Archive

There’s a new breed of young managers with a different way of doing things, who are blowing the cobwebs out of the corridors of power. Thirty-year-old Scott Bartlett runs one of New Zealand’s fastest growing telcos, internet provider Orcon. “If we see just two or three percent growth per month, we’re not very happy, we need to see more,” says Bartlett. He operates a “tribal” business culture rather than the traditional pyramid office structure – he sees himself as the chief with the Indians (his 250 staff) in a circle around him.

Readers of Executive Update are invited to share informative and interesting blogs, websites or online video clips with other readers. All contributors of items that are used in the newsletter over the next three months will go into a Christmas draw for a free next generation Flip MinoHD (RRP $379.95) pocket video camera. Send your contributions/links to [email protected].

Simon Wickham, CEO of the Trusts Stadium in Waitakere, has been appointed chief executive designate for The Trusts in West Auckland (Portage and Waitakere Licensing Trusts).

• By Alan Bollard, with Sarah Gaitanos • Auckland University Press • RRP $29.99 You wouldn’t consider the global financial crisis as thriller, but for Alan Bollard and the team

• By Gayle C Avery & Harald Bergsteiner • Allen & Unwin • RRP $49.99 Management metaphors don’t always work too well. Authors get distracted by the need to draw

Cleantech is powering fast-moving global economies. Can NZ Inc capitalise on this major growth opportunity? Or are we too late to the starting gate? Vicki Jayne reports.

Australia and New Zealand could both learn from each other as they set about cutting greenhouse gases, Vicki Jayne finds at a trans-Tasman climate change conference.

There’s money in steam. New Zealand has the expertise – but are we going to let Chile push ahead of us? Vicki Jayne investigates.

THE TOP 200 CAMPAIGN As part of this year’s Deloitte/Management Top 200 Companies campaign,‘Understanding the New World’, we continue our series of six themes examining major contemporary issues and opportunities

So, how do you rejuvenate a flagging building industry? Let’s have an earthquake, says Bob Edlin.

Alcatel-Lucent’s Thomas Evans shares some ideas on how you can prepare your business for an ultra-fast broadband world.

It’s healthy, cost-effective and on the rise. Peter Tynan discovers the benefits of going by bike.

World firsts at IFA, the annual Berlin-based consumer electronics and appliances show, give a glimpse of the business tools we will be using in years to come.

Moral bankruptcy, not governance per se, is the issue in business today, says corporate philosopher Roger Steare. Reg Birchfield talks ethics with one of the world’s top corporate thinkers.

Mediaweb’s Most Reputable Organisations awards luncheon was held at Auckland’s Harbourside Restaurant on September 10: 1 Outside Harbourview restaurant, from left, Andrew Mackmurdie of Hay Group, Toni Myers of Mediaweb,

Imagine corporate team-building exercise where not word is spoken. This is one aspect that makes the drumming workshops run by Auckland company Rhythm Interactive so different, says its co-founder John

Prime Minister John Key will be delivering the 12th Europa Lecture in Wellington, as keynote speaker this month. The Europa Lecture Series is the European Union Centres Network’s prestige public

Today’s management software is about finding solutions that work across a business, say two experts from the information technology industry.

The systems that keep planes safe can be used to make businesses fly too, Katherine Corich discovered. The British-based Kiwi tells Brenda Ward about her international process consultancy Sysdoc and her company’s award-winning workplace practices.

How do you redevelop a major public and commercial space using sustainable principles?

China has proven it can reach its goals to ‘leap-frog’ high-tech developments. Isn’t it time New Zealand joined the game, asks Peter Neilson.

Training can deliver returns of more than four times the investment. The secret lies in the real-life nature of the programme and understanding what is needed. Reg Birchfield reports.

The environmental voices in Government are growing louder, but have yet to seriously influence core policy. Colin James asks why.

Known for its wine and warm weather, Hawke’s Bay is also a great place for business. Here is your guide to the region and its opportunities.

Kiwi company Envirostate is making sustainability easy for corporates – saving money and the world at the same time.

The public is outraged by CEOs who get big payouts even as their companies are failing. Iain McCormick looks at how Australia handled this issue – and what boards can do here.

A quiet revolution is transforming New Zealand’s world of infrastructure development. It’s important to note because “infrastructure” has become a political priority. The Government is committing billions of dollars to infrastructure projects as one means of combating the recession. Iain McCormick reports from the front lines.

