Economist Paula Rebstock sees no irony in her accepting a Queen's Birthday Honour for her role as a champion for competition in business.
This year - and with some haste as her term ended - the Government replaced her as chairwoman of the Commerce Commission.
The decision came amid heavy lobbying by some in big business, companies which complained that the commission under Rebstock's leadership had become too strident.
But in being made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, she did not see any irony.
"I am not surprised some people see the connection, but I don't see it at all," she said.
"The Government did ask me to stay and I chose for my own reasons not to."
The American-born Rebstock - who lives in Greenhithe on the North Shore with her husband, economist Ulf Schoefisch - was honoured for public services, most recently on the commission.
Her career includes roles as a Treasury adviser on social policy and as an economic adviser in the Prime Minister's Department under Jim Bolger.
Latterly she was general manager for policy at the Department of Labour before serving on the Commerce Commission for 11 years.
Rebstock took over the chair in 2003 and became the high-profile face of the competition regulator, setting an assertive tone that irritated some in big business.
The Queen's Birthday honour states that under her leadership "the Commerce Commission had improved the public awareness on the role of competition in advancing the economic welfare of New Zealanders".
Recollecting the early days, Rebstock said the commission "changed its approach to what we attacked for anti-competitive behaviour".
The commission had become responsible for the regulation of a number of industries, including telecommunications, electricity, gas and dairy.
"That was really tough because where they had been regulated in other countries they had not been regulated here. They put up huge resistance and I do not think that at the time the public understood what was at issue."
The commission also blocked a merger plan between Qantas and Air New Zealand and prosecuted banks for poor disclosure of fees.
Big business lobbying increased during her tenure - heating up over the commission's dogged, and successful, legal challenge to prevent Woolworths and Foodstuffs bidding for the Warehouse Group.
There have been calls to scrap the commission or to focus less on competition and more on efficiency.
"Those arguments are misguided," Rebstock said then, and says now.
"If the benefits outweigh the costs we can already allow activity to proceed and we have done in the past."
Competition lawyers said they questioned commission priorities but respected Rebstock's leadership. But others baulked.
Had her strong leadership style and championing competition played a part in her decision to leave the commission?
"I think that because we became effective in promoting competition both through the enforcement action we took, but also through education, there was always going to be those who would argue against it - in some sense to me that was inevitable," she said.
"But the important thing is that the vast majority of the public and a very large number of people in the business community absolutely understand that competition is the engine of economic growth and development. If that argument had to occur then I believe it was an important one to have.
"If you are doing a job right as chairperson you should be a lightning rod for whatever you are out there doing.
"That is what leadership is about," she said.
She remained focused on the benefits of competition.
"We know from history that when competition laws were put aside in the Great Depression it delayed recovery and the world cannot afford to make that mistake again."
PAULA REBSTOCK - Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for public services, latterly as chairwoman of the Commerce Commission.
'We know from history that when competition laws were put aside in the Great Depression, it delayed recovery, and the world cannot afford to make that mistake again.'
