Building the New Zealand of the future

By Mike Horne, Chief Executive, Deloitte New Zealand

If there's one thing I've observed about New Zealand, it's that we're exceptionally good at identifying risks. Sometimes so good at it that we accidentally talk ourselves out of opportunities.

It isn't necessarily a bad thing. It reflects many of the qualities that have served New Zealand well over time. We tend to be practical, thoughtful and cautious, and we like to understand what could go wrong before we decide what to do next. But if we're going to achieve the ambitions we have for our economy, our businesses and our communities, we'll also need to be bolder about pursuing opportunities when they present themselves.

Of course, that doesn't mean ignoring the realities of the world around us. The world remains a pretty unpredictable place, shaped by geopolitical tensions, rapidly changing technology, and shifting economic conditions. That’s not going to change anytime soon. Yet despite this unpredictability, the mood is starting to feel different. When I talk to business leaders, I now hear more conversations about growth than survival. There's more discussion about investment and what comes next. The challenges remain, but there seems to be a greater willingness to look further down the road.

This approach resonates with me, because at Deloitte, we talk about the "Deloitte of the future". We haven't solved every challenge facing us today, but organisations that focus only on the immediate horizon eventually run out of road. At some point, you have to make time to think about where you're going, even while navigating the now.

I think the same applies to New Zealand. There’s plenty happening around us that we can't control, but what we can control is how we respond. We can choose to invest and to innovate. We can choose to build capability and think carefully about the kind of country we want to create for future generations.

One conversation that feels increasingly important is the one we're having about infrastructure, particularly energy. For many years, infrastructure conversations in New Zealand have focused heavily on transport, but energy is becoming one of the defining growth conversations of the next decade.

That’s partly because demand continues to grow, but also because New Zealand is at an important moment in its development. We have an opportunity to expand renewable energy while continuing to grow our economy. Not many countries can make that claim. But producing more is only part of the equation. Prosperity also depends on staying connected to the world through trade, investment, talent, and ideas. In many ways, the ability to produce, connect, and compete is inseparable from prosperity.

That connection to the rest of the world has always mattered for New Zealand. We’re a small country located a long way from many of our major markets, but we compete on the world stage every day. Success has always depended on our willingness to stay connected, remain outward-looking, and engage with ideas, talent and investment from beyond our shores.

Looking ahead, I’d be remiss not to talk about the role technology will play. The pace at which conversations around AI have evolved has been remarkable. What began as curiosity for many organisations has quickly become a practical part of how people work and solve problems.

Like any significant technological shift, AI brings both opportunities and risks, but what interests me most is what it enables people to do. In my experience, technology tends to amplify the strengths that already exist. Used well, AI has the potential to help people make better use of their time, access information more easily, and focus their energy on higher-value work. But technology on its own is rarely the answer. The outcomes still depend on the quality of the decisions people make, the culture of the organisation, and the clarity of the problem being solved.

That's one of the reasons I don't see the future as a choice between technology and people. If anything, I think human capability becomes even more important. Communication, judgement, trust, leadership, and the ability to work well with others remain deeply human qualities. We've spent years describing these as "soft skills", but they may prove to be some of the hardest skills to replace.

Ultimately, I'm optimistic about New Zealand's future. The challenges aren’t small, but when I look across the business community, I see people who are still prepared to invest, adapt, and back themselves. I see organisations thinking about what's possible, not just what's difficult.

If we're serious about building the New Zealand of the future, that's a pretty good foundation to build from.