You can make money and save the world as well, says Wayne Mapp, Minister of Research, Science and Technology.

NZIM courses See page 63 www.nzimnorthern.co.nz, www.nzimcentral.co.nz, www.shortcourses.ac.nz 4-5 Assertiveness Skills. Auckland. University of Auckland Short Courses. www.davidforman.co.nz 6-7 Management Fundamentals. Auckland. University of Auckland Short Courses. www.shortcourses.ac.nz 10-15 Company

New chief executive for Kiwibank Paul Brock has been appointed as Kiwibank’s new CEO. He was part of the original team that created Kiwibank in 2002, and has held number

Executive Update Edition 2

“Bosses matter,” says Stanford management professor Bob Sutton. Among other things, bad ones can kill you: a study found that their subordinates had up to 40 percent more heart attacks than people who had good bosses.

It’s rare to hear of staff member staying with firm for 60 years – but at Christchurch company Skellerup, Monk Jones, 75, has hit the record books. Skellerup’s longest-serving staff

Direct marketing means businesses can target very closely the audiences they want to talk to – and initiatives are getting smarter all the time. Now the Foodstuffs nationwide co-operative has

In the accounting world, Australia and New Zealand just moved one step closer. The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA)

Bid-rigging, or secret collusive tendering, has become such problem in business, the Commerce Commission has taken measures to widen public knowledge of the issue. It has released guidelines and two

MMP versus First past the post

In worldwide study, IBM has found many similarities between the leaders of today and the leaders of tomorrow – but discovered Gen Ys are more likely to prioritise issues of

Is the staff member you need not answering their phone? Are they in or are they out? This issue has plagued offices for generations. At last you can answer the

In move to increase the quality and frequency of information that NZ Management subscribers receive, the magazine’s publisher Mediaweb has launched new weekly newsletter called Executive Update. The newsletter, which

Carmel Fisher is the managing director of Fisher Funds and newspaper columnist: I’ve had an iPod for while and I replaced it about 18 months ago. I only really use

Understanding the New World… what is the future for NZ Inc?

Migrants and refugees have the impressive leadership strategies of Claire Szabó to thank for the smooth running of the not-for-profit organisation English Language Partners. Her skills as CEO running and

Today’s tax changes may be a step in the right direction but there’s still plenty to do according to the New Zealand Institute’s NZahead report card, released yesterday, on social, economic and environmental measures. This rates New Zealand as an average “C” performer in comparison with other OECD countries, although we get a B- for effort.

“As long as I can remember, New Zealand has borrowed more than it earns. If you can create a business like The Warehouse with lots of surpluses then, you can also create a country that has them. It is simply a matter of smart thinking and dedication to your plans and then delivering on those plans. The old adage holds true. Out of 10, count one point for the plan and nine for the execution.”

Talking to CEOs of organisations around New Zealand this year, I’ve noticed that more of these conversations are turning to the intangibles of business – social responsibility and the future

The case of Tony Hayward, who steps down as CEO of BP this month, and the Gulf Oil Spill, will be fodder for business school discussions for years to come, as a how-not-to-do-it guide for leadership when disaster strikes. Rosabeth Moss Kanter, one of Harvard University’s most high profile professors and author of Confidence and SuperCorp, dissects where Hayward went wrong.

From Phillip Meyer FNZIM, Chairman of NZIM

Dear NZIM Members
I want to update you on important progress towards the legal integration of NZIM into one national professional body. In each of the regions, and nationally, members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of moving in this direction. For your information, the voting percentages in favour of the proposal were: Northern – 100%; Central – 100%; Southern – 88%, and nationally – 95%. With such a strong vote of support from you, our members, the national and regional boards will now progress the steps towards implementation. 

There has been a strong New Zealand response to a survey that offers executives and companies the opportunity to benchmark their leadership capability against other Australasian and global businesses. Organisations wanting to participate in and benefit from the information provided by one of the world’s most comprehensive and authoritative studies of leadership and leadership development need to do so within the next two weeks.

Income tax cuts which take effect from today are worth celebrating, not just because they put more money into our bank accounts but because they are part of a fundamental shift in our tax system which will be beneficial to business. And if you haven’t already worked out what sort of a pay rise you will be getting, a handy website enables you to do just that at a click of a mouse.

