NZME welcomes return of Deloitte Top 200 Awards

NZME chief executive Michael Boggs. Photo / Greg Bowker

Top companies and business leaders from around the country are gearing up for the annual Deloitte Top 200 Business Awards.

The annual event which is celebrating 27 years, will be held at Vector Arena on December 1 in partnership with NZME Events and Deloitte - this year's theme is Investing in the Future.

Deloitte Top 200 Business Awards applaud outstanding individual and team performances within New Zealand's largest companies.

NZME chief executive Michael Boggs said the awards were a great opportunity to commend excellence and achievements in the business community.

"NZME is thrilled to partner with Deloitte to bring this prestigious event to the business community once again," Boggs said. "It's a great opportunity to celebrate everything that makes a successful business; leadership, entrepreneurship, strategy and growth."

The judging panel includes independent directors Dame Alison Paterson, Sandy Maier and Jonathan Mason, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts chairman Cathy Quinn and Forsyth Barr managing director Neil Paviour-Smith.

There are 10 categories including executive and young executive of the year, company of the year, chairperson of the year, and most improved performance.

Judging Panel Convenor Fran O'Sullivan said the quantitative results of the Top 200 survey had this year shown considerable progress by major companies with the strategic decisions taken in prior years now bearing fruit.

"We have spent considerable time assessing the merits of leading companies and business people to refine a short list of candidates for finalists across all award categories," O'Sullivan said. "We will meet again in early November to decide winners and finalists. It will be a tough - but enjoyable - process, debating the merits of the respective candidates as we decide the awards."

Deloitte chief executive Thomas Pippos said the company was proud to have been a founding partner of the Awards.

"The Top 200 is the premier business awards for the New Zealand business community. The event brings together many of the country's top CEOs and business leaders who are continuing to innovate against the backdrop of our ever-changing business landscape," he said.

Minter Ellison Rudd Watts chairman and judge Cathy Quinn said she was honoured to be part of the judging panel.

"It's a great honour for any company or any person to be nominated as a finalist and accordingly is a great honour to be participating in the judging," Quinn said.

"The Awards celebrate the top 200 companies in New Zealand and the people that run and govern those, so anyone nominated as a finalist or any company are incredibly well-deserving who are doing really great things for our economy and our capital markets."

Quinn said she encouraged people to turn up on the night to celebrate the achievements of those nominated.

"In some years winners are clear and in other occasions it's really finely judged," she said. "Any person or company who is a finalist should be immensely proud."

AJ Park, QBE, Eagle Technology, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts and Orbit are among sponsors of this year's awards.

For more information visit the Top 200 website here.