Deloitte/Management magazine
Executive of the Year
Winner
Keith McLaughlin
Managing Director, Baycorp Holdings
Baycorp Holdings was last year’s Top 200 Corporate Strategy winner. The year before it was Company of the Year. Keith McLaughlin has paid his dues and is now acknowledged as the leader of an enormously successful enterprise.
This year his ability was appropriately recognised and he was named chief executive of the Australasian company created by the merger of Baycorp and the Australian company Data Advantage. McLaughlin has demonstrated vision, strategic management ability and remarkable people skills to turn family-owned debt collection agency into the Australasian and Asian regions pre-eminent business services enterprise. McLaughlin’s ability to manage growth and consistently deliver value and returns to his shareholders earn him acknowledgment as one of New Zealand’s most accomplished chief executives.
FINALISTS
John Loughlin
CEO, Richmond
In meat industry terms John Loughlin comes from the wrong side of the slaughter chain. Loughlin has successfully made the transition from investment banker to talented food-processing company leader. He has managed Richmond through difficult period of shareholder turmoil, kept his team on track and taken traditional meat company into the branded food business. He has kept his management team focused on the company’s strategy while successfully acquiring new business and listing Richmond as public company. Loughlin has broken the mould of meat company executives and turned in an outstanding performance as visionary chief executive and team leader.
Craig Norgate
CEO, Fonterra
Craig Norgate’s leadership of Kiwi Co-operative Dairies had that company included as finalist in the Corporate Strategy section of these awards in 1998. At just 36 Norgate has gone on to become leader of New Zealand’s largest enterprise, dairy giant Fonterra, the $9 billion enterprise that sprang from the merging of Kiwi, the NZ Dairy Group and the NZ Dairy Board. Norgate’s performance as CEO was this year recognised by his peers who endorsed him as leader of this newly created world-size enterprise. His appointment to Fonterra’s top slot and his outstanding management achievements to date make him one of New Zealand’s most successful executives.
Deloitte/Management magazine
Company of the Year
Winner
Sky City
Sky City is high roller entertainment company that was Top 200 Company of the Year finalist last year. By international standards Sky City is one of the best performing and most professionally managed gaming-based entertainment companies in the world. It delivers what customers want, succeeds in difficult environment, maintains high corporate governance standards and has never once blemished its statutory compliance record. In the past 12 months the company has almost doubled its revenue, boosted its after tax profit by 13 percent and for the fourth year in row, turned in winning result. On any measure of commercial performance, this is top-class enterprise.
FINALISTS
Hallenstein Glasson Holdings
Christchurch-based fashion retailer Hallenstein Glasson first appeared as finalist in the Top 200 Awards in 1991. It is testimony to the company’s consistent high performance in the difficult retail industry that 10 years on it is still stitching up top performances. Hallenstein Glasson’s understanding of the New Zealand fashion business is without parallel. It consistently meets the demands of its customers and rewards it shareholders. It effectively beats off competition and adds value to its brand. Hallenstein Glasson is one of New Zealand’s most thoroughly professional top performing companies.
Michael Hill International
Michael Hill, jeweller, is something of gem in the New Zealand retail sector. This very successful enterprise can now be considered truly “Australasian” company. It has expanded into the Australian market and in the past year turned in another excellent result. Michael Hill benchmarks itself against the best in the business and performs consistently well for its shareholders. For the third consecutive year Michael Hill International has won the “Other Companies” section of the Institute of Chartered Accountants annual report awards and was also given special award for best “corporate governance reporting” for all New Zealand companies. In its market Michael Hill sets the standard. It communicates professionally and stylishly with its shareholders and customers and expresses its support for provincial New Zealand by keeping the head office in Whangarei.
SAP
Best Corporate Strategy Award
Winner
Fisher & Paykel
Fisher & Paykel and its chief executive Gary Paykel have regularly featured as finalists in the Top 200 awards. Fisher & Paykel is world-class technology enterprise. This is one of New Zealand’s truly enduring companies with strategy to match. In the past year its ability to deliver value to its shareholders and realise on the value embedded in the organisation have come to fruition. Its strategy to add value by professionally managing, developing, encouraging and rewarding the people it employs keeps this long-established business at the cutting edge of world-class product design, engineering and technological innovation.
FINALISTS
Frucor Beverages
A fruit juice business that turned itself into fashion statement in the food industry underpins the strategic positioning of Frucor. The globally successful brand marketing of its new-age beverages such as ‘V’ energy drink has doubled Frucor’s revenue over the past three years. The company has successfully positioned itself to capitalise on market changes, transforming its products and comprehensively understanding the opportunities presented by trends in the food industry. Frucor picked up Enza’s Just Juice business and enhanced its value many fold – clever marketing and corporate strategy turned effectively to account.
Port of Tauranga
The relentless pursuit of multi-port operation has delivered Port of Tauranga successful competitive strategy to combat troubled trading waters. The company has consistently articulated its strategy and delivered on its promises to customers through activities such as joint venture with Northland Port Corporation to build new deep water point at Marsden Point and partnership with Tranz Rail to extend Metro Port Auckland to 24-hour day, seven-day week operation. Port of Tauranga fearlessly implements bold strategies to compete with its main rival, Ports of Auckland, and to capture major customers. The year 2001 was another excellent year for the Port of Tauranga. Its success has been achieved through tenacity, dedication, enthusiasm and excellent strategic management.
QBE Insurance
Chairperson of the Year
Winner
Sir Colin Maiden
Sir Colin Maiden’s long, distinguished and unselfish career as chairman and professional director was recognised by the judges of the Top 200 Awards in 1999. He was then finalist in this award category. The judges have again this year acknowledged his outstanding contribution to corporate governance and the highest standards of commercial direction. Sir Colin has served as chairman of some of New Zealand’s most prominent corporations and, said the judges, his track record for chairmanship with honesty, integrity and sound commercial judgement still stands.
FINALISTS
Bill Falconer
Bill Falconer was named as finalist in the Chairperson of the Year award category last year. It is testimony to, and recognition of, his reputation and acknowledged ability as chairman and professional director. He further enhanced his reputation this year when he served as chairman of the Stock Exchange’s Market Surveillance panel that considered governance issues relating to Air New Zealand.
Bill Falconer is committed to high standards of corporate governance
