The global supply chain logistics company took out the Deloitte/Management magazine Company of the Year Award at black-tie gala dinner on November 24.
Its chief executive Don Braid was also named Deloitte/Management magazine Executive of the Year.
The judges praised Mainfreight’s approach to governance, leadership and strategy. They also noted the company’s ability to expand in tough world economy while also maintaining its own business, cultural and organisational integrity.
They described chief executive Don Braid as leader who continues to grow the business while remaining true to his principles and Mainfreight’s belief in the importance of its employees and the environment.
Braid had been the Deloitte/Management magazine Executive of the Year in 2008. It is unusual for an individual to win this award more than once.
This year’s Top200 Awards winners
- Deloitte/Management magazine Executive of the Year: Don Braid
- Deloitte/Management magazine Company of the Year: Mainfreight
- NZIM/Eagle Technology Young Executive of the Year: Hamish McBeath
- QBE Insurance Chairperson of the Year: Wayne Boyd
- Kensington Swan Responsible Governance Award: Vodafone New Zealand
- Marsh Most Improved Performance Award: Kathmandu
- Workbase Best Growth Strategy Award: Ryman Healthcare
- Designworks Visionary Leader: Lloyd Morrison
Lloyd Morrison was named Designworks Visionary Leader. This year’s judges described him as passionate New Zealander and champion of the interests of the country.
Morrison’s business interests include Morrison & Co. This manages infrastructure investment company Infratil, which he founded in 1994.
Hamish McBeath, general manager of Pacific Coilcoaters, won the NZIM/Eagle Technology Young Executive of the Year Award
Telecom’s retiring chair Wayne Boyd is this year’s QBE Insurance Chairperson of the Year.
Deloitte chair Murray Jack says New Zealand has many very successful enterprises and many of them are recognised in the Top200 Awards.
“It’s very much Kiwi thing to think that success comes from luck,” he says. “Sometimes it does, but usually it comes from hard work.”
Jack recently shifted from his role as Deloitte CEO to take up his appointment as the firm’s chair.
Thomas Pippos steps into his shoes as Deloitte’s chief executive.
Pippos was the firm’s managing tax partner and member of the management group. He had been in both roles since 1999.
Jack says that while the world economic outlook may be uncertain, our country has many strengths.
New Zealand is an easy place to do business, our institutions are sound and we have natural advantages in food production, he says.
He adds that our economy is well integrated with Australia and we are building ever closer linkages with Asia.
Jack says the traditional Kiwi #8 wire mentality is barrier to true innovation in the business context.
“It conjures up mindset that innovation is cheap, that it is luck, or part-time activity that is not the result of disciplined process. For truly innovative companies it is none of these,” he says.
“Similarly developing our business sophistication requires investment. As we embrace the Asian opportunity we must deepen our international marketing and distribution capabilities and build more complex value chains.”
