He was chief executive of power lines company Orion New Zealand Limited from 2003 until 13 June 2011, when he commenced as CEO of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.

[3] Sutton began his career with the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (ECNZ) as a mechanical engineer at New Plymouth Power Station in 1987.

[3] As a consequence of Max Bradford's reform of the electricity sector, Southpower had to be split, and Sutton remained with the energy distribution part of one of its successors, Orion New Zealand Ltd, majority-owned by Christchurch City Holdings.

[8] The CEO of the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce, Peter Townsend, said it was the "most important Government appointment of the year" and that Sutton had all the right attributes for the job.

[8] The Central City Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale said that Sutton had shown through his reaction to three earthquakes (this counts the Boxing Day aftershock as a separate event) that he was very pragmatic.

"[8] Labour MP Ruth Dyson, whose Port Hills electorate covers the area in east Christchurch worst affected by the last earthquake, said that Sutton was the perfect choice and gave him "12 out of 10".

[8] Sutton was first suggested to lead the city's rebuild by former mayor Garry Moore and Wigram MP Jim Anderton in early March 2011.