Mood of the Boardroom: High regard for Bennett

Paula Bennett is National's rising star pole-vaulting over senior ranked Ministers to third place on the CEOs' rankings of who has impressed them most in John Key's Cabinet over the last three years.

"Bennett's strategy, execution and presentation has excelled and she has propelled beyond Judith Collins and Hekia Parata in the succession stakes," said one capital markets chairman prior to Collins' resignation.

Overall, the chief executives rated the Social Development Minister's reforms at 3.77/5.

"I think Paula Bennett seems to be doing an awesome job," says Xero chief executive Rod Drury. "Watching her the last couple of performances she's had on TV, she's turning for me to be this better star, she's looking really good. And in a portfolio that's incredibly hard."

Asked if she was future leadership material, Drury replied.

"I think so. You think, who else is there, and I've watched her the last couple of times, you know how she's changed her dress and I think she's got the right back story. She seems to have the personality, has the fire in the belly, and I don't know if anyone else has mentioned that, but I've certainly noticed it."

For the second year in a row Bill English has out-performed Key in chief executives' eyes on the

Herald

's Mood of the Boardroom survey.

This time he scored a 4.75/5 rating compared to the PM's 4.49 rating.

In 2013, their ratings were 4.38/5 and 4.32/5 respectively.

The pair are seen by business as a "very effective and complementary team".

The Big Three - Key, Bill English and Steven Joyce - were seen as the dominant players in Cabinet.

Veda's John Roberts said " all in all they have been an impressive team."

But EMA's Kim Campbell said "It's been more a team of champions than a champion team.

"Given another chance we need to see greater team work out of Cabinet if the gains made so far are to be consolidated."

Another chairman was pointed: "The cabinet suffers from a personality cult and debate is stifled.

"Outliers like Tim Groser commendably get on with the free trade job. But too many are toadies. The Nats have to think about succession planning - they don't want to suffer the Kohl syndrome, where a giant leaves the scene and all the green shoots were suppressed."

There was some pointed criticism for the Minister in charge of the Christchurch Recovery Gerry Brownlee who has slipped out of the Cabinet top eight on the Herald survey.

His "command and control" mode was said to have slowed Christchurch," said one.

"It's the older guard that have been disappointing mainly."

This was countered by an insurance boss who noted that the "depopulation risk that was feared in 2011 had not eventuated and instead Christchurch has contributed to the economic strength of the country."

So what about the future?

Forsyth Barr's Neil Paviour-Smith acknowledged "there appears to be some emerging succession candidate for leadership in coming years."

Among the "new generation" to be favourably mentioned were : Energy Minister Simon Bridges - also in the top eight; Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse and Communications Minister Amy Adams.