Editor’s letter: Bold and different

Nobody knows how the rest of this current economic crisis will play out. Chances are it will get worse before it gets better but, really, we can’t say. What is apparent though is that the best way through the turmoil is to act decisively and with courage. Sitting on the fence and pondering the best course of action is unlikely to get the best outcome.
Which is where ‘Bold and Different’ come in. The theme around this year’s Top 200 might have been decided on some months ago but it was, and is, the only certainty surrounding the global meltdown: that those who are prepared to be bold and different will be the ones to come through least touched.
It’s not easy. Personally I’m big fan of head-in-the-sand approach (which is why I’ve never harboured the desire to go into business; I don’t think I’d be very good). But luckily there are many New Zealand businesspeople who are prepared to do things differently and it is that group we celebrate in this issue. See page 36 for the Top 200 section – including the annual list and this year’s winning executives and companies.
As Deloitte chief executive Murray Jack says (see page 69), in any crisis there are always winners – companies and countries that improve their competitive position or take their performance to another level. “Who would have imagined that TradeMe would have emerged so strongly from the carnage of the tech wreck in 2001, or that Michael Hill Jeweller would have prospered after floating at the time of the sharemarket crash in 1987?” he asks.
This is our final issue for 2008. huge thanks to everyone who has contributed and commented throughout the year – it really is team effort.
Have happy and safe holiday season and we’ll be back in February 2009.