AGM Speech:
I’d like to acknowledge and thank both former Executive Director Ramsay Margolis and Interim
CEO Fiona Gavriel for their service to Co-operative business NZ.
On a more personal note, I’d like to especially thank my chairman, Jonathan Lee and our board
of directors who have supported me in some new endeavours.
As you know, I’ve only been your CEO for just a short while, but in those first 5 months, I’ve had
the privilege of meeting many of you and seen your co-operatives in action.
I have quickly come to understand just why it’s such a proven business model of sustained
success.
I look through our impressive list of members and feel proud to represent a group of co-ops
and mutuals that epitomise the qualities, innovation, community spirit, and not least
profitability that many investor owned business’ would envy.
The coop business model, clearly illustrates with the right governance, policies, board and
management that share the same ideals, making money and benefits for their members.
Cooperatives and mutuals are demonstrating, that they not only belong with the elite of NZ
business but many of them are the elite.
Profitability, steady but strategic progress, a clear vision of long term sustainability and
outstanding leadership tick all the boxes.
This is the Co-operative advantage. We must continue to market the co-operative advantage,
with renewed zeal and passion. The cooperative business model, personal ownership, is driving
economic growth, people getting together and doing it.This business model works for New
Zealand and New Zealanders.
During my short time at CBNZ, I’ve focused not only on introductions but, equally on
revitalising, and refreshing our co-op story.
You will notice that we have re branded two publications
“Governance” and “Myners Plus”. Governance is a collection of case studies from around the
world by sector, they are not divine wisdom, but examples from which we can learn, and
improve for the benefit of our own businesses. Myners Plus is the resultant comments after a
judicial review, again governance being the premier subject.
The two publications cover these areas well, and underline the importance of regularly reexamining your governance, updating as required and ensure it is relevant to your business
model today & tomorrow.
When investor owned companies fail, either here or overseas as they tend to do with an
unhealthy regularity, people ask why, the damage is quite significant in monetary and social
cost, when that rarity of a cooperative failure happens people only state “can a cooperative
ever work”. You are the proof that they do!!
We at CBNZ are committed to supporting our members by maintaining “best practice”
governance and sharing this with you through education and various communication
programmes.
We have also finished our “How to Manual” which was a significant body of work, but I hope
you will agree – it provides an invaluable and comprehensive resource to current and future
members.
We’ve designed these publications with you in mind and – as the covers proudly show – they
represent the diversity of our membership.
We are proud to promote New Zealand owned, New Zealand Profit, and the advantage of the
co-operative model.
We have also moved with the online times and revitalised our nz.coop website. If you have not
already done so, I urge you to not only check it out but also help us to tell your unique stories of
success.
Please send me material, logos, stories, photo’s and or video footage, so we can publish these
online for your fellow members to see and enjoy. It is very much a co-operative effort.
We’re already working hard to raise the profiles of both CBNZ and our members. You may have
noticed a few articles in your inboxes this year and we’re keen to generate many more good
news stories to share with you directly.
Tonight’s Awards Event is a new and timely way for CBNZ to celebrate your success and,
through the media and other channels, to promote coops and mutual to the wider community
and decision makers everywhere.
Financial Management Conduct Act, it has been another busy year for CBNZ which will
hopefully be concluded with a positive result for the co-operatives. I would like to express my
thanks to Alastair and Chris from Buddle Findlay for the exceptional work they do. Alastair will
give you a brief synopsis of the latest situation shortly.
In addition to our sustained success, we can always look to improve - and ongoing education is
the key.
Our members quite rightly look to CBNZ to provide training advice and programmes.
Governance is, as ever the most topical and essential of all subjects.
The feedback we’ve had in the past shows that, often, the governance challenges facing coops
are not always immediately apparent, rather the focus is on immediate business/survival needs.
In coops, as with other businesses, business and governance failure are inextricably linked.
For CBNZ, an important component of good governance is raising levels of member
participation and engagement.
We strongly believe that high quality, co-operative education is more important than ever.
We will continue to identify and deliver directly or in partnership with other, best practice
courses to our current and prospective members.
These will reinforce the sustained success of the co-operative business model.
One of many highlights, is without doubt our inaugural awards dinner, and I must thank FMG
for supplying tonight’s awards, many thanks to Chris Black and Mike Lange. It is well overdue
that, as a longstanding business sector we celebrate achievement – including longevity itself.
Economic booms and busts have come and gone but so many coops remain.
Tonight we salute the key milestones of more than 30 coops and mutuals who have variously
“served their members” for at least 25 years and up to – and even beyond 100 years.
These are mighty achievements that not only we, but all kiwis should be proud.
Past, present and future co-operatives serve with distinction.
It’s the right model and now more than ever is the right time to celebrate together.
In closing, I have a journey to make with a few milestones. Firstly to make Christmas and
celebrate my son’s results and choosing a Uni, secondly a little further out his graduation and
then the ultimate watching my grandchildren grow up. It is a journey that I will complete. So I
challenge you all to make a journey, firstly ensure that you are engaging your members,
suppliers, customers in the best possible way and stick your heads above the turret and praise
the co-operative business model that you successfully represent. Secondly, keep reviewing your
governance, policies and communications not only with internal management but members so
they now about their coop, board, management. Your ultimate is the continued success of the
business model, highlighted and celebrated across NZ, as you watch the next alumni of cooperative leaders take up the reins.
Thankyou for your time and attendance.