Graeme Hart

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Graeme Hart, (1955- ) is a billionaire and businessman who has been reported to be the richest man in New Zealand. Similarly, he has been identified as one of the ten most powerful people in New Zealand. He is reclusive and makes few media appearances.

1 Current Interests
2 Past Interests
3 Early Years
- 3.1 External links

[edit] Current Interests

[edit] Rank Group

Hart's private investment company, indirectly the largest sharehold of Burns Philp.

[edit] Burns Philp

Burns Philp and Company Limited: an Australian and New Zealand publicly listed company.
Hart has been the chairman since September 9 2004
He has been a member of the Board of Directors since September 22 1997.
Following the IPO of Goodman Fielder and the sale of the Uncle Toby's business to Nestle the company is largely a cashed up shell.
On August 23, 2006, Hart offered almost $1.6 billion - A$1.10 a share - for the 42 per cent of Burns Philp he doesn't own. The takeover was succesful in November 2006 and Burns Philp was delisted. The deal would give him total control of $2.9 billion of Burns Philp cash, net of debt, which he could then use to further build on his Carter Holt Harvey empire.The Burns Philp stash - the cash, plus Bluebird Foods (which it hopes to sell for $250 million), and a 20 per cent stake in Goodman Fielder - could give Hart fire power of more than $11 billion.

[edit] Carter Holt Harvey

Owns 100% of Carter Holt Harvey, a New Zealand timber and paper business. In the past he has been the chairman of Whitcoulls, a New Zealand book and stationery retailer.
After divesting of the CHH's timber operations, Graeme has set his eyes on the domestic construction supply market, acquiring several ITM stores in the North Island.

[edit] Past Interests

Chairman of Whitcoulls Group Limited, a New Zealand publicly listed stationery and book retailer operating in Australasia.

[edit] Early Years

Hart's extremely successful business career has humble origins - in his younger days, he worked as a tow-truck driver and as a panel beater after leaving school at 16.

In 1987, Graeme completed an MBA from Otago University. His research thesis outlines the strategy for Rank then a small hire company to evolve into a major corporation.

Hart gained a big break when he bought Government Print Agency for less than its capital value. Future investment included Whitcoulls Group - which at that stage also included a retail chain of bookstores as well as office and stationary concerns.