Martin Jenkins
1. Business / Trading Name: Martin, Jenkins & Associates Limited (trading as MartinJenkins)
2. Company number: 919665
3. NZBN: 9429037790035
4. Entity type: New Zealand Limited Company (Ltd)
5. Business classification: ANZSIC M696205 – “Business consultant service”
6. Industry Category: Professional services – Business Consulting and Services
7. Year founded: 1993 (incorporated 25 August 1998)
8. Addresses: Wellington Office – Level 1, City Chambers, Cnr Johnston & Featherston Streets, Wellington 6011 (PO Box 5256, Wellington 6140). Auckland Office – Level 16, 41 Shortland Street, Auckland 1010.
9. Website URL:
https://www.martinjenkins.co.nz
10. LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/martinjenkins
11. Company Hub NZ URL: https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429037790035
13. Social Media URLs: LinkedIn (above); No official Twitter/Facebook found.
14. Ultimate Holding Company: None (privately held by individual partners; no parent company). (A briefly-existing holding entity, MartinJenkins Holdings Ltd, was registered in 2017 but later removed).
15. Key Shareholders: The firm is employee-owned by its partners via direct holdings and family trusts. As of 2024, equity is split roughly in five equal blocs among senior partners: Nick Carlaw (and Charmaine Carlaw) ~20%, Nick Davis (via NADFT Trustee Ltd) ~20%, Richard Tait ~20%, Allana Coulon ~20% (18% with MK Trustee 2021 Ltd and Bruno Bailly), and Sarah Baddeley ~20% (18% with CLM Trustees Ltd and Graham Denyer). (Longtime partner Michael Mills was a shareholder until April 2024).
16. Leadership: Managing Partner: Allana Coulon. Executive Partners (Directors): Nick Carlaw, Nick Davis, Richard Tait, Sarah Baddeley. Founder (emeritus) Partners: Doug Martin, Kevin Jenkins. Independent Chair: Dr. David Prentice. Independent Director: Sophia Gunn.
17. Staff: ~50–60 professional staff (consultants) across economics, public policy, finance, evaluation, etc., plus support staff. The company size is in the “51-200 employees” range, with offices in Wellington and Auckland.
18. Staff with previous government roles: Many of MartinJenkins’ leaders are former public officials. For example, Nick Davis was a senior policy advisor at NZ Treasury and Ministry of Economic Development before joining in 2004. Sarah Baddeley started as a Treasury economist. Richard Tait worked as a policy and strategy advisor at the Ministry of Economic Development prior to 2007. Co-founder Doug Martin served as Deputy State Services Commissioner in the 1980s, and founder Kevin Jenkins has led government taskforces (e.g. on the leaky buildings crisis). Many staff circulate between MartinJenkins and government agencies, creating a strong “revolving door” profile.
19. Past Employees: Data Not Found (Specific past staff lists are not publicly disclosed. Notably, founding partners Doug Martin and Kevin Jenkins are no longer active directors, and former partner Michael Mills exited ownership in 2024. Some ex-staff have transitioned into public service roles, e.g. a former MartinJenkins manager now in a senior role at Department of Internal Affairs.)
20. Clients: Primary clients: New Zealand central government ministries, departments and Crown agencies (e.g. NZ Treasury, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, Ministry of Education, Department of Internal Affairs, etc.), as well as local government bodies (city and district councils). Notable engagements: Advised the Ministry for the Environment, Department of Conservation, Te Arawhiti and Commerce Commission on organizational strategy ; developed business cases for Queenstown Lakes District Council and Venture Taranaki ; embedded advisors in the Three Waters Reform program at DIA. Other clients: NGOs and industry associations (e.g. NZ Red Cross, Independent Schools of NZ), international agencies (UNESCO, etc.), and occasional private sector projects.
21. Industries/Sectors represented: MartinJenkins works across a broad swath of sectors. It has consulting experience in Public Sector/Government, Local Government, Education, Health and Social Services, Justice and Emergency Services, Energy and Environment, Primary Industries, Arts & Culture, Finance/Insurance, Science & Innovation, Transport and Infrastructure, Māori Development, International Development, among others. (These correspond to the industries of its client base.)
22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements: A number of the firm’s assignments are a matter of public record. For example, MartinJenkins was commissioned by the government to conduct the official evaluation of the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (including partnering with Māori researchers in that process). Co-founder Doug Martin was appointed Crown Manager for Christchurch City Council’s consents crisis (2013–15), and his final report was publicly released. The firm’s directors have also been publicly named in key roles – e.g. Nick Davis served as Chief Strategic Director in the Three Waters reform programme, and Doug Martin chaired the Three Waters Working Group in 2021-22. MartinJenkins often publishes non-confidential insights on its website about projects (such as regional economic development strategies or the NZTA regulatory capability review led by Michael Mills in 2019).
23. Affiliations: All-of-Government Consulting Panel: MartinJenkins is an approved AoG provider for consultancy services (Business & Finance category), giving it pre-qualified status to contract across government. Professional Networks: The firm frequently partners with public-sector professional bodies – e.g. it co-hosts seminars with the Institute of Public Administration NZ (IPANZ). Its staff are active in groups like the Institute of Directors and Global Women (e.g. Sarah Baddeley is a member of both). Academic/Industry links: MartinJenkins leaders hold roles in academia and industry groups (Kevin Jenkins chairs Victoria University’s School of Government advisory board and sits on boards like Infrastructure NZ and NZ Windfarms). These affiliations extend the firm’s influence and networks in policy circles.
