NZIER appoints expatriate business leader as new CEO

NZIER appoints expatriate business leader as new chief executive

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER), the country’s leading independent economic consultancy, has appointed Laurence Kubiak, the former BT Global Services’ Head of Economic Analysis and Director of Global Competition and Regulation, as its new Chief Executive.

Kubiak, a Kiwi with strong family and commercial connections to New Zealand, is to take up the role in October and will lead the business through what is expected to be a significant phase of growth.

Announcing the appointment, NZIER chairman Michael Walls says appointing Kubiak in the role is a triumph for NZIER.

“Laurence’s international experience is first-class,” says Walls. “He could have walked into any high profile strategy or economics based global corporate role that he chose. But he is a proud New Zealander. Now that his children are old enough, he wanted to return home and make a personal contribution to the country.”

“Moreover, Laurence’s experience and skills are different from those we have previously seen at the helm of NZIER. This appointment shows that NZIER is determined to anticipate the needs of its members, clients and the public. It will not rely only on its past and present reputation for excellence.”

Kubiak has since 1990 worked as a consultant and analyst in the UK, Europe and Africa before joining the BT Group in 2000. He was appointed Head of Economic Analysis for BT Global Services in 2003, a role he held for seven years, and then took commercial roles as head of products, head of UK and, in 2010, Director of Global Competition and Regulation, leading multi-disciplinary and multinational competition and regulatory teams across Europe, the US, Africa and Asia.

NZIER is expanding its economic consultancy, including this month’s opening of a new Auckland office. Kubiak will play a key role in further developing NZIER’s client base in Auckland, Walls adds.

Kubiak says he returned home because he wanted to do something important and make a difference in the land of his birth.

“This is an exciting opportunity and I’m lucky to have the role,” Kubiak says. “NZIER is New Zealand’s most respected economic consultancy and has, over 55 years, made a significant contribution to national and regional policy and business strategy.

“While I have worked offshore for many years, my family is here and I have maintained my business connections, including advising on recent changes to the telecommunications market.”

Kubiak says that if New Zealand is to grow as a country and society, then the private sector needs commercial support and advice that is innovative, relevant, independent and able to be acted on.

“NZIER has impressive academic credentials, deep experience and a great breadth of sectoral expertise across both public and commercial sector interests. It has an important role to play in influencing and supporting good public policy at both a national and regional level, as well as playing a key role in supporting sustainable economic growth in the commercial sector,” he says.

“I’m certainly looking forward to NZIER making a significant contribution to major Auckland policy issues, through our new Auckland office.”

Kubiak says NZIER has a lot to offer the commercial sector: “Successfully executed strategy is always underpinned by exceptional research. NZIER provides the most robust, objective and able to be actioned research and advice in the country.”

ENDS

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