Leaders Getting Coffee with Bruce Cotterill

In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 28, our guest is the former ACT Party Member of Parliament and NZCPR Founder, Dr. Muriel Newman.

Dr. Newman moved to New Zealand with her family as a young girl, and brought with her an approach to her education typified by her desire not to let her parents down. That education led to a career teaching in New Zealand and subsequently the USA, before returning to New Zealand to bring up her young children.

Her work as a part of Sir Michael Hill’s Whangarei team led to a position as President of the local Chamber of Commerce and subsequently as a founding member of the ACT party.

After nine years as an MP, she founded the New Zealand Centre for Political Researchan independent public policy think tank that provides research-based analysis and commentary on matters of national interest. 

NZCPR is guided bya firm belief that informed citizens are at the heart of a well-functioning democracy.

During the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast, she speaks to Bruce Cotterill about the enormous challenges for the New Zealand government in the aftermath of the Ardern Hipkins Labour government, in particular the implications of unravelling the failed centralisations, bloated bureaucracies and inflated expectations of those who were set to benefit from government decisions based on race.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 27 we take a close up look at how governments and local authorities spend our tax and rates money.

Our guest for this quest is Jordan Williams, co-founder of The Taxpayers Union, a purpose driven organisation established over ten years ago with a view to campaigning for better value for money from government spending.

Jordan graduated from law school at Victoria University and spent his first five years working in the law firm founded by former Act Party MP, Stephen Franks. We hear how he ‘picked up the bug’ of defending taxpayer dollars and the vision that led to the creation of The Taxpayers Union.

Former Prime Minister Sir Bill English has described the Union as follows:

“One of the principal tools for restoring value for money for the taxpayer is transparency. The Taxpayers’ Union has been remarkably successful simply by exposing the actions of government to the hard light of day”.

We’d all like to think that such transparency results in better politicians, better behaviour and better public services. But the job is still a long way from being done.

The conversation doesn’t stop at government spending either. The Prime Minister’s speech to Local Government New Zealand a few weeks ago gets some attention during  the podcast as does the recent local body spending news about steps to the $263,000 beach at Milford in Auckland and Wellington’s now famous $500,000 plus bike rack.

Jordan Williams is at his animated and enthusiastic best discussing the wasted spending in our public organisations as he celebrates the organisation’s annual “Jonesie Awards” for the worst examples of wasteful spending.

Episode 27 of Leaders Getting Coffee is a wonderful opportunity to understand more about where our tax and rates dollars go, and we share the story of those who are trying to make that spending more responsible.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 26, we are back into the topic of education, this time with an entrepreneurial CEO with a vision for a better world through education.

Dr. Jamie Beaton is the 29 year old co-founder of Crimson Education Group. He has carried a passion for education, borne of an entrepreneurial mother who hung her own university degrees, three of them, in his bedroom when he was a small boy.

He went on to excel at Kings College in Auckland, before leaving our shores to study at Harvard University in the USA. Now, some ten years later he has a double degree from that most esteemed of universities, as well as eight other university degrees from the who’s who of prestigious education, including Stanford, Yale, Princeton and Oxford.

His own entrepreneurial efforts led to the creation of Crimson Education, an organisation that supports high school students to gain offers to the world’s most competitive universities, including those he has attended. Crimson Education now has  a network of over 20,000 students and with over 2,300 tutors and mentors around the world.

In this episode, Bruce Cotterill talks to Jamie about what makes the best universities and how an aspiring student should select a university. Their conversation is littered with tips and ideas for those considering studying abroad. And parents might be pleasantly surprised at the cost of doing so. If you look in the right places, it might not be as expensive as we think.

There’s also plenty of discussion about the state of the New Zealand education system, how we can improve it, and why we should.

Episode 25 of Leaders Getting Coffee is a “must listen” for any students and parents  considering University as a next step, and how to maximise that opportunity. And we hear the story of a fascinating young New Zealander who lives and breathes education. 

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Hard on the heels of the Paris Olympics, our guest for Leaders Getting Coffee episode 25, is Nigel Avery, Chef de Mission of our Olympic team.

Inspired as a seven year old watching John Walker’s Olympic Gold medal race in 1976,  Avery set his sights on going to the Olympic games. He became one of those most unique New Zealanders who went on to represent the country in three very different sports, namely Track & Field athletics, where he was a national champion, bobsled racing, and Weightlifting where he won two Commonwealth Games gold medals and five medals in total.

