Awhi
1. Business / Trading Name: Awhi – a government relations and lobbying firm in New Zealand. It is the trading name for HSB Consulting Limited, which was formerly called Moko Limited until 2017.
2. Company Number: 5597192 (NZ Companies Office identifier).
3. NZBN (New Zealand Business Number): 9429041616765.
4. Entity Type: New Zealand Limited Company (private company).
5. Business Classification: M696275 – Public affairs consulting service. This classification denotes that Awhi’s core business is lobbying/government relations consulting.
6. Industry Category: Government Relations, Public Affairs and Communications Consulting (Professional Services sector). Awhi describes itself as a “government relations and communications firm” focused on lobbying and public advocacy.
7. Year Founded: 2017 (company incorporated in 2015, rebranded as Awhi in late 2017). Founder Holly Bennett started Awhi at the end of 2017 after leaving roles in Parliament.
8. Addresses:
• Registered Office / Auckland Office: Level 1, 1A York Street, Newmarket, Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) 1023.
• Wellington Office: Level 3, 22 Wigan Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011.
(Mail and service addresses are the same as the Auckland office above.)
9. Website URL: awhigroup.nz.
10. LinkedIn URL: linkedin.com/company/awhi (Awhi’s LinkedIn company page).
11. Company Hub NZ URL: https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429041616765 -
listing for HSB Consulting Limited (Awhi’s NZBN profile) – CompanyHub NZ provides a public company summary (Company No. 5597192, NZBN 9429041616765).
12. NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/5597192
(Awhi’s official Companies Office registry entry under HSB Consulting Limited). The Companies Office record confirms its status as a registered company and includes director/shareholder information.
13. Social Media URLs:
• Facebook: facebook.com/awhigroup (official Facebook page).
• LinkedIn: See item 10 above.
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@quitesimplypolitics
(Awhi’s YouTube channel – hosts content like their “Quite Simply Politics” podcast and explainer videos).
(No official Twitter/X account is advertised on Awhi’s site; their social presence centers on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.)
14. Ultimate Holding Company: None. Awhi is independently owned with no parent company – HSB Consulting Limited is not part of a larger corporate group.
15. Key Shareholders: Holly Suzanne Bennett. 99% of shares are held in a trust.
16. Leadership: Holly Suzanne Bennett – Managing Director (Kaiwhakahaere) and sole Director. Bennett (Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao) founded Awhi and leads the firm’s strategic direction. There is no separate CEO or board; as sole director/shareholder, Bennett is the principal decision-maker.
17. Staff: Awhi has a small team of consultants:
• Holly Bennett – Managing Director (Founder)
• Daniela Maoate-Cox – Senior Consultant (Kaitūhono Matua)
• Jesse Thompson – Senior Consultant (Kaitūhono Matua)
• Dave Agnew – Junior Consultant (Kaitūhono Mātāmua)
• Mikayla Thompson – Junior Consultant (Kaitūhono Mātāmua)
(These five make up the core team as of 2023. Awhi also occasionally takes on interns through its lobbying internship program – see item 28.)
18. Staff that have held previous government roles: Awhi’s team is notable for its “revolving door” experience – most staff are former government or political insiders:
• Holly Bennett: Served ~4 years as a ministerial adviser in the Beehive for two National Party Ministers, and also worked as an in-house legal/policy adviser to a Minister (Paul Goldsmith). Admitted to the bar in 2013, she leveraged her government experience to start Awhi.
• Daniela Maoate-Cox: Former journalist covering Parliament (host of RNZ’s “The House”) and later led the communications team for the Parliamentary Service & Office of the Clerk – i.e. an official Parliament communications role.
• Jesse Thompson: Spent years on the NZ Labour Party’s Policy Council and board, and worked in communications/advisory roles in the New Zealand and Australian Parliaments.
• Dave Agnew: Career public servant; spent four years at Parliament’s Office of the Clerk including as Deputy Clerk for a select committee and as a Hansard editor (directly involved in parliamentary procedure).
• Mikayla Thompson: Worked as a Junior Policy Advisor at the Employers and Manufacturers Association and in the electorate office of the Green MP for Auckland Central. She also has a Master’s in Public Policy, giving her insight into government processes.
In summary, all key Awhi staff have held roles in or around government (ministerial offices, parliamentary agencies, political party bodies, or MPs’ offices), exemplifying the close ties between Awhi’s personnel and the public sector.
