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The 2025 US Business Summit came at a critical moment for New Zealand–United States relations. With President Trump’s second term reshaping global trade and foreign policy priorities, New Zealand businesses are navigating new headwinds.
This year’s Summit brought together business leaders, policymakers, diplomats and thought leaders to explore strategies for navigating turbulence while seizing opportunities in tech, investment, education, aerospace and agribusiness. It was the premier forum to debate, connect, and be informed on the future of this vital relationship.
CALL TO ORDER
Summit MC Tim McCready
WELCOME TO THE 4th UNITED STATES BUSINESS SUMMIT
Summit Co-Chair: Fran O’Sullivan, Managing Director, NZINC.
PRIME MINISTER OPENING ADDRESS WITH Q&A
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Prime Minister Rt. Hon Christopher Luxon opened the United States Business Summit sharing insights into the strategies the Government is leading to strengthen New Zealand’s relationship with the U.S. He also shared moves his Government is leading to deepen relationships with U.S. investors to drive domestic economic growth.
The Prime Minister recently returned from APEC where he met President Donald Trump. His insights into the evolving bilateral relationship, which key Cabinet Ministers across foreign affairs, trade, defence and security and investment are forging, were instructive.
Moderator: Fran O’Sullivan, Summit Co-Chair
7.50AM – CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES DAVID GEHRENBECK
The U.S. Representative reflected on the enduring partnership between the United States and New Zealand.
VIEW FROM THE TOP
Business leaders from New Zealand’s leading companies are recalibrating their U.S strategies. In this conversation they shared how they’re navigating a U.S. business environment made more complex by Trump Administration policies; leveraging valuable partnerships and ground-breaking technologies.
- Dame Therese Walsh, Chair, Air New Zealand
- Nathan Flowerday, Chair, Zespri
- Professor Dawn Freshwater, Vice-Chancellor, University of Auckland
- Ray Smith, CEO Ministry for Primary Industries
- Mark Rocket, CEO, Kea Aerospace
Moderator: Fran O’Sullivan, Summit Chair
HON TODD MCCLAY TALKS INVESTMENT AND TRADE
Fireside chat with Hon Simon Bridges, Summit co-chair and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber.
KEYNOTE SESSION: NAVIGATING TRUMP’S AMERICA
U.S. political analyst Professor Dan Schnur unpacked President Trump’s second term and its impact on politics, trade, and security. He was joined by Ambassador Rosemary Banks who recently returned from representing New Zealand in Washington DC, and April Palmerlee, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia and a former senior executive at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York.
Professor Schnur was introduced by James Waite, a senior official at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs with strong professional experience in North America.
Session Chair: Hon Simon Bridges, Summit Co-chair. Simon is a former National Cabinet Minister, party leader and foreign affairs spokesperson.
IN THE WORLD OF PRESIDENT TRUMP WHAT DOES THE NEW TRADING ORDER LOOK LIKE FOR NEW ZEALAND?
Vangelis Vitalis, Deputy Secretary at the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand’s Chief Negotiator for multiple FTAs, presented three thought-provoking scenarios.
Moderator: Tim McCready, Summit MC
KEYNOTE: LEADING YOUR WAY TO THE FUTURE
Claudia Batten talked leadership with Sarah Robb O’Hagan with a focus on how to support your workforce to adapt to the potential of AI and the always-on volatility of the modern business environment. Sarah has built her career in the U.S. over two decades, famously transforming Gatorade as President of that division of Pepsi and more recently at Equinox, and, as CEO of Exos, the human performance coaching company. She is a published author, a speaker and also sits on the board of JetBlue. Claudia spent 20 years living, working and building businesses in the U.S recently returning to New Zealand where she sits on various NZX and ASX boards. They are both deeply curious and excited about supporting human potential.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WIN BIG – ESPECIALLY IN THE U.S.
Bowen Pan who recently returned to New Zealand bringing with him the lessons of successfully launching Facebook Marketplace shared the stage with Craig Piggott, the co-founder and CEO of Halter. In this fireside chat, Bowen and Craig explored the key traits of global winners: ruthlessness, focus and a results-driven approach regardless of cultural background. They shared on-the-ground experiences of building and translating ambitious culture across markets.
Moderator: Tim McCready, Summit MC
DELIVERING THE HIGH-GROWTH DIVIDEND
Seasoned businessman and investor Michael O’Donnell talked strategy and execution with the leaders of three high-growth Kiwi companies – Auror’s Phil Thomson, Serato’s Young Ly and Alliv Samson from Kami who with her co-founder Hengjie Wang was recently awarded Entrepreneur of the Year.
In this dynamic, insightful and well-timed discussion, our three entrepreneurs shared lessons learned, business strategies, and what it really takes to thrive in today’s ever-evolving landscape within the United States.
INTERVIEW: AUTHOR PETER GRIFFIN ON THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF ROCKET LAB
Paul Spain talked with author Peter Griffin as they took us inside the inspiring journey of Rocket Lab, the pioneering aerospace company founded by Kiwi Sir Peter Beck. From humble beginnings in a garage to becoming a global leader in space technology, this is the ultimate story of innovation and ambition from the early days raising venture capital to the historic launch of Electron, the small orbital rocket. They considered how Rocket Lab has successfully leveraged the U.S.-NZ relationship in a sector that’s hard to collaborate in across national boundaries.
Moderator: Paul Spain is a technologist, business and technology commentator and futurist at Gorilla Technology.
TRADE AND TARIFF TURBULENCE
The President’s ‘Liberation Day’ resulted in exports from New Zealand being hammered with a 10% tariff; in August this was raised to 15% then wiped altogether for some sectors.
Fonterra Group Director of Global Affairs Simon Tucker, MinterEllisonRuddWatts partner Sarah Salmond and Meat Industry Association CEO Sirma Karapeeva joined former Trade Minister Hon Damien O’Connor and delved into how exporters can navigate this turbulent environment — and what lies ahead.
Moderator: Stephanie Honey, Trade Adviser and Strategist, Honey Consulting
SETTING UP BUSINESS – THE U.S. CAN HELP
The United States is the world’s top destination for foreign direct investment — but how do New Zealand firms get started?
Antje Abshoff from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership joined Mike Hearn from AmCham NZ to outline how state programmes alongside SelectUSA can support Kiwi firms to get started in America. They were joined by Melissa Hill from the U.S Commercial Service, Ada Echetebu from Norris Echetebu Law, and Sander Stork from ABB which has a manufacturing plant in Richmond, Virginia.
TAPPING U.S. INVESTMENT – OPPORTUNITIES FOR MĀORI AND PASIFIKA
Labour’s Finance spokesperson Hon Barbara Edmonds joined the Speaker’s Parliamentary tour to New York and Washington DC earlier this year. She was ideally placed to explore opportunities with Rauawa chair June McCabe for Māori and Pasifika businesses to access North American capital markets. They assessed the success of the inaugural Ōhanga ki te Ao Māori Economic Summit and what comes next.
Moderator: Fran O’Sullivan, Summit Chair
SUMMIT SUMMARY
Summit Co-Chair: Simon Bridges & Fiona Cooper, Executive Director, New Zealand United States Council
PRIZE DRAW courtesy of HarperCollins, Silver Fern Farms and Air New Zealand and SUMMIT CLOSE
- Grace Hogan, Summit Event Director
- Sam Winstanley, Senior Manager Corporate and Government Sales, Air New Zealand
- Tim McCready, Summit MC