CEO Q&A: Vector chief executive Simon MacKenzie

Simon Mackenzie, Vector chief executive.

What is it about your job that gets you out of bed in the morning?

More than anything, I like the diversity and the challenge that Vector offers in business - we've got 10 different businesses that operate across a wide range of different sides in the energy space, from telecommunications to the gas trade industry, to the electricity network. That certainly makes it challenging every day - a different challenge, a different opportunity - and the complexity is something that I find interesting.

It goes back to that natural inquisitiveness that makes it really important to not rest on our laurels and look at how we can continue to sustainably grow the business.

Vector has been getting a lot of offshore attention for delivering a new energy future through new technologies - how has that come about?

We've a philosophy of "doing before saying" - showing that we've tried all the new technologies and have looked at how we can improve things from a business perspective and how that's marrying up with consumer trends. It's led to us punching above our weight and being able to get relationships with the likes of Tesla and other large tech providers which, when they're inundated with people wanting to work with them, is something we're pleased with.

What is it about New Zealanders that cause us to take up new technology in the way we have?

It's a few things. There's an inbred and natural propensity for thinking about the environment and that kind of clean, green image. There's also that layer, to be realistic, of cost control. People here say, "How do we want to take control of our own future and costs?" And a natural inquisitiveness that turns into us trying new things.

What we see of the New Zealand character - people wanting to give it a go and actually try new things - means we have to look at how we can adapt technologies that may not otherwise be viable in New Zealand at this point in time, and accept that it might not be hitting the ground in New Zealand (yet) but the cost globally will come down, so by definition it will come into New Zealand.

In New Zealand, customers are looking globally now, and therefore their expectations are global.

Are you an early adopter?

I've got solar and battery storage, LED lights, and can control on my phone.

And a car?

I have an efficient car but I am waiting for a new release of the vehicle in the new year that I'll be acquiring. It's an EV (electric vehicle) hybrid. I do own a VW at the moment. I've had three of them.

Vector is getting on with the job of installing electric vehicle charging stations around Auckland - 35 in the next year - how do you see Auckland developing in this space within the next five-to-10 years.

We see a big increase in the amount of electric vehicles, and they're coming by a number of ways. I think second hand EVs will come into the market more, as we see with normal petrol and diesel kinds of vehicles.

I also think a lot of business will migrate over. It'll be fair to say that the amount of interface we have with businesses and the people that are interested in chargers and the like will definitely increase.

With the extent of new builds, we are motivated to provide housing that is as future-proofed as we can get it - solar, battery and what we call home energy management solutions will become much more prevalent.

But we don't like to throw the buzzword of "smart grid" around: unfortunately, way too many people use that.

We say no, we're putting totally different assets into our network to create things in a totally different way.

It starts from the traditional energy model focusing on energy - generating, transmission, distribution, customer - but we start with the end customer, and work backwards.

You talk about the importance of ground-breaking technology in the energy space. What's your own relationship like with technology?

I would say that first and foremost, I wouldn't classify myself as someone that's a computer geek - my wife would agree with that considering the dilemmas we face at home with our own control systems.

But regardless, I've always been very inquisitive and marrying together consumer trends with regards to how you can make much better sustainable business decisions with keeping pace with the trends and where they're going. It's refreshing to see the business proposition.