List of New Zealand businesspeople

The following is a list of notable businesspeople from New Zealand.

Contents: 

• Top
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

A

• Margaret Alcorn (1868–1967), interior designer and design store owner
• Mary Alcorn (1866–1928), interior designer and design store owner
• Sophia Anstice (1849–1926), dressmaker and draper
• Sir Ray Avery (born 1947), pharmaceutical scientist

B

• Norah Barlow (born 1957), former chief executive of Summerset Group
• Samuel Brown (1845–1909), mayor of Wellington and merchant
• Alfred Buckland (1825–1903), auctioneer, farmer, businessman and landowner

C

• Sir John Logan Campbell (1817–1912), merchant, local politician, businessman, philanthropist, the "father of Auckland"
• George Thomson Chapman (1824–1881), merchant, bookseller and publisher
• Percy Roderick Coleman (1897–1965), founder of Coleman motorcycle importing and distribution company
• Dame Trelise Cooper, fashion designer

D

• Thomas Wong Doo (1903–1963), merchant, interpreter, community leader
• Rod Drury (born 1966), businessman
• Peri Drysdale (born 1953), founder of Untouched World and Snowy Peak clothing companies

E

• Alfred Eady (1891–1965), music retailer, company director, benefactor
• Annie Elsom (1867–1962), florist

F

• Sir Michael Fay (born 1949), merchant banker
• Josiah Firth (1826–1897), flourmiller, politician, pastoralist, entrepreneur ^[1]
• Ted Firth (1905–1978), manufacturer, aviator, military leader; co-founder of Firth Concrete ^[2]
• Tony Firth (1907–1980), manufacturer, aviator, military leader; co-founder of Firth Concrete ^[2]
• Gregory Fortuin, businessman and Race Relations Conciliator (2001–2002)

G

• Theresa Gattung, former chief executive of Telecom New Zealand (1993–2007)
• Elizabeth George (c.1814–1902), hotel owner

H

• Bendix Hallenstein (1835–1905), clothing manufacturer and retailer, founder of Hallenstein Brothers and the D.I.C.
• Sir Jack Harris, 2nd Baronet (1906–2009), chief executive of Bing, Harris & Co.
• Graeme Hart (born 1955), New Zealand's richest businessman
• Murray Haszard (born 1954), entrepreneur and businessman
• Joseph Hatch (1837–1928), Invercargill businessman, "harvester" of penguins
• Keith Hay (1917–1997), builder, businessman, local politician, morals campaigner
• Harriet Heron (c.1836–1933), hotel owner
• Michael Hill (born 1938), jeweller, businessman, golfer
• Dame Bronwen Holdsworth (born 1942), co-founder of Pultron Composites
• Dick Hubbard (born 1946), founder of Hubbards Foods and mayor of Auckland (2004–2007)
• Christopher Peter Huljich (born 1950), entrepreneur and philanthropist
• Michael Huljich (born 1957), entrepreneur and philanthropist
• Paul Huljich (born 1952), author, entrepreneur and philanthropist

I

• Mary Jane Innes (1852–1941), brewery owner

J

• Sir Robert Jones, property tycoon, founder of New Zealand Party

K

• Henry Kelliher (1896–1991), businessman, publisher, art patron, credit reformer

L

• Johannes La Grouw (1913–2011), OBE and Business Hall of Fame, entrepreneur, philanthropist, co-founder of a revolutionary construction system (Lockwood)
• Robert Laidlaw (1885–1971), retailer, founder of FTC, the Farmers Trading Company
• Thomson Leys (1850–1924), journalist, editor, newspaper proprietor, philanthropist
• Sir John Luke (1858–1931), businessman, politician

M

• William Betts Mason (1865–1912), founder of W.B. Mason, born in New Zealand and emigrated to the US
• Flora MacKenzie (1902–1982), brothel owner and dressmaker
• Sir Roy McKenzie (1922–2007), retailer, philanthropist
• Sir James Mills (1847–1936), founder of the Union Company
• Jeremy Moon, businessman; founder of Icebreaker clothing
• Sam Morgan (born 1975), businessman; founder of Trade Me, an Internet-auction website
• Simon Moutter, engineer, businessman
• Nick Mowbray, businessman; co-founder of ZURU, a toy manufacturer
• Sir Arthur Myers (1867–1926), businessman, politician, philanthropist
• Douglas Myers (1938–2017), businessman, brewer

N

• Joseph Nathan (1835–1912), manufacturer, founded Joseph Nathan & Co. and Glaxo
• Sir Charles Norwood (1871–1966), businessman, philanthropist

P

• John Plimmer (1812–1905), businessman, has been called the "father of Wellington"

R

• Thomas Russell (c. 1830–1904), lawyer, businessman, politician, financier, land speculator
• Sarah Robb O'Hagan (born 1972), business executive, author, former president of Gatorade and Equinox ^[3]

S

• Marianne Smith (1851–1938), businesswoman, founder of Smith & Caughey's, community worker, philanthropist
• Sir Dryden Spring (born 1939), businessman

T

• Sir Angus Tait (1919–2007), businessman and electronics innovator
• Sir Ian Taylor (born 1950), IT and computer animation innovator
• Stephen Tindall (born 1951), retailer, founder of The Warehouse Group, a New Zealand department-store chain
• Matthew Tukaki (born 1974), businessman, ex-officio director of the United Nations Global Compact, CEO of the Sustain Group, a global social investment business

V

• Edward Earle Vaile (1869–1956), real estate agent, farmer, philanthropist

W

• Sir James Wallace (born 1937), businessman and arts patron
• Eric Watson (born 1959), businessman
• James Williamson (1814–1888), merchant, landowner, financier, speculator

Y

• Jack Yan (born 1972), publisher, designer and businessman

See also

• Lists of New Zealanders

References

1. Waterson, D. B. "Firth, Josiah Clifton". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 4 April 2021.
2. Stanley, R D. "Firth, Edward Buckland and Firth, Guy Mortimer". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 4 April 2021.
3. Wolfe, Alexandra (28 August 2015). "Sarah Robb O'Hagan: Fitness Is Her Business". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 5 January 2026.