Beca is the first private company in the awards’ 21-year history to win the Deloitte/Management Company of the Year Award, with publicly listed companies Ebos Group and Ryman Healthcare being the other finalists.
The judges described Beca as world leader in its field and an outstanding example of the kind of enterprise that New Zealand needs to deliver the country’s economic future. Publisher of NZ Management magazine Toni Myers says Beca Group stood out in what was year of consolidation for New Zealand’s biggest companies. The company has doubled its revenue and profits over the past five years, with 40% of its revenue generated offshore.
“Beca represents the new generation of intellectual and personal competency exporter that New Zealand needs to diversify the country’s export base from its current over-reliance on commodities-based income,” she says.
Deloitte CEO Murray Jack saluted the winners and finalists and their contribution to the country’s economy. “The companies represented in these awards have weathered unprecedented uncertainty in the world economy and are now poised to lead New Zealand’s return to growth.”
The coveted Executive of the Year title was won by Mark Waller, who has been at the helm of medical consumables specialist Ebos Group for 23 years. The Top 200 judges said that under Waller’s leadership Ebos has consistently turned in outstanding performances while growing to become truly Australasian enterprise.
“His understanding of organisational culture and how to successfully integrate new acquisitions into the group is exceptional,” they said.
Myers says Waller heads one of growing number of “smart” companies which have developed highly successful business model in New Zealand and then expanded internationally. “Like Beca, Ebos’ success has been based not on what it produces, but on the exceptional services it provides to customers.”
Douglas Goodfellow’s many years of service to New Zealand business and the wider community was recognised with the Visionary Leader award.
He led the expansion of his family’s dairy business into exporting range of primary produce – from fish and meat, to live breeding stock and fruit and vegetables. The 93-year-old’s philanthropy was also recognised, particularly his commitment to supporting education and medical science research and aged-care programmes in New Zealand.
Other major category winners were: Claire Szabo, chief executive English Language Partners (Young Executive of the Year), Restaurant Brands Group (Most Improved Performance), Sky Network Television (Best Growth Strategy), and Vodafone New Zealand (Responsible Governance).
The Top 200 award winners
• Deloitte/Management magazine Company of the Year: Beca Group
• Deloitte/Management magazine Executive of the Year: Mark Waller
• NZIM/Eagle Technology Young Executive of the Year: Claire Szabo
• QBE Chairperson of the Year: Alison Paterson
• Workbase Best Growth Strategy: Sky Network Television
• Marsh Most Improved Performance: Restaurant Brands Group
• Kensington Swan Responsible Governance Award: Vodafone New Zealand
• Designworks Visionary Leader Award: Douglas Goodfellow.
