Press Release
31 October 2002
Jenny Shipley joins The Cambridge Group
On November 1, former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jenny Shipley, will join The Cambridge Group, a leading executive
search, business development and international educational services consultancy with business in New Zealand, Australia,
the UK, India and Asia.
Mrs Shipley has been appointed a director of The Cambridge Group Limited, which incorporates Cambridge
Consulting Services, the executive search arm of the business. She will also be a director of CMS International
Consulting, an international joint venture with Multi Serve Educational Trust, presently serving clients in Southeast
Asia with the potential to expand into other markets, particularly China.
The Cambridge roles are the first directorships New Zealand’s first woman Prime Minister has accepted since
retiring from politics at the 2002 General Elections. She will continue to run her own company and work with private
clients.
Mrs Shipley spent 15 years as an MP, 11 of them in key portfolios and senior leadership roles where she drove
significant policy reforms in a number of crucial areas across New Zealand’s economic, business and social spectrum to
lift competitiveness, efficiency and private sector participation.
In her first official press conference as a private citizen, she said she had been relishing her “freedom” away from the
political spotlight and apart from establishing her own consultancy, had bided her time as she considered a number of
opportunities for the future.
“I accepted the Cambridge directorships because I saw that I would be able to pursue my passion for promoting New
Zealand, its goods, its services and its innovation and expertise. In particular, I look forward to expanding the range
of New Zealand educational services that can be exported internationally through establishing constructive public and
private sector partnerships,” she said.
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The Cambridge Group, headquartered in Auckland, has expanded its core business as a reputable executive search
consultancy with a focus on corporate and academic recruitment to build an international competency as a provider of
educational services and consultancy in developing countries like Indonesia and also in mature markets, including the
United Kingdom.
“Mrs Shipley will have a key role in continuing to identify and bring to life new business opportunities for Cambridge,
both in New Zealand and internationally,” said The Cambridge Group Managing Director, Ken Eagle. “Mrs Shipley brings a
wealth of knowledge and experience in public policy analysis, strategic planning and implementation, management strategy
and relationship building. We are extremely pleased to welcome her to the team.”
Mrs Shipley will be involved in the full range of services the Cambridge Group offers but will focus, in particular, on
developing new international educational initiatives through joint venture partnerships or relationships between the
public and private sectors in a number of countries, including China, where opportunities have been identified for New
Zealand to sell a range of educational services.
“New Zealand earns around $1.5 billion a year from educational services and the potential is available to treble this
amount through selling our expertise offshore and attracting investment in education joint ventures and projects
onshore,” she said.
“I’m excited by the opportunity to help grow the New Zealand economy by exporting our competitive skills,
experience and unique attributes to markets around the world.”
ENDS