And yes, although he didn’t get onto the podium, one of his own sporting highlights is that he did get represent his country at the Olympic Games. 

Nigel Avery talks about his own sporting career, including the highs of Commonwealth gold and the frustrations of missing Olympic selection, and how those highs and lows influenced his approach to the role he now plays. We hear about the appointments process to becoming Chef de Mission and the high quality group of leaders and managers put in place to support the New Zealand Olympic team. And we learn about the effort that goes into making sure our athletes feel a sense of belonging in the Olympic environment.

The 2024 Paris Olympics saw New Zealand compete at our most successful games ever. A total of 20 medals, including 10 golds, was probably unexpected by most of us.

And you’ll be surprised at just how hands-on the Chef de Mission role can be, as he shares his unique perspective on the athletes that represented us, the moments of glory, and the disappointments.

There is nothing quite like sport to demonstrate success and failure. Elite sport in particular, can be brutal in it’s honesty. Bruce and Nigel chat about the fine line between first and second in Hayden Wilde’s Olympic triathlon, the celebrations of a medal winning performance and the frustration of fourth place. 

And what do you think a celebrated sporting champion would do if he was Prime Minister for a day? You might be surprised.

In episode 25 of Leaders Getting Coffee we hear another great New Zealand story about an intensely competitive athlete, who became the leader of our best ever Olympic team.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 24, we’re talking technology with the founder of one of New Zealand’s most innovative software engineering companies.

Like all good tech stories, this one started in a garage 14 years ago. That was when Danu Abeysuriya founded Rush Digital, a software development and engineering business that can be found working with numerous organisations in New Zealand and around the world.

Born in Sri Lanka to teaching parents, he spent his primary school years living in Zimbabwe before his father’s vision and timing led the family to New Zealand. They settled in South Auckland where Danu went to school and ultimately university. It’s a story well worth listening to.

Rush was the Company that delivered the Covid tracing app in New Zealand, at a time when people were scared and the government was under pressure. We hear about the time pressures and the wide range of issues that had to be dealt with as the mobile phone app landed in everyone’s phone, in just three months.

And then there is artificial intelligence, or AI as we now refer to it. Abeysuriya is rapidly cementing himself as one of the country’s foremost experts on the topic and we discuss the challenges, the opportunities, and the pitfalls of bringing this exciting development in technology, into every aspect of our lives.

Finally, we hear what at technology leader would do if he was Prime Minister for a day. You might be surprised.

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Forty years ago one of the most transformational governments in New Zealand history was sworn in. That government, led by the larger than life David Lange, who was accompanied by financial architect Roger Douglas, had the task of overhauling the country’s fragile economy.

Sitting in the inner sanctum of that government was Dr Michael Bassett, who became the Minister in charge of a run-down health service during an economic downturn. Sound familiar?

Dr Bassett has a unique perspective on the fourth labour government and the Muldoon led National government that preceded them. Those days saw rapid inflation, a wage and price freeze and a run on the currency immediately before the 1984 election. Rogernomics was the new Labour government’s fiscal response, as critical a part of their legacy as their introduction of our nuclear free legislation.

Since his political retirement Dr Basset has gone on to become one of our most important historians, with fifteen books to his credit, including multiple political biographies. And in 2018 he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for his services to history.

There is no one better placed to reflect on New Zealand’s greatest Prime Ministers.

And he has plenty to say about our recent governments, and some advice for the current coalition.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 22, we speak to the newly appointed Chairman of the Financial Markets Authority, Craig Stobo.

 Craig is perhaps best known in investment and financial circles, and as a Chair of various and corporate organisations. But his leadership story runs deep – from mountaineering to the boardroom. His experiences across the financial and investment sector make for compelling listening.

Craig talks to Bruce about dealing with death in the Himalayas and a failed summit attempt. But they quickly move on to the state of the New Zealand economy, and in particular our lack of productivity.

 He has solutions too, and a clear desire to see us become better at attracting the foreign investment we so desperately need. Using the success of the Irish economy as a model, he notes the natural advantages that New Zealand could bring to a foreign direct investment strategy of it’s own.

 The lively discussion navigates a wide range of issues including infrastructure, education, and how war and immigration are driving changes in the world economy.

 And of course they discuss the Craig’s new role, the importance of the Financial Markets Authority and the need for good conduct in our financial community.

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In this episode, we put a broadcaster on the other side of the microphone and meet recently awarded journalist Rachel Smalley.