A quiet revolution is transforming New Zealand’s world of infrastructure development. It’s important to note because “infrastructure” has become a political priority. The Government is committing billions of dollars to infrastructure projects as one means of combating the recession. Iain McCormick reports from the front lines.

The lower than forecast New Zealand GDP growth figure for the June quarter, announced yesterday, reinforces what many businesses, particularly those operating in the domestic economy, have been experiencing: a very sluggish business environment with few signs of it improving in a hurry. Economic commentator Bob Edlin analyses this week’s GDP and deteriorating balance of payments statistics.

Executive Update Edition 1

Former group general manager Warehouse Stationery Rob Smith was, until five years ago, a corporate man. Now he works in harness with Paper Plus storeowner and Paper Plus Group chairman Mike Paardekooper, re-writing their cooperative success story. They talked with Reg Birchfield.

In Behind the Berkshire Hathaway Curtain, Ron Chan has interviewed a number of CEOs and executives who have contributed to the success of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet’s investment company which owns over 40 companies employing more than 140,000 people.  Here are some brief insights and philosophies from leaders at the top of their fields.

In a gesture of support for Canterbury earthquake victims, leaders of New Zealand’s ‘Most Reputable’ organisations have donated part of their prize package to raise funds for the Christchurch Salvation Army’s earthquake relief effort. As a result we have four signed bottles of outstanding Louis Roederer Champagne up for sale.

Close to 40% of New Zealand’s privately held businesses are expected to grow by acquisition over the next three years, well ahead of the global average, according to an international survey of more than 7000 privately held companies by accounting firm Grant Thornton.

Two years after the economic crisis really hit home with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, global executive confidence has returned – albeit very tentatively – suggesting a better ability to cope with and manage economic volatility, reports McKinsey & Company.

Under Rob Fyfe’s leadership, Air NZ’s focus on its people has rapidly built a winning culture and earned it the accolade of New Zealand’s inaugural Most Reputable Organisation.

Executive Update‘s Last Word taps into the thoughts of aspirational leaders who are making a difference in the way business is being conducted in NZ. In our inaugural issue, Air New Zealand’s Rob Fyfe, NZ Management magazine’s 2009 Top 200 Executive of the Year and CEO of New Zealand’s 2010 Most Reputable Organisation, outlines the four key principles that define his and Air New Zealand’s approach to business:

For many businesses, particularly those predominantly exposed to the domestic economy, 2010 has been another hard grind of a year with the advent of spring bringing with it little obvious evidence that we are about to shake off the shackles of a prolonged economic chill any time soon. But perhaps we can take comfort from some perversely prophetic forecasting by ANZ Bank’s chief economist Cameron Bagrie early this year. “If 2010 is a tough year, then I’ll be euphoric over prospects for the subsequent five.”

Iwi trusts and community trusts manage and deliver substantial resources for the benefit of their communities. But a recent research report reveals they take very different governance approaches to managing their investment assets. Reg Birchfield analyses the findings.

Directors can take no comfort from the recent decision to dismiss all charges against five Feltex directors. The case shows the sad state of governance in too many New Zealand companies, writes expert Doug Matheson.

Education for work – vocational and tertiary education – is vitally important to New Zealand’s economy, but it is less successful than it should be. Despite huge investment of taxpayer

Research done by privately funded think tank the New Zealand Institute has identified three key factors that will increase the success of our international entrepreneurs, marketers, and salespeople: customer orientation, collaboration and preparation.

Iwi trusts and community trusts manage and deliver substantial resources for the benefit of their communities. But a recent research report reveals they take very different governance approaches to managing their investment assets. Reg Birchfield analyses the findings.

Directors can take no comfort from the recent decision to dismiss all charges against five Feltex directors. The case shows the sad state of governance in too many New Zealand companies, writes expert Doug Matheson.

Just how close New Zealand came to financial disaster during seismic shifts in the financial world last year, we may never know. But the face of banking will never be the same, say those in the industry. Brenda Ward discovers after the shake-up, banks are going back to people.

The Three Secrets of Green Business – Unlocking Competitive Advantage in a Low Carbon Economy

•By S.R.H. Jones • Otago University Press • RRP: $49.95 The lessons of history are always there for the learning. So it is with the story of the rise and

Pauline Herbst turns detective to find the latest in manager-friendly technology.

