About NZSA
Why Join?
- Share the vision of a dependency free NZ.
- Through numbers we have influence
The greater the number of members in NZSA, the more influence we can exert. NZSA collectively can exert greater influence on companies than an individual investor can hope to achieve. - Improve your risk taking and knowledge
Unlimited access to the NZSA knowledge bank through the NZSA web-site will inform you and give you better knowledge to improve your decision making. This knowledge bank includes:- Company performance indicators
- Policy Statements
- 6 newsletters per annum.
- Hold Directors to account
We hold Directors to account by asking them to explain their actions and provide reasoning behind decisions made. - Attend company visits
Obtain direct access to the people in the businesses you invest in through company visits. These visits provide you with an informal venue while also getting to look under the hood of the business you are buying. - Hear quality speakers
Our branches hold regular meetings at which quality speakers are invited to present to our members and where you can improve your understanding and knowledge of the structure and performance of our capital markets. - Improve your network
At our regular Branch meetings you can develop a network of fellow investors who will freely share their successes and flops thus improving your decision making. - Active advocacy
The NZSA Board provides support to actively advocate on issues identified by our membership.
Who we are
John Hawkins - Chairman
John is a semi-retired businessman. Originally qualifying with a Diploma in Optometry from Auckland University, he spent ten years in private practise, eight of these as a partner. He then spent 23 years as MD of a start-up niche manufacturing business, growing this to the number two position in Australasia before selling in 2004.
He joined the NZSA in 2005, and was Auckland Branch Chair in 2009. After being invited to join the National Board of the NZSA, he took the role of Strategic Liaison Director with a brief to build professional relationships between the NZSA, government and other groups involved in corporate governance and the capital markets arena.
In July 2010 he was elected National Chairman of the NZSA following the resignation of Bruce Sheppard.
John is a committee member of the Omaha Beach Residents Society, and has served on a number of other groups. When time and weather permits, he enjoys sailing the Hauraki Gulf.
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Alan Best - Newsletter/Education
Alan has been a private investor for over 40 years in listed New Zealand, Australian, and UK stocks. His business career spanned a wide number of industries including wool manufacturing, hardware, and plywood manufacturing, clothing and furnishing, industrial automation and robotics, education, services for the intellectually disabled, and food retailing. He has been a marketing and export manger, a general manager, a business writer, and a teacher, and is currently the editor of our NZSA newsletter, The Scrip.
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Des Hunt - Corporate Liaison
Des Hunt was involved for ten years at Tru-Test where he was responsible for sales and marketing worldwide, traveling regularly through Europe, Asia, North and South America and Australia. In his later years he was involved with Strategic Planning, Acquisitions, Budgeting, Intellectual Property, and Human Resource Management.
Des participated in a management buyout at Tru-Test in the 1980s and was an Executive Director until resigning from the board in 2002.
In 1995 Des was appointed as a Non-Executive Director to Washtech until 1999 when Washtech became a wholly owned subsidiary of a large private overseas multinational. At this stage Des was appointed as a consultant to the firm and chairs their strategic reviews and management meetings.
He has also been involved in a number of start-up and early stage ventures.
Des was a member of the Council of the Auckland Division of the New Zealand Institute of Management (NZIM) from 1986 to 1995 and is current Fellow of the NZIM, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (FInstD), and a past member of the New Zealand German Business Association
Over the years Des has written a number of articles as well as presented papers on Management, Marketing, Exporting, Strategic Planning, Budgeting, Intellectual Property, and Distribution to organizations such as the NZIM, Export Institute, and The University of Auckland Business School.
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Chris Curlett - Secretary/Treasurer
Chris is a founding member of the NZSA and its Board filling the roles of Deputy Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer. He has a strong interest in fostering improved corporate behaviour and accountability to company owners i.e. shareholders. With a philosophy of "get the basics right and the company will grow for the good of all" (including New Zealand as a whole) he believes executives (not just Directors) should be responsible for their results both good and bad and be accountable for these.
Chris has a background in commerce, Intellectual Property, new ventures and has worked in New Zealand and overseas.
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Grant Diggle CA; FCIS; MInstD; ANZIM - Research/Governance
Grant has over 35 years experience in governance, management, sales and marketing, production, finance and accounting. He has worked in both for profit and not for profit sectors. He has experience in both New Zealand organisations and large international corporations.
He began his career at the ASB Bank and then tempted by an opportunity to work in the motor industry, given his interest in motor sports, he joined NZMC Ltd the distributor for a number of manufacturers, as a financial and management accountant. Keen to further his career overseas he and his wife Glennis moved to the UK where he initially worked as a financial contractor to a number of businesses before joining Ricard Porter a firm of chartered accountants. He was engaged in a wide range of work from audits to account preparation and business advice to a large portfolio of clients across all business sectors.
On his return to New Zealand he was asked to rejoin NZMC Ltd and undertook a number of assignments as internal auditor and financial accountant. Grant expressed an interest in operations management and sales and marketing so he was given the opportunity to manage the retail and sales operations. He then moved to managing the warehouse and distribution function for NZMC Ltd.
Following the decision by Honda Motor Co. to take control of the Honda agency Grant was asked to join Honda and in the style of Japanese corporations undertook a number of roles across the company. He then moved to the retail sales operation of Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand for a period.
Deciding on a change of career Grant took the role of Chief Executive of Chartered Secretaries, the New Zealand Division of ICSA International. This long established global governance body qualifies people to govern across all sectors from government to public listed companies and private companies and the voluntary sectors. In this role Grant was responsible for the education programme, promotion of good governance, advocacy to government and its agencies and the support of members. He undertook research in governance and wrote a number of papers and articles that have been published both in New Zealand and internationally.