19. Past Employees: No widely known past employees. As a young firm, Awhi’s initial team has largely remained in place. There have been no public disclosures of prominent staff departures or alumni. (Awhi’s public communications focus on its current team; any former interns or staff have not been identified in media or official records, suggesting minimal turnover to date.)
20. Clients (past and present): Awhi has represented a range of clients across multiple sectors – including corporate, nonprofit, Māori trusts, and industry associations. Notable clients (either current or recent) include:
• Tuatahi First Fibre: Broadband infrastructure company (formerly Ultra-Fast Fibre) – Awhi helped Tuatahi build political connections.
• Restaurant Association of NZ: Hospitality industry association – Awhi provides government relations support to amplify hospitality sector voices.
• Te Arawa Lakes Trust: A Māori trust focused on environmental management – Awhi assisted the trust in engaging with government with “purpose and confidence”.
• Banqer: An education technology company (financial literacy platform) – Awhi supported Banqer’s mission through government relations advice.
• Hauraki Gulf Forum: A statutory environmental body – Awhi was engaged (via philanthropic funding) to build bipartisan Parliamentary support for protecting the Hauraki Gulf.
• Code Avengers: A Māori-owned online education company (digital skills training) – Awhi developed a government engagement strategy (Spectrum Sweep) to help them connect with public sector opportunities.
• Kookiri ki Tāmaki Makaurau Trust: A Māori advocacy group addressing alcohol harm – Awhi worked to support their kaupapa (cause) in influencing policy, aiming to reduce disproportionate harm to Māori from alcohol.
These examples come from Awhi’s published case studies and demonstrate the breadth of Awhi’s clientele. The firm’s clients have ranged from small startups and NGOs to larger industry bodies, often with an emphasis on causes with social impact (hospitality workers, environmental protection, digital education, Māori community well-being, etc.).
21. Industries/Sectors Represented: Awhi’s lobbying portfolio spans multiple sectors of the economy and civil society:
• Technology & Telecommunications: (e.g. fiber broadband and digital education companies).
• Hospitality & Small Business: (e.g. Restaurant Association, representing bars, restaurants, cafés).
• Environmental & Conservation: (e.g. Hauraki Gulf environmental initiatives).
• Māori Governance & Advocacy: (e.g. Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Māori-led trusts on health and education issues).
• Education & Youth: (financial literacy in schools via Banqer; coding education via Code Avengers).
• Nonprofits/Community Organizations: (various NGOs seeking policy influence).
Overall, Awhi emphasizes support for under-represented voices (“not just big business, but small business as well” as one client noted), and for clients with public-interest or community-oriented goals. This aligns with its kaupapa (principled) branding, though Awhi’s services are open to any sector needing government relations help.
22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements: Because NZ has no mandatory lobbying register, most of Awhi’s lobbying activity is private. However, some engagements are on public record:
• Parliamentary Submissions: Awhi often guides or drafts client submissions to Parliament. For example, the Restaurant Association credits Awhi with improving their submissions on legislation, making them “punchier” and more effective. These submissions become part of the official record (e.g. select committee hearings) under the client’s name.
• Consultation on Lobbying Reforms: In 2022–2023, Holly Bennett publicly engaged in the policy debate on regulating lobbying. She wrote to fellow lobbyists urging support for a register and code of conduct, and she participated in Ministry of Justice meetings on a voluntary lobbyists’ code. (The Ministry’s records show Awhi/Bennett as an attendee in drafting a lobbyists’ code of conduct.)
• Press Releases & Media Engagements: Awhi has voluntarily disclosed some of its advocacy. In April 2024, Awhi launched Lobbyist.nz with a set of “Awhi Lobbying Principles” for transparency and published a press release about it. Holly Bennett frequently speaks to media (RNZ, Newsroom, NBR) about her lobbying efforts and even shares details of her work in general terms (for instance, acknowledging how she secures meetings for clients and builds cross-party support).
Notably, because no official lobbying register exists, the above instances are known through Awhi’s own publications or investigative journalism. The full scope of Awhi’s meetings with ministers or officials isn’t publicly available unless voluntarily shared or revealed via Official Information Act (OIA) requests.
23. Affiliations: Awhi and its leadership have several affiliations and memberships:
• Kaupapa Māori & Business Networks: Awhi is recognized as a Māori-owned business and is listed with Amotai (a supplier diversity network). The firm is also an accredited Living Wage Employer, reflecting a commitment to fair labor practices.
