New Zealand’s business community celebrates 2024 Deloitte Top 200 award winners

Auckland, 5 December – The winners of the Deloitte Top 200 Awards for 2024 were announced at an awards ceremony in Auckland tonight. For those present, this was an opportunity to celebrate the resilience, agility, and innovation demonstrated by New Zealand’s business community, despite another challenging year.

Held annually, the Deloitte Top 200 Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding individual and management team performance among New Zealand’s largest companies and trading organisations.

For 2024, Fonterra was selected as Company of the Year, and Fonterra CEO, Miles Hurrell, was recognised as Chief Executive Officer of the Year. Siblings, Mat, Anna and Nick Mowbray received the Visionary Leader award.

“The business community powers a huge amount of societal prosperity,” said Mike Horne, Deloitte New Zealand Chief Executive. “The Deloitte Top 200 Awards are an opportunity to encourage and celebrate that success. In particular, those organisations that had the foresight to adapt and evolve to meet the economic conditions and are stronger for it.”

Returning in her role as judging convenor for the 35^th year of the awards, Fran O’Sullivan, New Zealand Media and Entertainment’s Head of Business Content, said, “when you consider the economic and geopolitical uncertainty over the last year, New Zealand’s business community continues to step up and deliver exceptional leadership and team performances.”

“As a country, we can be proud of the organisations who are leading our economy, and the many thousands of Kiwis behind them, doing their part to drive New Zealand forward.”

Fonterra was recognised for its commitment to sustainability initiatives, dairy innovation, and developing future leaders, reflecting a long-term vision that goes beyond just financial success. The co-operative has strengthened its leadership position in the global dairy industry and signaled to suppliers a near record payout forecast for the coming season.

As CEO of Fonterra, and now the Deloitte Top 200 CEO of the Year, Miles Hurrell has focused on bringing the co-operative back to its basics of picking up, processing, and selling New Zealand milk efficiently and effectively. Under his leadership, Fonterra has seen an improved milk price and payouts to farmers, record profits, a stronger balance sheet, and higher employee engagement.

Jan Dawson, Port of Auckland Chairperson, received the 2024 Chairperson of the Year award, with judges commenting she has been pivotal in rebuilding trust and tackling complex challenges, including securing a new CEO and enhancing collaboration with unions.

Named the 2024 Visionary Leaders for their innovation, foresight, and entrepreneurial spirit, Mat, Anna, and Nick Mowbray established a toy factory in China in their twenties. Two decades later, their initial toy business has expanded into what is now the ZURU Group, a billion dollar plus business with three core divisions: ZURU Toys, a consumer goods business; ZURU Edge, which produces consumer goods such as pet care, beauty, baby care and health and wellness products; and ZURU Tech, which is focused on automating property construction.

Joining Fran O’Sullivan on the awards’ main judging panel were Jonathan Mason, Neil Paviour-Smith, Gavin Lonergan, and Hinerangi Raumati-Tu’ua. In addition to the independent judges, the Deloitte Top 200 Awards would not be possible without exclusive media sponsor, The New Zealand Herald, and the support of category sponsors, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Barfoot & Thompson, BusinessNZ, Forsyth Barr, Hobson Leavy, ServiceNow, Snowflake, Tax Traders, University of Auckland Business School and 2degrees.

Judge Jonathan Mason said the calibre of finalists made selecting this year’s winners challenging, but inspiring. “Given these are New Zealand’s strongest performers who have excelled under ongoing economic headwinds, we were ultimately guided by the organisations and leaders delivering the greatest impact for their shareholders and stakeholders relative to other companies in their sectors and wider economy,” commented Mason.

The judges also recognised Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative since its inception 12 years ago, for his contribution to New Zealand’s public policy dialogue on issues such as education, health, immigration, and housing.

This year’s Top 200 winners have shown how New Zealand’s top businesses can look at the uncertainty and challenges facing us and respond strongly – particularly export companies. “Increasingly we are seeing ambitious New Zealand companies help to restore our presence, profile and connectivity on the global stage,” said Mike Horne.

“The global rules-based order, from a geopolitical point of view is changing. As a small trading nation, New Zealand has benefitted from this world order and needs to be nimble and adapt to this change. In many respects, this is a real opportunity for New Zealand, because as a smaller country, we are well positioned to respond, however that change plays out.”

“I’m excited to see how the 2024 winners and finalists continue to lead the next wave, through seeking new opportunities, remaining ambitious for the future, and finding new ways to add value,” Horne added.

The full list of winners for 2024 can be found below:

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Company of the Year
Fonterra

Barfoot & Thompson Diversity and Inclusion Leadership
Port of Auckland

BusinessNZ Most Improved Performance
The a2 Milk Company

Forsyth Barr Chairperson of the Year
Jan Dawson – Port of Auckland

Hobson Leavy Visionary Leader
Mat, Anna and Nick Mowbray

ServiceNow Chief Executive Officer of the Year
Miles Hurrell – Fonterra

Snowflake Sustainability Leadership
Spark NZ

Tax Traders Chief Financial Officer of the Year
Mike Roan – Meridian

University of Auckland Business School Young Executive of the Year
Richard Allen – Fonterra

2degrees Best Growth Strategy
Infratil

Judges’ Recognition
Dr Oliver Hartwich – The New Zealand Initiative