More recently Grant has undertaken governance assignments such as Board Secretary to the Royal Foundation of the Blind and advising the Parkinsons Society of New Zealand.
Grant is a Chartered Accountant, a Fellow of Chartered Secretaries New Zealand, a Member of the Institute of Directors and an Associate of the New Zealand Institute of Management. He is also a past President of Chartered Secretaries New Zealand. Grant is a member of the Board of the New Zealand Shareholders Association, the Board of the British New Zealand Business Association and a member of the Auckland Rotary Club.
Grant is married with two adult children and lives in Auckland. His interests include politics and governance in general, classic motor vehicles, sport especially all forms of motorsport, old English architecture and gardens.
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Jacqui Bensemann B. Comm. C.A. - Marketing
Jacqui was born in Auckland and attended school at St Margaret's College in Christchurch and then went on to attend the University of Canterbury where she obtained a Bachelor of Commerce, in Accountancy and Marketing.
After leaving university she joined Price Waterhouse obtaining her full qualification as a Chartered Accountant. Over the last thirty years she has gained significant experience in the fields of banking, public accountancy, management consultancy and general management both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
In 1999 she was appointed Managing Director of the Argus Group, an independent fire protection company operating throughout New Zealand. Over the last eleven years she has developed and grown the Group from being a service based company focussing on maintenance and inspection work, to being capable of being involved and successfully completing large, high profile and diverse installation contracts such as the recent redevelopment of the War Memorial Museum of Auckland, the geo-thermal power stations in central North Island and the new large Westfield site in Albany. This growth and development has been managed without compromising the customer focussed service profile for which the Argus Group is well known.
She is involved in industry groups as a member of the Executive for the Fire Protection Association of New Zealand. She has acted as a Board member of the independent, industry owned companies, Fire Protection Inspection Services Limited, Verifire Limited and Firetech Limited. She is a Past President of the New Zealand Fire Equipment Manufacturers Association Jacqui has recently been appointed as a member of the Board for the New Zealand Shareholder Association.
Jacqui is also involved in community based work through her membership of the Rotary Club of Auckland, where she has gained a Paul Harris Fellowship and has acted as Honorary Secretary for the Club (twice) and as a Board member. She is currently the President of the Club for the year 2011 2012.
Jacqui is a trustee for the charitable trust, The Storytime Foundation, and an Assessor for the J R McKenzie Trust.
Jacqui is married to David Leggat, and they have two sons - James and Nicholas.
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Gayatri Jaduram - Legal
Gayatri was co-opted to the New Zealand Shareholders Association board last year.
She has a passionate (and working) interest in consumer and investment law in New Zealand.
She is a lawyer with 24 years experience working predominantly with businesses and corporations involving banking & financial services law, insolvency law and general corporate and commercial law. She holds law and masters (commercial law) degrees from Auckland University.
Prior to starting her own firm in 2006 she was with a large national law firm for over 10 years and an Auckland law firm for 8 years, where she was a partner.
As a member of the Legal and Regulatory subcommittee of the New Zealand Shareholders Association she has been involved in the consideration and preparation of submissions on the Financial Markets Authority legislation (now the Financial Markets Authority Act 2011) and the new Securities Law reforms.
Gayatri is also a member of various industry groups including as a committee member of the Australasian Banking and Financial Services Law Association and of an Auckland District Law Society subcommittee.
She is also a co-opted member of the board of trustees of Mount Albert Grammar School where her 2 sons are students.
In her spare time she is involved in local community matters and is a regular speaker at various conferences and seminars.
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Lyn Lim - Legal
Lyn commenced practice in 1990, initially in the property area and subsequently in commercial and litigation areas. She is experienced in corporate, property and commercial litigation as well as general commercial transactions and has acted for a wide range of clients including multinational entities, banks and insurance companies and high net worth individuals. Lyn is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Fujian and Bahasa Malaysia.
Lyn holds the current positions:
- AUT University - Council Member
- ASB Community Trust - Trustee and Deputy Chair
- New Zealand Shareholders Association Inc. - Director
- New Zealand Chinese Youth Trust - Trustee and Chair
- Auckland District Law Society Inc.
- Commercial Law Committee
- Courts Committee
- Property Dispute Council 2009 -
Previously Lyn has been involved in organisations in the following positions:
- ANZ National Private Bank External Advisory Board - External Advisor 2008 & 2009
- Auckland District Law Society
- Council Member 2005-2007
- Member of Complaints Committee and Convenor of Ethics Committee - NZ China Trade Association - Executive 2004-2007
- Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association 2004-2005
History
Formed in 2001 to clean up poor board and company performance our contribution has made a significant difference to board governance process, attitudes to shareholders and risk taking. In the process we can point to the following achievements:
- Developed an education programme from 2003 to help shareholders responsibly discharge the obligations of ownership, facilitating better capital allocation by owners, and better engagement by owners with directors.
- From 2003 increased engagement levels with business through company visits which are rewarding to shareholders boards and management alike.
- From 2006 increased the level of political and government advocacy on both shareholder and business matters to further expand the concept of partnership between owners that we see as core to a respectful relationship with business.
- Developed a network of 5 Branches and a membership of over 1000 active investors who participate in regular information sharing meetings and company visits.
- During 2007 partnered Universities and business in a developed research programme to deliver quality advocacy for our members and business.
NZSA Constitution and Rules.
The Rules of the New Zealand Shareholders' Association Incorporated were altered at the Annual General Meeting of the Incorporated Society held at Tauranga on 17th August 2007.