GRAEME HART
New Zealand’s richest man — Forbes magazine rates him as the world’s 451st richest person in the world — and dealmaker extraordinaire. Does he give to charity? We wouldn’t have a clue. Hart is intensely private. He is, however, extraordinarily good at acquiring underperforming companies, building value into them, and flicking them on for vast profits. We called him “dynamic, opportunistic and secretive” in an October 2006 cover story examining his plans for Carter Holt Harvey. No one else comes close to the former tow-truck driver for the sheer scale of his deals.

ALAN HUBBARD
The legendary Timaru multimillionaire widely viewed as the most powerful businessman in the South Island. He is an accountant by profession, renowned for his ability to make every dollar accountable and the retro 1968 VW Beetle he drives. Hubbard is the chairman and major shareholder of South Canterbury Finance, which has assets totalling more than $1 billion. He’s also known as a serious philanthropist who doesn’t like to make a fuss about his giving.

PETER JACKSON
Film maker. Jackson was once number one on Premiere magazine’s Hollywood power list, which says a helluva lot for a guy based in what Hollywood would regard as the back of beyond. Who else in New Zealand can get on the phone and chat to Steven Spielberg? Like Hart, Jackson is a dealmaker extraordinaire who somehow finds the time and energy to be seriously creative for a living and has created a film-making empire based in Miramar.

SAM MORGAN
The closest thing this country has to a new media magnate since he scored a cool $700 million or so in selling Trade Me to Fairfax, a deal which transformed Morgan into a funky business icon in the eyes of the public. Morgan’s not afraid to say what he thinks, even to journalists — he is one of the few industry leaders we know who will always return calls within a decent time frame. He’s also increasingly influential as a public speaker (his presentation at the recent Better by Design conference was world class) and bloody funny. Morgan still steers Trade Me while investing in a bunch of new tech companies.

STEPHEN TINDALL
Founder of The Warehouse and the Tindall Foundation, and philanthropist. Perhaps the real measure of Tindall’s influence is that his name is known to every inhabitant of these islands. He still retains a healthy shareholding in The Warehouse but is seriously involved in a bunch of other companies. He’s invested more than $100 million in startups with the avowed aim of creating companies and technology that will help New Zealand, which fits right in with that passion and entrepeneurial profile we talked about when choosing our Influencers.


The influencers
Sir John Anderson
TVNZ chairman, long-time chairman of New Zealand Cricket, former banker known for his leadership and nurturing of a generation of young executives.

Graeme Avery
Founded Adis Publishing, co-founded the Millennium Institute for Sport and Health, key player in establishing the Hawke’s Bay Food and Wine Tourism Group, founded Sileni Estates.

John Barnett
South Pacific Pictures chief executive, 2002 SPADA/OnFilm Industry Champion of the Year, member of the Screen Production Industry Taskforce and made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003.

Wayne Boyd
Telecom chairman, Meridian chairman, Auckland Airport director, former lawyer and merchant banker, now a professional company director. Former director of Sport and Recreation New Zealand and former chairman of the New Zealand Blood Service and New Zealand Hockey Federation. Coached the women’s hockey team at the 1984 Olympics and 1987 World Cup.

Bill Buckley
Physics entrepreneur; owner and managing director of Buckley Systems, internationally recognised manufacturer and exporter of key components for ion implanters; former New Zealand motorcycle champion.

Sir Ron Carter
Former managing director of Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner and chairman of Beca Group; knighted in 1998 for his contribution to engineering and business administration; current chairman of the Committee for Auckland and trustee of the Sir Peter Blake Trust.

Garth Cooper
Chief scientific officer at Protemix; discovered the hormone amylin and subsequently founded the Nasdaq-listed US bio-pharmaceutical company Amylin Pharmaceuticals; returned to New Zealand in 1992 to a joint appointment at the University of Auckland in the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Medicine; listed as inventor on more than 40 US and European patents.

Erica Crawford
Principal and co-founder of Crawford Wines, global branding expert.

Peri Drysdale
Former nurse, CEO of Snowy Peak, entrepreneur, exporter, visionary, executive director of the Untouched World Foundation.

Eion Edgar
Chairman of Forsyth Barr Group; president of the New Zealand Olympic Committee and director of a swathe of companies; a trustee of many charitable organisations including the Halberg Trust; a former chairman of the Stock Exchange; former chancellor of the University of Otago; 1995 Dunedin Citizen of the Year.

Tony Falkenstein
Successful businessman; founder of Just Water International; chairman of New Zealand’s first business high school, Onehunga High Business School.