• Sister Organizations: Awhi has “partners” that it either founded or collaborates with, including Engage – NZ’s first government relations education organisation (founded by Holly Bennett in 2019), Quite Simply Politics (a politics podcast Bennett hosts), and PolitiPal (a political news newsletter by Awhi). These entities are linked on Awhi’s site as part of its ecosystem.
• Media and Academic Affiliations: Holly Bennett has been a regular columnist for National Business Review and Newsroom on political and Māori economy issues. She was featured in University of Auckland’s “40 Under 40” alumni for her work with Awhi.
• Industry & Community Groups: Awhi has positioned itself alongside institutions like the NZ Media Council, IABC, and UK Institute of Sustainability by drawing from their principles for its lobbying code. The firm was a “Founding Partner” sponsor of the Point of Order political internship programme in 2022, underscoring its engagement in civics education.
• Awards: Bennett’s leadership in Awhi has been acknowledged by business associations – she won the 2022 Newmarket Young Business Person of the Year award. (This likely entails affiliation with the Newmarket Business Association community.)
24. Sponsorships / Collaborations: Awhi actively collaborates on initiatives to improve political engagement:
• It partnered with the independent blog Point of Order as a founding sponsor to support emerging leaders in politics. This collaboration helped fund events and content aimed at demystifying government relations for young professionals.
• Internally, Awhi collaborates with its sister initiatives (Engage, PolitiPal, etc.) to promote civic education. For example, the Engage programme runs training workshops on government relations, often with Awhi staff as trainers, and the Awhi Lobbying Internship (see item 28) is a collaborative effort with host organizations to place interns.
• Community and Events: Awhi’s team members frequently appear in panel discussions, university seminars, and media series on lobbying (e.g. RNZ’s investigative series on lobbying). While not formal sponsorships, these appearances represent collaboration with media and academia to shed light on industry practices.
25. Events (held or organized by the organisation): Awhi’s public event footprint is modest, as its work mostly occurs behind closed doors. However:
• Lobbyist.nz Launch (2024): Awhi launching the Lobbyist.nz website with an industry code of ethics, accompanied by media outreach. This served as a public event in the sense of inviting anyone to adopt its principles.
• Educational Webinars/Workshops: Through Engage (the training arm), Awhi’s team has run government relations workshops and Q&A sessions for businesses and nonprofits (often these are private events for clients or Engage program attendees). These are not widely advertised, but are part of Awhi’s mission to educate others on lobbying.
• Internship Program Events: Awhi’s Lobbying Internship includes three annual intern intakes tied to political events (Waitangi Day, Budget Day, etc.). Each strand might involve attendance at related events (e.g. interns go to Waitangi commemorations or Budget lock-ups as learning experiences). While not public events run by Awhi, the firm facilitates participation in key political events for its interns.
• Collaborative Forums: As noted, Awhi has sponsored external forums like Point of Order’s events. For instance, in 2022 it likely helped with events where young people engage with MPs or ex-politicians (Point of Order ran ticketed events in that period).
Overall, Awhi does not regularly host large public conferences under its own name. Its contributions are more through sponsorship or educational initiatives integrated with existing political events or partner organisations.
26. Political Donations: No publicly disclosed political donations by Awhi or its principals. Awhi markets itself as non-partisan and there is no record in NZ Electoral Commission filings of donations by “HSB Consulting Limited” or “Holly Bennett” above the reportable threshold. Bennett’s approach has been to influence policy through advocacy rather than party patronage. The absence of known donations is consistent with Awhi’s transparency stance – it avoids any suggestion of “buying influence”. (Notably, in 2023 the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff came directly from a rival lobbying firm, raising eyebrows, but Awhi’s founder has not been implicated in any such partisan favoritism via donations.)
27. Controversies: Awhi’s public image has largely been positive, positioned as a “fresh face” trying to improve integrity in lobbying. There are, however, a few critical points and challenges noted:
• Revolving Door Critique: Holly Bennett herself acknowledges that her swift move from ministerial advisor to lobbyist in 2017 could be seen as inappropriate under stronger ethics rules. This highlights the broader “revolving door” issue in NZ politics, which Awhi as a firm exemplifies (since all its consultants are ex-political staff). While Bennett calls for stricter cooling-off periods, Awhi did benefit from the lack of such rules – a point not lost on observers.
