[2] Kirk Hope[3] has served as the chief executive since 2016.
[4] The history of BusinessNZ dates back more than 100 years.
In 1905 the constitution of the Employers Federation of New Zealand was formally adopted.
[citation needed] In 1951 the Employers Federation became an incorporated society and by 1971 represented around 10,000 members.
In 2001 the New Zealand Employers Federation merged with the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation to form Business New Zealand (BusinessNZ),[5] advancing the scope of the new organisation to cover greater numbers and types of businesses.