Ex-Telecom chief lauded

By DITA DE BONI

Former Telecom chief executive Roderick Deane has walked off with a special award to recognise almost 10 years at the top of the New Zealand business world.

Dr Deane was named Executive of the Decade at the Deloitte-Management magazine Top 200 Awards, held at the Auckland Downtown Convention Centre last night.

The one-off accolade was awarded to commemorate Dr Deane's work as chief executive of "one of the world's most progressive and successful telecommunications companies," said Management publisher Reg Birchfield.

Dr Deane relinquished the role of chief executive this year to become Telecom's chairman.

He holds a variety of other positions, including chairman of TransAlta New Zealand, directorships of ANZ and Fletcher Challenge, and patron of the IHC, a position he shares with his wife.

Dr Deane saw Telecom through the transition from a Government enterprise to this country's most profitable public company.

Executive of the Year went to Montana Wines chief executive Peter Hubscher, head of New Zealand's largest winery and responsible for the bulk of "Brand New Zealand" wine on foreign shelves.

Montana has achieved before-tax growth of 18 per cent compounded for the last seven years and has invested $70m in the last four years in vineyard land purchases, wineries and bottling halls.

Credit services and business information firm Baycorp nabbed the coveted Company of the Year award, won last year by Fernz Corporation.

Baycorp beat finalists The Warehouse and Montana Group for the top spot based on financial performance, quality of products and services, environmental and human resources management and relevance of product.

This year, Baycorp reported a rise of 21 per cent in both earnings and profit, predicting similar growth as the company follows the rise of consumer confidence around the world and looks to set up credit check systems to support credit and mortgage facilities.

Other individual awards included former Telecom chairman Peter Shirtcliffe as the QBE Insurance Chairperson of the Year, with former All Black and Auckland businessman John Graham receiving the Colenso leadership award.

The Brookfields business ethics award was awarded to 3M New Zealand for instigating comprehensive systems to reduce waste and reuse and recycle materials.

The Port of Tauranga company received the SAP most improved enterprise award for taking on the Port of Auckland and reporting a 55 per cent rise in after-tax profit for the year to June, with an estimated 50 per cent jump in annual volume from clinching the ANDZL contract.