A death notification service is helping business groups such as the legal, accounting and insurance industries identify clients who have died. It’s being developed off the back of website, www.amemorytree.co.nz

Clear and compelling vision Effective and appropriate operating model Well developed strategic plans and objectives Effective organisation structure Strong and effective leadership Effective implementation of strategic plans and objectives Strong

As the consumers of this new world become more sophisticated and cynical, brands need to work harder and in different ways. Michael Crampin tells Brenda Ward the new rules of engagement for your company – and you.

The Three Secrets of Green Business – Unlocking Competitive Advantage in a Low Carbon Economy

Cover Story We reveal NZ’s Most Reputable Organisations In New Zealand’s first major peer review of reputation,NZ Management magazine and global business consultancy Hay Group reveal our Most Reputable Organisations.

A dysfunctional business unit has to be dealt with straight away. Consultant Gordon Davidson explains how to deal with a troubled business unit.

As the spotlight falls on foreign interests bidding for large land holdings, Bob Edlin examines the debate: to sell or not to sell?

Everyone in business knows Fortune magazine’s annual feature, The World’s Most Admired Companies. Those voted by their peers onto this prestigious list use it widely to define themselves. Those who

You can reduce lost work hours substantially by promoting home safety, says Keith McLea of the Accident Compensation Corporation.

New chief for Trade and Enterprise High-profile international businessman Peter Chrisp has been appointed as chief executive of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). The 48-year-old has been based in

Passport, phone, credit card… It’s time to add healthy habits to your list of business travel essentials.

Bonuses are on the comeback trail and while there is evidence of new disciplines around variable pay policy, concerns remain that too many companies are getting it wrong, according to

Companies that own properties they occupy can take some comfort from recent joint recommendation from Inland Revenue and Treasury to leave depreciation allowances on building fit-out largely untouched. A number

Peter Walls, CEO New Zealand Symphony Orchestra: I play my iPod when I’m walking to work, or back uphill to Kelburn at night. Thanks to the music I hardly notice

His job may be based on the ground, but Brendon McWilliam’s achievements at Christchurch Airport have made him high-flyer among executives. Under his guidance, the Christchurch Engine Centre’s V2500 jet

The GST rate increase from 12.5% to 15% on 1 October, is posing some challenges for office software systems. James Page, Microsoft Dynamics AX service line lead for Intergen, New

The number of technology projects failing worldwide has increased significantly to now be at its worst point in the past decade. From more than 30,000 projects surveyed globally by the

A strong line up of experts in the fields of business, corporate analysis and governance make up the judging panel for the 2010 Deloitte/Management magazine Top 200 Awards. Two new

Josh Emett is building a growing reputation on the global restaurant scene. He talked about the challenges of managing the newest outpost of Gordon Ramsay Inc.

When Hubbard Foods’ founding shareholders wanted an appropriate strategic partner to help grow the business, they looked to a charitable trust.

As the world speeds along on procurement practices built on sustainability values, New Zealand is finally waking up to their bottom-line benefits.

Fletcher Building Jonathan Ling, CEO “Fletcher Building has been around in some shape or form for 101 years, and you can only build business that survives that long if it

It’s probably unsurprising that the New Zealand Police is New Zealand’s most respected government department. Our cops sometimes take hammering in the media, but time and again they score well

Reputation is not something the New Zealand Salvation Army sets out to engineer and market. “It is by-product of our work,” says Commissioner Don Bell. Having said that, he accepts

On reflection, Kiwibank’s arrival on the New Zealand financial services scene could not have been more exquisitely timed. Its outstanding performance in NZ Management’s first Most Reputable Organisation survey is,

The New Zealand Institute of Management starts another stage of its evolution as the country’s leading management learning enterprise, says Northern chief executive Kevin Gaunt.

Political parties’ brands are defined by their leaders. Can John Key build a brand as strong as the Helen Clark makeover.

International design judge, Kiwi Fraser Gardyne, says New Zealand’s logos rate among the best in the world.

September 7 Project Procurement Management. Wellington. Project Plus. www.brightstar.co.nz 8-9 How to Integrate Information Systems and Business Strategies. Auckland. University of Auckland Short Courses. www.iod.org.nz 13-14 Complexity Management. Auckland. University