Rob Fenwick
Eco champion who founded Living Earth; chairs Landcare Research, and is deputy chairman of TVNZ; a founding member and an executive councillor of the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development; was founding chairman of Mai FM.

George Fistonich
Winemaker extraordinaire; founder and mana-ging director of Villa Maria and 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year; in 2004 shortlisted as one of 50 prominent figures in the wine industry by UK Wine International magazine; named 2004 New Zealander of the year by the National Business Review.

Michael Friedlander
Property magnate, lawyer, governing director of Samson Corporation. Prefers to do business under the radar.

Bill Gallagher
Gallagher Group chief executive and chairman; MBE; Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003.

Colin Giltrap
The country’s biggest car dealer and an active supporter of motor racing for many years; New Zealand franchise holder for the A1 Grand Prix.

Tim Glasson
Founder of Glassons and the man who turned the clothing chain into a household name.

Peter Gluckman
Super scientist, founding director of the Liggins Institute and the National Research Centre for Growth and Development, and chief scientific officer of Neuren Pharmaceuticals.

Tony Gibbs
Tax lobbyist supreme; executive director of Guinness Peat Group; chairman of Turners & Growers, Tower and Staveley Inc; a director of Coats plc and NGC Holdings; owns a thriving mandarin orchard.

Michael Hill
Jeweller (and golfer).

Kevin Hickman
Christchurch-based co-founder and director of Ryman Healthcare, keen racehorse owner and breeder, former athletics coach who now mentors other coaches in Canterbury.

Henry van der Heyden
Dairy farmer and chairman of Fonterra, the world’s largest dairy exporter, responsible for 8% of the country’s annual GDP.

Jock Hobbs
Former All Black, lawyer, investment banker, New Zealand Rugby Union chairman. Also known as ‘the man who saved rugby’ due to his efforts to sign up the country’s leading players in 1995 when the game turned professional.

Neville Jordan
Technology entrepreneur and chairman of Endeavour Capital; has been a director of AgResearch and the Foundation of Research, Science and Technology as well as the Prime Minister’s Growth and Innovation Advisory Board; last year appointed President of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Andy Lark
Communications professional; inaugural World Class New Zealander in 2003; chairs the ICT panel of NZTE’s US Beachhead; founder and CEO of Group Lark; member of No 8 Ventures advisory board.

Peter Maire
Navman founder, technology investor, member of the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology’s NERF Advisory Panel and the Government’s ICT Taskforce.

Peter Masfen
Former Montana chairman who turned the company into the country’s largest winemaker; holds several directorships, including director of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

Jeremy Moon
Icebreaker founder, chairman of the Better by Design advisory board, Young Entrepreneur of the Year 1998.

Lloyd Morrison
Infratil founder, flag waver (he spearheaded the campaign to get the flag changed) and known to direct large sums of money into the arts.

Greg Muir
Pumpkin Patch executive chairman who used to run The Warehouse Group; chairman of the Hanover Group and a key man in Auckland rugby -admini-stration.

Gary Paykel
Chairman of Fisher & Paykel Appliances and Healthcare; director of Emirates Team New Zealand.

Wendy Pye
Usually known as a publishing phenomenon since she launched Sunshine Books in 1985; champion of children’s literacy programmes and a passionate supporter of the thoroughbred and racing industry.

Geoff Ross
42 Below founder and chief vodka bloke and marketing whiz of the first order.

Ken Stevens
Founder, owner and exe-cutive chairman of Glidepath; Business Champion for Export Year 07.

Sir Angus Tait
Tait Electronics founder and chairman; innovative business leader; once memorably described as “the giant oak of the New Zealand electronics industry”.

Peter Talley
Patriarch and chairman of the Talley family food empire; described as “a curious blend of small-town traditionalist and big business champion”; legendary both for the Talley family’s philanthropy and his dislike of journalists.

John Todd
Patriarch of New Zealand’s richest family, chairman of the Todd Corporation, founding patron of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.

Gilbert Ullrich
Founder of Ullrich Aluminium and Ullrich Exports; a founder member and past president of the Export Institute (ENZ) and chairman of the New Zealand Pacific Business Council.

Wayne Walden
Former managing director of Farmers Deka, now chairman of Maori Television; chairman of the Youth Development Endowment Trust.

Mark Weldon
Former Olympic swimmer; CEO of the NZX; an inaugural recipient of a Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award; on the board of Springboard Trust, which helps charities.