Some people become leaders because of the teams they lead. Others are leaders because of the causes they champion. Rachel falls into the latter category. She wanted to be a journalist straight out of high school, but her belated acceptance into journalism training meant her journey was delayed by a few years.

She started on the sports desk, but quickly migrated to the world of foreign affairs and global audiences. She worked internationally before returning to New Zealand during the global financial crisis.

Notably she led coverage of the Syrian refuges crisis and she spearheaded “The Forgotten Millions” fundraising campaign, raising $2 Million for World Vision. It was a chapter in her life that changed her outlook and began her quest to make things better in a troubled world.

More recently, she has led the campaign to improve access to life-enabling or life-saving medicines for New Zealanders with serious illness. Her relentless questioning of Pharmac, and numerous articles bringing our attention to the genuine failures of our national medicines body, has directly contributed to some patients receiving life changing medicines that were otherwise out of reach.

Rachel discusses her experiences in the media, life on the front line of the Syrian refugee crisis, and the challenges for a television broadcast media that has lost the trust of the people they serve.

And of course, we hear about her hopes for a refreshed national medicines body under a new government.

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In this episode, our guest is the former Managing Director of advertising powerhouse Saatchi & Saatchi, Mike Hutcheson.

 Mike’s advertising career started in the “Mad Men” era and continues to this day. He was one of the founders of Colenso BBDO and subsequently led his own firm Hutcheson Knowles Marinkovich.

 He’s also a perpetual entrepreneur having founded businesses in home building, real estate, organic fair trade tea and coffee and a Waiheke Island vineyard.

 But it is advertising land that is nearest his heart. Hutch talks about the best ads from his era and chats about the creativity like most people discuss the day’s events. He’s incredibly well informed and extremely passionate, a combination that is informative and entertaining to listen to.

 Listen to him speak to Bruce Cotterill about the importance of creativity, the lack of critical thinking in our young people and the egos and agendas of politicians.

 And he discusses the importance of reading. No matter what your career choice, reading a wide range of material provides a level of perspective from which you can variously create, compete and communicate.

 And we learn about the Guinness world rocking chair record. Who would have thought there was such a thing.

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This week our guest is the former Member of Parliament and Minister of Health, Dr. Jonathan Coleman.

Dr. Coleman spent almost 13 years as the MP for Northcote, and during that time was a key member of the inner circle in John Key’s National Party led government. During his parliamentary career he held Ministerial responsibility for health, broadcasting, sport & recreation, immigration and state services.

His early career saw him practising medicine in New Zealand and overseas and he even had a stint as a doctor on Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service.

During the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast, he speaks to Bruce about the importance of local communities, why centralising health decision making is wrong, and the newly announced funding for Pharmac.

As a former Minister of Health, Coleman has a unique perspective on the state of our health services, the things we do well and the areas where we under-perform. He openly discusses the financial constraints in the health sector and  the challenges of recruitment in the international marketplace for talent.

 Finally, he discusses the decision to go from the top job in the Health Ministry, back to life as a suburban GP.

 As someone who once put his hand up to be Prime Minister, in the wake of John Key’s resignation, we hear what he would do, if he was PM for a day.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 18, our guest is the CEO of the NZ Olympic Committee, Nicki Nicol

 Nicki spent almost 20 years with global giant BP where she worked around the world in a wide range of executive roles.

 She returned to New Zealand and took up the role of Chief Financial Officer at NZ Rugby, where among other achievements, she led the Respect & Responsibility Review.

 She subsequently became the Deputy CEO of NZ Rugby, until a new challenge arrived and she was appointed as the CEO of the NZ Olympic Committee two years ago – at a time when the Commonwealth Games and Winter Olympics of 2022 were both less than three months away.

 Nicki is surprisingly forthright on the state of sports in New Zealand and the opportunities that sport provides across the board, from a showcase of the country, to a learning ground for our school age children.

 She talks to Bruce about the challenges of sports funding and having to raise money from sponsorship and philanthropy in order to get a team of almost 400 people to the Games.

 She also discusses a resurgence in New Zealand’s track & field athletes and our emerging crop of top swimmers. And then there is the ongoing battle with the drugs cheats, and in a troubled world the concerns and resultant plans, regarding athlete safety.

 Finally, we even get a preview on where she thinks New Zealand might be in the medal hunt.

 Episode 18 of Leaders Getting Coffee provides another great story about a New Zealand woman who learned her trade in one of the world’s biggest companies, and who brought those skills home to add to our already remarkable sporting pedigree.

