Following another bumper year of award nominations, the independent judging panel has named the finalists. The judges say that it is fantastic to see so many nominations of exceptional calibre highlighting the work of New Zealand's member owned business community and their people.
For the Co-operative/Mutual of the Year award, Farmers' Mutual Group (FMG) and SBS Bank are in the running.
There are three finalists for the Leader of the Year: Peter Hendry (CEO, MG Group), Bindi Norwell (group chief executive, ProCare), and Mark Wynne (outgoing CEO, Ballance Agri-Nutrients).
Four people are in the running for the Lifetime Achievement Award: Danny Hailes (general manager Livestock & Shareholder Services, Alliance), Murray King (chair, LIC), Dr Ants Roberts (chief scientist, Ravensdown), and Mark Wynne (outgoing CEO, Ballance Agri-Nutrients).
The Enduring Service Awards provides an opportunity to celebrate the longevity and resilience of the co-operative and mutual models.
Full members who have reached a milestone of 25, 50, 75 or 100 years operation as a co-operative or mutual are awarded an Enduring Service Award in this non-judged award category.
The winners will be revealed at the Awards Cocktail Evening hosted in Wellington in October.