• “Integrity Washing” Concerns: Some critics caution that voluntary measures like Awhi’s Lobbying Principles might be a form of self-regulation to pre-empt stricter laws. The lobbying industry in general has a business model built on secrecy, and historically most lobbyists opposed full disclosure of clients. Awhi’s publication of clients and ethical codes is unusual and laudable; however, it still stops short of revealing all clients or activities. Until a mandatory register exists, even a “transparent” firm like Awhi cannot fully dispel public skepticism that lobbying happens “out of the public gaze” as usual.
• Lack of Comprehensive Disclosure: Awhi has faced no scandals, but it operates in the opaque environment common to all NZ lobbying firms. For example, if Awhi lobbies ministers on behalf of a client, the public may only learn of it if the client chooses to announce the engagement or if a journalist uncovers it. This opacity is precisely what Bennett argues is bad for democracy. The irony is that Awhi must still play by those opaque rules even as it campaigns against them. This tension – preaching transparency while practicing lobbying in a system without transparency requirements – could be seen as a vulnerability or point of criticism, even though Awhi is pushing for change.
• Industry Pushback: Within the lobbying industry, not all peers immediately embraced Bennett’s call for a public register and code. She received a “mixed response” from fellow lobbyists when she urged them to open up. Some established lobbyists who initially resisted reform in 2012 have since come around (e.g. Mark Unsworth now supports some regulation), but it’s implied that Bennett’s stance made her something of an outlier at first. Any tension or cold shoulder from peers remains behind closed doors, but it underscores that Awhi’s transparency advocacy was somewhat disruptive to the status quo.
• No Major Public Controversies: Importantly, Awhi has not been embroiled in any specific corruption allegations or client-related scandals. There is no known incident of Awhi mishandling information or breaching trust. The firm’s reputation has been generally clean. Media scrutiny of lobbying firms in 2022–2023 focused on larger players and high-profile cases (like a former Minister, Kris Faafoi, joining a lobbying outfit). In those discussions, Awhi is usually cited as a positive example – with Bennett often interviewed speaking against unethical lobbying practices rather than being accused of them.
28. Other Information of Note:
• Kaupapa Māori Ethos: Awhi brands itself as a “kaupapa Māori government relations firm”, infusing Māori values and language into its identity. The name “Awhi” means “to support/embrace,” and the firm emphasizes collaborative, collective-benefit approaches over adversarial lobbying. This sets Awhi apart in a field often viewed cynically – Awhi frames its work as empowering under-represented voices in the political process.
• Awhi Lobbying Internship: In line with its focus on openness, Awhi runs a Lobbying Internship program – one of the first of its kind in NZ. Three interns (called Taituarā, meaning supporters/assistants) are taken each year, aligned with key political seasons (Waitangi Day, Budget, and the busy mid-year Parliament sitting period). Interns gain hands-on experience “at the intersection of politics, media, government relations and communications”. This initiative indicates Awhi’s commitment to fostering the “next generation” of lobbyists in a more principled mold, and to demystify lobbying for newcomers – essentially an attempt to build integrity from within the industry.
• Thought Leadership and Media Presence: Holly Bennett and Awhi are highly visible in conversations about lobbying reform. Bennett’s op-eds and interviews (through outlets like Newsroom, NBR, RNZ, and her own podcast) serve to pull back the curtain on lobbying. For instance, Bennett has openly discussed how “every New Zealander deserves to know who lobbyists work for and why”, and she often explains the mechanics of lobbying in plain terms. This thought leadership role magnifies Awhi’s influence beyond its size.
• Financial Footprint: While Awhi’s financials are not public, the firm’s growth (from a one-woman startup with a $300 initial investment to a team of five with offices in Auckland and Wellington) suggests a successful boutique operation. Unlike some competitors, Awhi has not relied on large government agency contracts. This means Awhi’s revenue is primarily client-funded (retainers and project fees), and its client base being smaller organizations implies its earnings are modest relative to big firms. Bennett has indicated Awhi uses a tiered retainer fee model with minimum 4-month engagements, emphasizing fair pricing as part of its integrity principles.
• Ultimate Goal of Transparency: Awhi’s very public stance in favor of a regulated lobbying environment is a distinguishing feature. Bennett’s leadership of Awhi is almost an advocacy campaign in itself – calling for a register, a code, and oversight that, if implemented, would apply to Awhi along with all other firms. This unusual position (lobbying for restrictions on lobbying) is “other information” worth noting because it speaks to Awhi’s self-proclaimed mission: to change how lobbying is done in New Zealand. Whether this is viewed as genuine altruism or a savvy branding move (or both) by various observers, it undeniably sets Awhi apart in the industry.
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz