The Family Business Insights NZ Conference was a true highlight event on the New Zealand calendar as businesses came together from across the country to celebrate what it means to be part of a family business and learn through business leaders’ experiences. The room had a great energy as we welcomed everyone to the venue, a reunion for old friends and an opportunity for new members to be welcomed into the community.
FBA CEO, Catherine Sayer addressed the room providing a business update and spoke of the collaboration, growth and community involvement the FBA membership has had over the last 12 months. Catherine also reinforced the impact of the family business sector in New Zealand which represent 75% of all New Zealand businesses. Nicole Pluck, FBA NZ Manager, then welcomed attendees and commended everyone for joining FBA’s largest New Zealand conference to date. She highlighted new partnerships, celebrated the growth of the New Zealand FBA community, which has now reached 200 members, and noted ongoing efforts to strengthen government alliances and relationships.
Nicole then introduced Hon Chris Penk, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing, who joined the conference virtually. A significant moment, as it was the first time a Minister has participated in the Family Business NZ Insights Conference.
He highlighted the vital role of family-owned businesses in New Zealand, noting their significant contribution to employment and GDP, and shared key government initiatives supporting growth, innovation, and digital enablement. He also encouraged attendees to continue their forward-thinking approach, balancing tradition with technology and succession planning to sustain and expand their businesses into the future.
To open the conference, our MC Melissa Chan-Green - whose husband's family owns 'Pub Quiz' in the UK - welcomed our first keynote speaker for the day Angus Raine, Executive Chairman of Raine & Horne Group. Angus spoke about the family business history, sharing that Raine & Horne is the oldest and most successful real estate franchise in Australia and, in 2024, purchased Mike Pero Real Estate in New Zealand. Their legacy spans four generations and over 140 years. Angus used this history to encourage the audience to recognise the need for self-improvement, learn to separate business from emotion, and to seek help and guidance from outside sources through non-family member executives, an FBA Forum Group or Advisors.
“Business is hard enough, the family element adds more complexity,” Angus said, as he discussed the advantages he gained by joining the business at 36 years of age. It meant he had passion for the business but wasn’t emotionally tied to it, having spent so much time away focusing on other things. He came into the business with perspective and an informed point of view, believing that working in family business is not about your surname but making sure you are the right fit for the job.
Angus acknowledged Family Business Association (FBA) and his 26-year involvement, including being part of the first FBA Forum Group, Angus encouraged the room, saying, “You must join a Forum Group. You think you have issues, but everyone in a Forum Group understands and has been through similar experiences. They tell you what you don’t want to hear, which is why you should do it.” Angus values input from Advisors and outside sources, and he discussed Raine & Horne’s long history of non-family leaders. Having non-family leaders helps to remove emotion from the business. As Angus said, “Run it like a company, not a family picnic.”
The next session was a panel discussion with New Zealand’s leading Croatian winemaking families, including Director of Kumeu River Wines, Marijana Brajkovich, CEO of Babich Wines, David Babich and Director of Fistonich Family Vinyards, Karen Fistonich. Facilitated by Evana Lithgow the panel shared their family legacies, the importance of preparation and communication, and discussed the future generation. The panel had collectively 200+ years of experience in the industry.
The panel opened with a discussion around legacy. In winemaking, legacy is very much a living thing which needs to be carefully cared for. Karen put it beautifully, saying that to her, legacy is “honouring what my father has created.” For Karen, this isn’t just about the business or its values, it’s about the product itself, quality wine, and ensuring it continues to thrive for generations to come. Marijana spoke of long-term relationships and loyalty to customers and employees, and David referred to legacy being something that transcends generations, a collective of experiences and values.
The panel all agreed that when it comes to succession and transition, the key is to plan early. David spoke about his time working outside the family business, encouraging others to do the same. He reflected that his seven years away taught him a great deal and allowed him to bring new insights to the business. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining a high level of communication about the business along the way, even before becoming directly involved. They all referred to growing up on the vineyards themselves and the strong connection to the land and community.
They ended their session discussing the next generation and the innovation that might follow, Marijana encouraged attendees to be confident in the next generation and trust that they know what to do to be future custodians.
Our third session welcomed Hamish and Simon Plimmer, Plimmer & Co, facilitated by Jon Holmes, National Managing Partner, KPMG Private Enterprise. Through their own story, they encouraged the audience to think and plan long term, to look at diversification options to offset risk in your family business and to invest in good governance - having a family constitution, appointing an Advisory Board and the establishment of a Family Council.
The Plimmer Farms are based in New Zealand’s central North Island and were set up by Hamish and Simon’s family in 1946, operating as sheep and cattle farms. They spoke about their father’s advice that they often refer to collectively; ‘Keep to what you know’, ‘Row your own boat’ and the attendees favourite, the ‘best fertilizer for the farm is your own footprint’.
They were open about how they became involved in the business after careers outside the family business, highlighting governance as a key opportunity for growth. Jon cited the latest KPMG family business report noting that ‘69% of top-performing family businesses have formal Boards’, with New Zealand above the global average. They discussed that Boards should include diverse voices, which drives greater sustainability and innovation.
Hamish and Simon shared that their mother wanted to set up a foundation to give back, which also helps the next generation understand financial management. They put together a family constitution, appointed an Advisory Board to assist with the transition, and established new rules. The foundation is run by the next generation and is treated as a live document, reviewed every year.
