The CFO Awards 2012> Recognising the very best in New Zealand finance

Recognising the very best in New Zealand finance

Telecom, Air New Zealand, Auckland Council and Bank of New Zealand are celebrating wins after the 2012 New Zealand CFO Awards dinner in Auckland on 15 March.

Telecom CFO Nick Olson took out 2012 CFO of the Year for leading one of the most complex demergers in New Zealand corporate history.

“We were hugely impressed by the scope of change and process improvement introduced by Nick,” said the judges. “He is widely regarded as bringing the fun back into the team thanks to his down-to-earth and approachable demeanour. Nick was also instrumental in developing and implementing Telecom’s three year strategic plan.”

Scott Scoullar, CFO, Inland Revenue was given a special commendation.

Bank of New Zealand’s youngest-ever Divisional CFO Martin Gaskell won the Young Financial Manager of the Year award.

“Martin’s strong technical skills have helped him develop an incredibly committed and high-achieving team. He was also one of 20 people, out of 40,000 employees across New Zealand and Australia, to be selected for the bank’s Accelerate leadership programme,” said the judges.

The Finance Team of the Year award went to Air New Zealand for having a culture of excellence focusing on employee engagement and outstanding interaction with the wider business.

Auckland Council picked up Financial Innovation Project of the Year for its Annual Plan, which was put together in eight months during a time of uncertainty and change..

The finalists are:

CFO of the Year

Julian Cook, Summerset Group
Kathy Meads, Lyttelton Port Company
Nick Olson, Telecom
Scott Scoullar, Inland Revenue

Finance Team of the Year

Air New Zealand
ASB
Datacom

Financial Innovation Project of the Year

Auckland Council - Annual Plan 2011-2012
Meridian Energy - Macarthur Wind Farm Project

Young Financial Manager of the Year

Vicki Bryson, Finance Manager, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology
Martin Gaskell, Divisional CFO, Bank of New Zealand
Leanne Walker, Finance Manager, Summerset Group Holdings

A special Lifetime Contribution to Finance & Business Award, sponsored by CIMA, was awarded to Sir John Buchanan on 7 February ahead of the CFO Summit in March. Read more.

Hear Sir John talk about how he started his successful career.

Find out more about the categories:

CFO of the Year sponsored by Ernst & Young
Young Financial Manager of the Year sponsored by Hays
Financial Innovation Project of the Year sponsored by CPA Australia
Finance Team of the Year sponsored by Randstad

"The Disciplined Road to Long-Term Growth" The 2012 New Zealand CFO Summit and Awards Gala Dinner will be held on 15 March 2012 at SKYCITY Convention Centre in Auckland.

It's a unique opportunity for New Zealand's CFOs and senior finance executives to come together to examine issues and share insights and best practice.

» See full programme and register

CFO of the Year

Young Financial Manager of the Year

Financial Innovation Project of the Year

Finance Team of the Year

Lifetime Contribution to Finance & Business

The Unlimited tagline is 'Inspiring NZ business'. Unlimited tells the stories of New Zealand's business heroes, explores the big issues in depth, and provides practical information and opinion to forward-thinking business people.

The Fairfax Media Business Group runs a series of events during the year to support each of its brands. The events range from summits such as the CFO Summit, to CIO roundtables and lunches to programmes such as Sustainable 60 and the Investment Challenge, seminars, awards and debates.

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