Business champions named at 2011 Top 200 Awards

Kiwi transport giant Mainfreight just keeps on trucking, taking out the two supreme titles at the prestigious 2011 Deloitte/Management magazine Top 200 Awards tonight.

Mainfreight took out the blue riband Company of the Year award and then its renowned leader Don Braid was named Executive of the Year in front of a who’s who of New Zealand business at SkyCity Convention Centre in Auckland.

Inspirational business innovator Lloyd Morrison, founder of Infratil, was honoured with a Visionary Leader award, and Wayne Boyd – who oversaw Telecom’s recent division into two companies – was named Chairperson of the Year.

Mr Braid became the first person in the Awards’ 22-year history to win the Deloitte/Management Executive of the Year Award twice with the same company, having previously won in 2008 (Ralph Norris also won twice, once with ASB, and then with Air New Zealand).

The judges summed up Mr Braid’s feat: “It takes a very special leader to repeat that kind of winning performance.”

Publisher of NZ Management magazine and Mediaweb director Toni Myers says Mr Braid has instilled in Mainfreight a drive for success which is among the most ambitious in New Zealand business.

“Mainfreight has a global expansion plan, and under Don’s world-class leadership has become an outstanding Kiwi success story. It is a billion-dollar business which still retains the values which have been at its heart from the outset,” Ms Myers says.

“It is no secret that recent business conditions have been among the toughest in memory, and as New Zealand tries to emerge from recession, we need other companies to strive for the kind of strategic thinking and business acumen displayed by Don and the leadership team at Mainfreight.”

Deloitte chief executive Thomas Pippos congratulated all the winners and finalists, and saluted their determination to strive for excellence during what has been another challenging year for business.

“Mainfreight is an exemplary example of a company whose success here and on the global stage is a result of its visionary leadership, and the fact it hasn’t been deterred from pursuing its goals despite these turbulent and uncertain times,” Mr Pippos says.

Ms Myers says Lloyd Morrison’s battle with ill-health has seen him step back at times from some of his more intensive roles, and he is in the US for treatment at the moment, but his passion for New Zealand and concern for its future prosperity is unwavering.

“The Visionary Leader award honour roll contains the names of many of our legendary business figures, and Lloyd Morrison deserves his place alongside them.”

“From his successful battle to save the New Zealand Stock Exchange, to his patronage of the arts, and from his foundation of Infratil to his campaign for a new flag for New Zealand, Lloyd’s depth of vision continues to shine through.”

The judges said Wayne Boyd’s exemplary chairmanship at Telecom matched his outstanding achievements in prior roles at Auckland International Airport and Meridian Energy.

“Making hard calls when they need to be made is the true sign of a leader, and Wayne has consistently demonstrated superb governance in recent years,” says Ms Myers.

Vodafone New Zealand attained the rare accomplishment of back-to-back Top 200 awards, again winning the Responsible Governance award it first won last year. It has also been a finalist on four other occasions since 2001.

Ms Myers says: “Vodafone continues to set the benchmark for commitment to stakeholders, with innovative approaches to issues such as text bullying, and cyber safety among its most notable recent achievements.”

Other major category winners were: Hamish McBeath, general manager of Pacific Coilcoaters, (Young Executive of the Year), retailer Kathmandu (Most Improved Performance), and Ryman Healthcare (Best Growth Strategy).

The Top 200 award winners

• Deloitte/Management magazine Company of the Year: Mainfreight
• Deloitte/Management magazine Executive of the Year: Don Braid
• NZIM/Eagle Technology Young Executive of the Year:Hamish McBeath
• QBE Chairperson of the Year: Wayne Boyd
• Workbase Best Growth Strategy: Ryman Healthcare
• Marsh Most Improved Performance:Kathmandu
• Kensington Swan Responsible Governance Award:Vodafone New Zealand
• Designworks Visionary Leader Award:Lloyd Morrison.

The December issue of NZ Management is out now, and includes full coverage of the Top 200 Awards, and extensive analysis by expert business writers.

For the full 2011 Deloitte/Management Top 200 Awards list and category finalists, please see www.management.co.nz/top200 .

About the Top 200 Awards

The Deloitte/Management magazine Top 200 Awards were established in 1990 and are run annually to recognise and applaud outstanding individual and management team performances among New Zealand’s largest companies and trading organisations.

The Top 200 award winners emerge from NZ Management magazine’s annual listing of the 200 largest corporations based on revenue, and a separate listing of New Zealand’s Top 30 financial enterprises based on asset value.

The lists comprise publicly listed and unlisted companies, New Zealand subsidiaries of multinational companies, co-operatives, societies and state-owned enterprises (SOEs), plus private companies prepared to supply audited accounts.

From the Top 200 index, significant contenders are identified for a series of awards. A thorough and comprehensive judging process follows, with the contenders whittled down following further research and scrutiny until the judges decide the three finalists and eventually the winner in each category. 

The judges are well recognised and respected figures in the business community and are selected for their expertise in particular award categories. 

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