses most the people he has worked alongside.

“You can have all the capabilities and technology in the world, but if you don’t have great people,
you don’t have anything. In my military career, I worked with some quite exceptional New
Zealanders who achieved some quite exceptional outcomes, and were an absolute honour to serve
alongside,” he said.

However, John says he enjoys meeting many former service men and women in his new role.

“I continued to be impressed by the retired service men and women who have gone on to very
successful roles in the private and public sectors. I’m really enjoying developing new, and quite
different, relationships with them on business related to our council,” he said.