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Bruce Cotterill: Leaders Getting Coffee – Episode 17 – With Mike Bush

In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 17, our guest is former Police Commissioner, Mike Bush.

Mike Bush joined the Police at the age of 18 and stayed for 42 years. He spent six years in the top job before retiring in 2020.

Over recent years we’ve seen crime on the increase, particularly that perpetuated by younger people. Mike talks with Bruce about the growing crime problems in New Zealand, the challenges of dealing with imported crime that comes with immigration, and the war on drugs and gangs.

He offers an interesting perspective on the challenges in dealing with young offenders, and how so called “boot camp” policies can be amended in order to become more effective for the young people who have much to gain from such programmes.

There is also an interesting discussion about the much maligned Oranga Tamariki, and the challenges faced by the young people who come into contact with that organisation as well as those whose job is to try to help them.

And we learn about policing as a career, one which Mike Bush would highly recommend to any young person thinking about an alternative to a university education or a trade.

Episode 17 of Leaders Getting Coffee provides another unique leadership story. A story about a young man from Rotorua, who wanted to be a cop.

Download it here.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 16, our guest is Webster, the CEO of Tourism Holdings Limited.

Grant was named CEO of the Year at the 2023 Deloitte Top 200 business awards last year and his leadership story is both impressive and inspiring.

Of course the tourism industry has taken a hammering in the wake of the COVID 19 enforced lockdowns and Grant gives us a unique perspective on the status of our recovery and the future outlook for the sector.

The discussion covers the role of the government in enhancing our tourism offer, the customer experience we deliver for tourists, and the age old argument about the benefits of high value short term tourists versus long term low value visitors.

And we learn how to continue to grow the tourism pie, including the opportunity to embrace the stuff that is uniquely New Zealand, namely our cultural identify and our authenticity as we seek to attract increasing tourist numbers to our shores. 

And with tourism businesses operating around the world, you might be surprised to hear about Grant Webster’s favourite camper van trip.

Yet again, Leaders Getting Coffee unveils a unique and fascinating leadership story with one of our longest serving CEO’s.

Download it here.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 15, our guest is Tim O’Connor, the 11th Headmaster of Auckland Grammar School.

Tim’s career in education has taken him through some of New Zealand’s best known schools for boys including Nelson College and Palmerston North Boys High, before joining Grammar in 2012.

It’s a rare opportunity to speak to a leader in a sector that is so important for the future of the country, while at the same time having grave concerns for the current state of that sector. O’Connor confirms that our fears are well founded, but the good news is that he has a prescription for what the future needs to look like.

As a result, the discussion covers topics like the suitability of NCEA, the current curriculum and whether teacher training is fit for purpose. There’s also the needs of the primary school sector that feeds our colleges, and what they need to do to be better.

And then there are the unique aspects of life at Auckland Grammar School where "old school" values reign supreme, and where respect and discipline are to the fore.

Yet again, Leaders Getting Coffee unveils a unique and fascinating leadership story, one that will, at some time, affect most of us, and our children.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 14, our guest is Tenby Powell, who founded Kiwi K.A.R.E. (Kiwi Aid & Refugee Evacuation) which was established in response to the humanitarian and medical crisis unfolding in war-torn Ukraine.

A Retired Colonel in the NZ Army, he’s also a former CEO and investor who, dissatisfied with the lack of progress in his hometown of Tauranga, successfully ran for the Mayoralty in 2019.

Tenby talks with passion about the role of the military in our lives, how the army can help youth offenders programmes, and the need to provide for those young people once such programmes are completed.

The discussion covers the transitions from military man to corporate leader and the process that saw entrenched positions in Tauranga resolved within a few short months of his appointment as Mayor.

Finally, we learn about what is going on, on the ground in Ukraine, and how Kiwis are making a big difference to the people they touch.

And as always, we wrap up the podcast by asking Tenby what he would do if he was Prime Minister for a day? His answer sounds like a lot of fun.

Tenby Powell is another impressive leader with a fascinating leadership story. Tune in to Leaders Getting Coffee, episode 14, with Bruce Cotterill and Tenby Powell.

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This week on Leaders Getting Coffee, our guest is Theresa Gattung. Former CEO of Telecom NZ, co-founder of My Food Bag, and Chair of Global Women.

Theresa’s story is unique. A chance meeting led to her joining Telecom, where at the age of just 37, she became that company’s youngest ever CEO and the first woman to lead a NZX listed company.

