Co-op Leader Conversations

Co-op Leader Conversation: Carl Taylor, CEO Combined Building Supplies Cooperative

Carl Taylor discusses how a small group of builders created a rapidly growing cooperative that now supports more than 2,100 building trade members in New Zealand and Australia through collective buying power, advocacy, member ownership and consistent storytelling.

Co-op Leader Conversation: Susannah Batley, GM, Sharesies Business

Susannah Batley of Sharesies Business discusses how technology is reshaping the co-operative ownership experience, from shareholder communication and mobile-first access to liquidity, succession and long-term member engagement.

Co-op Leader Conversation: Norman Woods, CEO HRV

HRV is New Zealand’s leading home ventilation system and a household name, with more than 500,000 New Zealanders living in a home with at least one HRV product. In this episode of Co-op Leader Conversations, we speak with CEO Norman Woods about why this established Kiwi business chose to convert from a traditional company structure to a co-operative — and what that ownership shift means for its future.

Co-op Leader Conversation: Liz Thomas, Managing Director Common Equity Housing Ltd

What New Zealand could learn from Australia’s housing co-ops. Australia’s CEHL proves housing co-ops can scale: a specialist owner (CEHL) holds the assets; local co-ops govern and manage; rents sit around social-housing affordability settings; and registration gives lenders comfort. New Zealand’s blockers are known - no dedicated tenure, immature lender products, and land access -so the question isn’t if housing co-ops work, but when we’ll let them. Liz Thomas walks us through the playbook.

Co-op Leader Conversation: Craig Erasmus, CEO Seasonal Solutions Cooperative

Seasonal Solutions co-op was one of the founding entities of the current RSE scheme, and brings in over 1,100 seasonal workers each year to share labour across its diverse members. The co-op has recently worked through a multi-year shareholder-member engagement and share buy-back process. Craig describes their approach and the resulting benefits they are now experiencing as a co-op.