 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Grant Baker | |
|---|---|
 Grant Baker Portrait Image | |
| Born | 1957 (age 66–67) |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founding The Business Bakery, 42 Below, Turners Automotive Group, and involvement with Trilogy International |
Grant Baker is a New Zealand businessman, entrepreneur, [1] and venture capitalist.
Grant Baker was raised in Mangere, located in the south of Auckland, New Zealand, with interests in motorsports from a young age. He attended teachers' college [2] with the intention of earning an education degree but left early to pursue a career in sales.
Baker's career began with newspaper ad sales before moving to office equipment sales. He is best known for co-founding the successful venture capital firm The Business Bakery. He gained attention for his role in the creation and $132 million sale of 42 Below vodka to Bacardi in 2006. [3] As a chairman and principal of Auckland-based Business Bakery, Baker played a role in the $211 million takeover of Trilogy International by Citic Capital Partners. [4]
Following the sale of Trilogy, Baker, along with his business partners, turned their attention to Me Today, an NZX-listed health and skincare company. [5] [6]
During the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Baker's venture capital firm invested in Dorchester Pacific. [7] [8] This investment was pivotal as Dorchester evolved into Turners Automotive Group, which emerged as a notable entity in the NZ50 index. [9] Baker's role transitioned to that of a non-executive chairman and a substantial shareholder in Turners Automotive Group.
After having had bowel cancer, Baker co-founded the Gut Cancer Foundation, which aims to support research and increase awareness of gut cancers in New Zealand. [10] [11]
Baker is a car collector, known for his collection of Ferraris. [12] He has been involved in motorsport racing in Ferrari's Challenge Series [13] as well as the support of young racing drivers, including Formula 1’s Liam Lawson. [14]
SkyCity Entertainment Group, also known as simply SkyCity, is a gambling and entertainment company based in Auckland, New Zealand. It owns and operates five casino properties in New Zealand and Australia, which include a variety of restaurants and bars, three luxury hotels, a convention centre and Auckland's Sky Tower.
The Naza Group of Companies is a Malaysian business conglomerate involved in many types of businesses, ranging from motoring to education. The group began operations in 1975 as a motor trading company. The motoring sector remains the most important sector for the group.
Goodman Fielder is an Australian manufacturer, marketer and distributor of bread, smallgoods, dairy products, margarine, oil, dressings and various food ingredients. Its main operations are in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia, with over 40 manufacturing sites. The company employs over 5,000 people, and has more than 120 brands.
Graeme Richard Hart is a New Zealand billionaire businessman and the country's second richest person. He prefers to stay out of the media and makes few public appearances. As of March 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$9.7 billion.
Hugh Richmond Lloyd Morrison was a Wellington, New Zealand-based investment banker and entrepreneur. He founded H.R.L. Morrison & Co in 1988, and Morrison & Co launched the infrastructure company Infratil in 1994.
Eric Watson is a former businessman from New Zealand.
Derek Handley is a New Zealand entrepreneur, speaker, and author who was born in Hong Kong. With his brother Geoffrey Handley, he co-founded the global mobile marketing and media company The Hyperfactory and the mobile advertising network Snakk Media, which subsequently failed. He is the founder and managing partner of Aera VC, and founder of Wiser Conversations, "a series of virtual conversations designed to help us reflect and respond to our new surreality", created as a response to the pandemic.
2degrees is a New Zealand telecommunications provider. Its mobile network launched on 4 August 2009 after nine years of planning. 2degrees offers prepaid and pay-monthly mobile services, as well as fixed-line phone and broadband services. 2degrees is the third-largest wireless carrier in New Zealand, with 1.3 million subscribers as of July 2015.
Xero is a New Zealand–based technology company that provides cloud-based accounting software for small businesses. The company has offices in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. Xero's products are based on the software-as-a-service model and sold by subscription, based on the type and number of entities managed by the subscriber. The products are used in over 180 countries.
Ryman Healthcare Limited is a New Zealand retirement village and rest home operator. It is listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and was one of the largest companies listed on the NZX 50 Index.
Vista Group International Limited is a multinational tech conglomerate that provides technology for film distribution, exhibition and analytics globally. They are made up of eight businesses with more than 630 staff across offices in Auckland, Sydney, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Beijing, Mexico City, South Africa, the Netherlands and Romania. Its software is installed in cinemas in 116 countries. Vista Group is listed on both the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX) and Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
Kiwi Property Group Limited is a New Zealand NZX-listed company, formerly a real estate investment trust, that owns many properties throughout New Zealand; including the Sylvia Park Business and Shopping Centre, and the Vero Centre. It is also New Zealand's largest-listed property fund.
Nuplex Industries Limited was a global manufacturer and distributor of resins used in decorative paints and industrial and performance coatings with operations in Europe, Asia, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand. They were a publicly listed company on the NZX50 index in New Zealand.
Diligent Corporation, known as Diligent, is a software as a service company that enables groups to share and collaborate information for board meetings. Headquartered in New York City, and incorporated in Delaware, the company has offices in Galway, Ireland; London, UK; Washington, D.C.; Munich, Germany; Budapest, Hungary; Hong Kong; Bangalore, India; Sydney and Vancouver.
Motorsport Network is an American media and technology company headquartered in Miami, Florida and London, UK. The company's proprietary brands, websites and OTT operations focus on motor racing and consumer automotive content serving and presenting content to audiences worldwide. The privately held business was founded in 2015 with the acquisition of Motorsport.com and now operates international digital, videogame, print, e-commerce & event businesses.
James Douglas Watson was a New Zealand biotechnologist and entrepreneur.
Damien Francis Smith is a former New Zealand politician. He was a Member of Parliament for ACT New Zealand from 2020 until 2023.
Serko Limited, known as Serko, is a travel management and expense technology company headquartered in New Zealand.
Turners Automotive Group is a New Zealand automotive retail, finance and insurance company.
