She first ascended to multi-millionaire status in 1996 when she and her husband, Bill Foreman, sold Hamilton plastics business, Trigon. Although she no longer needed to work, she decided to create a new business of her own, Emerald Group. The global food, property and investment business included ice cream brands NZ Natural, Movenpick and Killinchy Gold, which she recently sold to a Hong Kong-based multinational.
She is currently touring the country to promote her autobiography Diane Foreman: In the Arena, profits from which are going to charity.
"The book is about leaving the ladder down," she said. "It's actually a tool box for entrepreneurs. It's a how-to book."
Ms Foreman said she had tried to envisage most of the situations an entrepreneur would find themselves in - from talking to a bank or lawyer, to writing a business plan - and hung lessons off her autobiographical story.
"The biggest sharing is that it's important for people to decide whether they want to sell their time, or start a business."
