Ryman named Company of the Year

Sharemarket darlings Ryman Health and Port of Tauranga shared honours at last night’s Deloitte/Management magazine Top 200 Companies Awards in Auckland.

Ryman Healthcare Group was named Company of the Year, while Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns took the Executive of the Year title.

Port of Tauranga was also named the most improved performer.

Sir Henry van der Heyden – Fonterra’s chairman since 2002 – was named Chairperson of the Year ahead of Ryman’s David Kerr and Joan Withers.

The Visionary Leader award went to kaiwhakahaere (chairman) Mark Solomon of the iwi authority Ngai Tahu and Glenys Powell, general manager sales and marketing of Medical Assurance Society, was named Young Executive of the Year.

Ryman deserved the Company of the Year title because it reported “a record profit on top of a decade of record profits”, the judges say.

This is not only remarkable in New Zealand but was achieved by few companies worldwide, they say. The business was now expanding globally but in a measured and sustainable way.

“It performs outstandingly well in a very competitive sector.” 

Mr Cairns led a management team that “exceeded expectations” in meeting the challenges of the past year, while still delivering a strong performance. 

The grounding of the Rena and the port’s response to containers diverted from Auckland during industrial stoppages proved Mr Cairns’ “outstanding ability to drive a future-focused strategy while maintaining the day-to-day focus on customer needs”, company chairman John Parker says.

Sir Henry van der Heyden was a finalist in the chairperson category twice previously before finally winning last night, just ahead of Fonterra’s listing of shares on the NZX today.

Visionary Leader winner Mark Solomon was described by the judges as “unquestionably one of the most constructive players involved in trying to deliver a positive, fair and enlightened future for New Zealand”.

Other category winners were Mainfreight (Best Growth Strategy) and ASB Bank (Responsible Governance Award).