Business New Zealand

Business New Zealand Inc. (operating as BusinessNZ) is New Zealand’s largest business advocacy body, headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand. The president of the BusinessNZ council is Laurie Margrain and Phil O'Reilly is the chief executive.

History

BusinessNZ was formed from the 2001 merger of the New Zealand Employers' Federation (formed 1902)[1] and the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation (formed 1927).[2][3] Its four regional business associations were established in the four main centres of New Zealand around the turn of the 20th century.

Membership

Membership is drawn from the Major Companies Group and four of the country’s largest regional business organisations: the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA),[4] BusinessCentral,[5] the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and the Otago Southland Employers’ Association, which offer services and support to over 14,000 member companies.[3]

BusinessNZ's Major Companies Group (MCG) helps ensure that New Zealand's largest companies are heard in policy, business and economic debate. The MCG is a working group with a collective weight of influence that enables it to provide strong counsel to government and other key decision makers. Around 70 members, representing a large proportion of New Zealand's GDP, have joined the MCG since its establishment in 2008. The work of the Major Company Group is carried out within the overarching governance of the BusinessNZ Council. Membership of the MCG provides:

BusinessNZ also represents more than 70 of New Zealand's national industry associations with a combined membership of 76,000 employers, which together employ about 80 per cent of the country’s private sector employees.[3]

Advocacy

BusinessNZ advocacy is aimed at promoting economic growth through free enterprise. It promotes policies for international competitiveness; balance between employment, economic and environmental legislation; limiting compliance and tax demands on business; innovation and skill development; and the production of high-value goods and services.[3][6]

ExportNZ and ManufacturingNZ are specialist divisions of BusinessNZ. Catherine Beard is Executive Director of ExportNZ and ManufacturingNZ, and speaks on behalf of New Zealand exporters and manufacturers.

Governing body

BusinessNZ is governed by an elected council, with its 17 members drawn from the four regional associations. Laurie Margrain is the President of the BusinessNZ Council, which meets six times a year.

References

  1. ↑ Cook, Megan (4 March 2010). "Employer and business organisations - The Employers’ Federation". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  2. ↑ Cook, Megan (4 March 2010). "Employer and business organisations - The Manufacturers’ Federation". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Cook, Megan (4 March 2010). "Employer and business organisations - New organisations, 1970s onwards". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) Northern". Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Business Central
  6. ↑ "BusinessNZ - the voice of business". BusinessNZ. Retrieved 16 December 2012.

External links