She talks about the importance of a strong leadership team, what she looks for in building a team, and the decision to sell one of Telecom’s biggest assets.

It might seem difficult to follow a corporate career like that, but Theresa became an entrepreneur and alongside Nadia Lim and Cecilia Robinson, she was one of the drivers behind the launch and rapid success of My Food Bag. She talks openly about managing in that high paced environment and has plenty of great lessons for young people with big aspirations.

Theresa speaks with refreshing honesty about the highs and lows of her career, and the things that drove her to become a passionate advocate for women and a lifelong supporter of women in the workplace.

And as always, we wrap up the podcast by asking Theresa what she would do if she was Prime Minister for a day?

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This week, Bruce's guest is, Jason Paris, the CEO of One NZ, formerly Vodafone.

Jason has worked across New Zealand’s corporate tech sector, with leadership roles at Nokia, TVNZ, and Spark, before joining Vodafone as their CEO five years ago.

He speaks in detail about the rebranding of Vodafone to One NZ. The reasons for the name change, how they came up with the new name, and of course, the reaction from key stakeholders. And he gets into his great passion – the customer experience – explaining why he gives his email address out to every One NZ customer.

With rugby league’s NRL season about to get under way, who better to speak to about the Warriors chances, than the CEO of their main sponsor. The Vodafone / One NZ sponsorship arrangement is one of the longest in the NRL. And this CEO is a life long league fan. His view from the changing room demonstrates the commitment of the company to the club and vice versa.

As always, we wrap up the podcast by asking Jason what he would do if he was Prime Minister for a day? His answer is one of our best yet.

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This week, Bruce's guest is, Mike Bennetts, the former CEO of Z Energy and a previous winner of the Deloitte Top 200 CEO of the year. 

Bruce talks to him about his corporate career, one that started off in sales and continued working around the world to the corner office, and discuss the importance of culture and good conversations, fuel prices, and Mike's new book. 

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Bruce's guest is Dion Nash, former New Zealand cricket captain and the founder of grooming business Triumph & Disaster.

They talk cricket, cover the transition from being a professional athlete to owner/operator of a business, and explore the influence of Rudyard Kipling's poem If.

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Bruce's guest is award-winning entrepreneur Carmen Vicelich. She's behind multiple data-driven, industry-leading businesses including Valocity and Data Insight. 

Vicelich is a regular global speaker, sharing her story of innovation, and serves on boards including the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.

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Bruce's guest is Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson. The real estate group is a family company which recently celebrated one hundred years of operation. Bruce and Peter discuss the property market and the expectations of the new government’s likely impact.

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This week Bruce is joined by former National Party minister turned Joyce Advisory founder, Steven Joyce. The two discuss the state of politics and Joyce's career in and out of the Beehive.  

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Bruce chats to Dr Nina Hood, founder of The Education Hub. Nina is an outstanding educator, with genuine concerns and innovative solutions for the New Zealand education system. She is passionate about improving educational outcomes and shares constructive advice for politicians, teachers and even parents.

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For his next chat, Bruce is joined by Zuru Toys cofounder Nick Mowbray. They discuss how he and his siblings took their toy company to the world and even cracked China, and what motivates their approach to business. Plus, with the election campaign underway, they dig into all things politics. 

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This week, Bruce is joined by Simplicity CEO and founder Sam Stubbs to talk how his corporate career gave way to running a not for profit Kiwisaver scheme. 

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In our third edition of the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast, our guest is Cecilia Robinson. She is a serial entrepreneur, from Au Pair Link to My Food Bag, and now her latest venture Tend Health, she continues to challenge the status quo and how we deliver services to customers.

A combination of enthusiasm and logic prevails in her conversation and her aspirations for the country. And she offers a very simple solution for our crisis ridden health system.

Join Bruce Cotterill and his guest Cecilia Robinson in episode 3 of Leaders Getting Coffee.

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For his second guest, Bruce is joined by the former Reserve Bank Governor and National Party leader Don Brash, to talk about his experiences in the public sector, politics and his thoughts on recent fiscal hole drama. 

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For the first episode of Leaders Getting Coffee, Bruce is joined by former TV presenter turned sports animation pioneer and Animation Research Limited founder Sir Ian Taylor, to discuss leadership advice, how Ian got got his company off the ground and through Covid, and thoughts on some recent headlines.

Read Bruce's column here

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