Attracting great talent to New Zealand and growing the great people we have is going to remain a big focus.
We think people love New Zealand for the lifestyle, the beaches, mountains, flat whites and chocolate fish; however, there’s been a lot of media coverage around people leaving for new opportunities overseas.
In the grocery world, we’re also navigating an increasingly complex regulatory environment where everyone has a different view on what good regulation for a market like New Zealand looks like.
We all need to focus on making sure regulation has a cost-benefit for the consumers it is seeking to serve.
Our other focus in 2026 is how technology can support our productivity and deliver innovation that we know people will use and love.
What opportunities do you see in 2026?
There’s real upside in productivity and getting a shared plan for the country.
We’ve got so many value-added businesses here that deserve to grow rather than be sold offshore, and as a small but clever nation, we’ve got many strengths, and we need to tap into those.
We’re respected around the world, we’ve got some top talent, we’re agile and should be able to move faster than most.
I have had the privilege of seeing a number of other similar-sized countries and what strikes you is they have a united story, and plan, as a nation and they focus on winning in value-add, not scale.
I’m also hopeful about what we are doing in education, crime and agility in infrastructure.
Selfishly, I’m very hopeful about our merger appeal case as we know there is significant value we can bring to consumers, suppliers and New Zealand as a result of being able to do this.
How are you using AI to change your business?
Our insight about New Zealanders as customers is driving and changing our business.
AI will undoubtedly be part of how we change and is used in our co-operative in so many places already.
It’s in our customer-facing platforms and tools, our supply chain, and even in those meetings where someone has to take notes.
It’s helping us lift productivity, freeing our teams up to focus on the decisions our awesome humans are actually good at, and turning piles of data into something we can act on.
Used well, AI makes our work better, faster, and far less reliant on anyone trying to interpret my handwriting.
What will the key election issue be in 2026 and why?
Hopefully, it will be about things other than supermarkets and grocery prices.
But seriously, all business leaders understand the political pressure the Government is under to address cost-of-living concerns.
It will be just like how customers choose from the many grocery options in New Zealand right now.
It will be about “what do these promises and policies mean for my family and me?”
We all know cost pressures on households are real, and business has an important role to play in keeping essentials affordable.
I think the electorate will be looking for a convincing plan to grow New Zealand and the businesses that call it home.
A stronger economy unlocks the health and education system we all want, and voters will be looking closely at who can make that happen.
How do you think the New Zealand economy will perform in 2026?
We’ll do better economically and socially if we can unite behind a clear plan that focuses on growing New Zealand business to deliver for consumers, invest here and generate higher value roles.
We are small by any scale, so based on what I have seen in similar successful countries, we need to focus on how we grow value-added products and be as productive as we can.
I love seeing our small local suppliers grow with us and then grow globally.
I’m excited about progress in education, crime and freeing up the ability to create and build infrastructure – these will support growth and business and the Government needs to partner well to do this.
What’s the worst mistake you have made in business and what did you learn from it?
I think the mistakes and lessons come from two things.
The first is not acting on people opportunities or coaching quickly enough. Trust your leadership instinct and follow it.
The other is that even the most prescribed processes have people just like all of us managing them, and things may not progress only logically, there are often many stakeholder influences, and part of getting any project to be successful needs to include all of those.
What would you rate as your greatest success?
I’m really proud that despite being in a small, remote economy at the very end of the world’s supply chains, with business costs among the highest in the developed world, and more tax on food than almost anywhere, we’ve still kept grocery prices among the lowest compared with similar markets.
It has taken a huge effort.
We’ve been single-minded about keeping checkout prices as low as we can, because we see every day how hard it is for people to make their budgets work.
I’m really proud of the 24,000 New Zealanders we employ in the North Island and how they are focused more than ever on our purpose of making sure New Zealanders get more out of life.
Where and how are you holidaying this summer?
We’re lucky to have the chance to spend some time at a spot on Waiheke, so my summer will involve walks, mountain bikes, swims, books and long lunches with friends, hopefully in the sun, as well as plenty of stops at the two local Four Squares for a Charley IPA or some Pam’s sparkling water and barbecue supplies.
Our kids will both be in New Zealand and apparently, we will see them for some of the time.
What would you recommend as a good book/podcast to read/listen to over summer?
I think for all busy leaders, and there is no other kind now, it takes time to wind down, so reading good stories for entertainment, and to just clear the head helps.
I listen to a lot of car and motorsport podcasts. Go Liam Lawson in 2026.
I also listen to some local ones like The New Zealand Initiative, and a few global news ones just to keep the context right about why things are happening.
I find the Daily from The New York Times, and The Intelligence from The Economist give good perspectives.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
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