Our final keynote speaker for the day was Sacha Coburn, who brought energy and confidence to her session, bursting onto the stage singing an acapella rendition of Feeling Good, followed by Que Sera Sera. It was a fitting song choice that foreshadowed the discussions Sacha was about to have with attendees on conscious choices.
Sacha comes with a wealth of experience in leadership and business management. She is the Co-Owner, Director and COO of Coffee Culture, a business she owns with her husband that has grown and franchised to 20 locations. She is also a lawyer with first class honours, holds a Master’s degree in Education, runs a leadership venture called The Company You Keep, and hosts a podcast, The Not So Breakfast Show.
Sacha’s session resonated strongly with the audience as she shared her story, including her time studying at Harvard. She spoke about how many of her peers came from much larger and more elite businesses, which at first felt intimidating. However, she soon realised they were no smarter, and that being from a family business in New Zealand didn’t mean she couldn’t succeed on the same scale as them. When things get hard, Sacha said she gets excited, explaining that as leaders, “this is what we trained for. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” She pointed out that it’s often hard for those who haven’t put systems in place and that those who do have a legacy to protect or grow see challenges differently.
Sacha believes all business is personal. When it comes to family dynamics, her advice was to take what people are naturally good at and build around them what they need to be successful. She spoke about leadership through the lens of emotional intelligence, describing it as the ability to recognise, understand and manage our own emotions, and then use that knowledge to help manage the emotions of others. She also discussed individual responsibility, sharing the story of baby penguins who jump into the water for the first time. Once one goes, the others follow. Her message was simple: “Be the first penguin. Go first.”
Sacha challenged everyone to consider what their families could achieve if they truly allowed themselves to be ambitious. She reminded the audience, “I am not a product of my circumstances, I am a product of my decisions.” The session was interactive from start to finish, with Sacha encouraging attendees to ask each other thought-provoking questions and share their answers with the room, with opportunities to win bags of coffee and hot chocolate. The audience remained highly engaged throughout, clearly enjoying the energy and enthusiasm Sacha brought to her session.
Thank you to everyone who attended, presented, facilitated, and made the event such a success, and a big thank you to our MC for the day Melissa Chan-Green.
Thank you to our partners and sponsors:
National Gold Partners: KPMG and Gallagher
National Banking Partner: ANZ Private
National Silver Partner: Jackson Russell
MC Sponsor: Swiss-Belhotel International
Speaker Gift Sponsor: Cuvar Winery
Event Supporters: Meyer Cheese, St Pierre's Sushi, Coffee Culture
Printer Sponsor: SCG
NZ Foundation Members: Hynds, Kennards Hire, Russell Group, Thermosash, and Turley
Photo Credit: Andre Kong
Family Business Excellence Awards Winners – New Zealand
The conference also celebrated the Family Business Excellence Awards for New Zealand. The Business Excellence Awards are made up of three categories: Founder's Family Business, Established Family Business and Legacy Family Business.
Annabelle’s received the 2025/26 Founder's Family Business Award for New Zealand.
Established in 1998, Annabelle's has made its home in Auckland, overlooking Rangitoto Island. Starting as a small venture with only five staff and a commitment to showing up every day of the year, including Christmas Day when they serve over 200 guests, they have expanded over the years, doubling both their footprint and their team. Annabelle's work ethic is at its core. They have built their legacy by leading through example. If something needs doing, they step in, whether it is front of house, in the kitchen or making coffees. Relying on direct communication and mutual accountability, this business is not just owned, it is lived. They do not separate family and business, because as a family business, this is their family’s legacy. The award was accepted by Sang and Susan Cho.
"Thank you very much for everyone who's here today, especially FBA giving us this award, we weren't expecting this at all. We've been running the restaurant for 27 years. I started off as a little kid and grew up in the restaurant business watching my mums hard work over the years... she's my hero when it comes to business."
"I'd also like to thank her for coming to New Zealand all those years ago, we immigrated from Korea and never thought about buying a restaurant, until she decided to go for a walk and found this restaurant called Annabelle's... she loved that name."
"I'd also like to thank everyone who's supported our business over the 27 years, customers who have become our friends."
Tranzit Group received the 2025/26 Legacy Family Business Award for New Zealand.
Tranzit Group started in 1925, celebrating a huge milestone of 100 years in operation this year. It began as a small regional bus service with a single vision - to connect people and places. Four generations later, that vision has grown into one of New Zealand’s largest family-owned transport and tourism providers, operating thousands of vehicles across the country.
Always keeping family at the forefront, they lead by example, supporting their staff to be their best and achieve their goals, including having the youngest female bus driver in the country on staff. This business has built its reputation on a commitment to sustainable growth, innovation, and the preservation of family values. The award was accepted by Jenna Snelgrove.
"Thank you, I want to accept this award on behalf of our family and our team at Tranzit. I'm here with my sister, Renee, who was the youngest female to get her bus licence in New Zealand about. 20 odd years ago. I'm also here with David Moffat, who is our CFO of the Transit Group.”
"The Legacy Award is really important and meaningful for us, as next month, in about three weeks, we celebrate 100 years. Being a 4th generation family business, it's a pretty exciting milestone! We've had some really awesome milestones over the last few years. Introducing New Zealand's first electric bus in 2016-17 with Auckland University of Technology. Introducing the first double-decker electric bus of Greater Wellington, and more recently... Our workshop team repowered a double-decker diesel bus to electric, which is a southern hemisphere at first.
"We're really pleased to be here and want to thank Family Business Association, we've just signed up this year and Nicole has introduced us to a lot of people and opportunities... thank you for this award."