24. Sponsorships / Collaborations: MartinJenkins has a history of supporting sector initiatives. It was a sponsor of the 2015 Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association Symposium, as part of the International Year of Evaluation. The firm also sponsors awards – it endowed the “MartinJenkins Excellence Award for Local Economic Contribution” at the 2014 Local Government NZ conference to recognize council innovation. In collaboration, MartinJenkins partnered with IPANZ in 2025 to host a public webinar on “Working with Your Minister” featuring former Cabinet Minister Hon. Paula Bennett as a panelist. These sponsorships and collaborations illustrate the firm’s active engagement in thought leadership within the public sector community.
25. Events (held or organised by this organisation): Thought Leadership Webinars: MartinJenkins regularly organizes or co-organizes events for knowledge sharing. For instance, in Feb 2025 it co-hosted an IPANZ webinar on building effective ministerial relationships. Conference Participation: The firm’s consultants are frequently featured in public forums and conferences. Hosted Workshops: MartinJenkins occasionally runs client workshops and panel discussions (often under Chatham House rules) on topics like regulatory reform or organizational performance (not publicly listed, but referenced in its case studies). Internal “Insights” Series: The company’s “From the Exosphere” blog and Insights Series events provide a platform for MartinJenkins consultants to present research and discuss emerging policy issues. (Specific public event listings are limited, as many engagements are client-confidential.)
26. Political Donations: None disclosed. A search of New Zealand Electoral Commission donation records and media did not find any political party donations made by Martin, Jenkins & Associates Ltd or its principals (as a consultancy reliant on government contracts, it appears not to engage in party financing).
27. Controversies: MartinJenkins has come under criticism for potential conflicts of interest and quality of work in some high-profile engagements. In the Three Waters reform, the firm earned $2.5 million in contracts and had senior staff embedded in the programme, while co-founder Doug Martin served as “independent” chair of a Three Waters working group – prompting opposition MPs to question the group’s independence. (ACT MP Simon Court famously asked, “Is MartinJenkins really going to criticise the work of MartinJenkins?”.) Separately, MartinJenkins’ evaluation of the $19b COVID-19 wage subsidy was lambasted in a peer review as “a hot mish-mash” of biases reflecting the Wellington policy milieu, leading to a substantially revised final report. The firm’s dual role in policy design and evaluation has raised eyebrows – for example, its director Nick Davis helped design Three Waters policy inside DIA while the firm could later be assessing aspects of that policy. These cases highlight the blurred lines that have attracted media and parliamentary scrutiny over MartinJenkins’ objectivity and influence.
28. Other information of note: Founders’ Legacy: Founders Doug Martin and Kevin Jenkins are regarded as experts in public management – Martin was an architect of the 1988 State Sector Act, and Jenkins led the government’s leaky homes response. Their reputations have helped the firm secure sensitive assignments (e.g. Martin’s 2018 inquiry for the State Services Commission into Southern Response’s use of private investigators). Ownership Transitions: The firm has transitioned to a second generation of leaders – Doug Martin stepped down as director in 2016 and Michael Mills (a longtime partner) exited in 2024, transferring shares to newer partners. Global Work: Beyond NZ, MartinJenkins has undertaken projects in the Pacific and Asia (e.g. UNESCO program evaluations), extending its influence abroad. Reputation: The firm is often seen as part of the “Wellington consultocracy,” and was cited by media as a significant beneficiary of increased public sector outsourcing under recent governments.
29. Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: Data Not Found. (No public record confirms MartinJenkins itself receiving COVID-19 wage subsidies. The company continued operating through the 2020–21 pandemic, even securing government contracts to evaluate the wage subsidy program. If any subsidy was claimed, it was not publicly disclosed in available MSD datasets.)
Sources:
1. Bryce Edwards, “Time for a big debate about Govt use of business consultants,” NZ Herald, 6 May 2022.
2. Kate MacNamara, “Three Waters spend-up: $21m on consultants and contractors,” NZ Herald, 6 May 2022.
3. Martin, Jenkins & Associates Limited – Company Information, BizDb (NZ).
4. MartinJenkins – LinkedIn Company Profile, LinkedIn.
5. Contact Us – MartinJenkins (Wellington & Auckland addresses), MartinJenkins website.
6. Partners, Founders, Independent Directors – MartinJenkins (Board listings), MartinJenkins website.
7. NZ Ministry of Social Development – Annual spend by supplier 2021/22 (OIA data), via FYI.org.nz.
8. Nick Davis – Partner Profile, MartinJenkins website.
9. Sarah Baddeley – Partner Profile, MartinJenkins website.
10. Richard Tait – Partner Profile, MartinJenkins website.
11. Allana Coulon – Managing Partner Profile, MartinJenkins website.
12. Doug Martin – Founder Profile, MartinJenkins website.
13. Kevin Jenkins – Founder Profile, MartinJenkins website.
14. “Independence of three waters review questioned…”, NZ Herald, 10 Dec 2021.
15. Chris Luxon (quoted in NZ Herald), on Three Waters Working Group, 2021.
16. Simon Court (ACT MP) quoted in NZ Herald, 2021.
17. Steven Heath (LinkedIn post) quoting Dr. Simon Chapple’s peer review of MartinJenkins, 2023.
18. “Reviewer skewers report into $19b Covid subsidy scheme,” Newsroom, 12 Jan 2024.
19. “Wage Subsidy Scheme Evaluation,” MartinJenkins News (15 Jan 2024).
20. RNZ News, “Three Waters working group named, terms of reference released,” 2021.
21. New Zealand Companies Office records (via CompanyHub) – MartinJenkins shareholding breakdown.
22. New Zealand Companies Office – historical director/shareholder info (Michael Mills exit April 2024).
23. Institute of Public Administration NZ – Event listing (MartinJenkins webinar Feb 2025), IPANZ.
24. MartinJenkins sponsors LGNZ Excellence Award (2014), MartinJenkins website.
25. MartinJenkins supports 2015 International Year of Evaluation, MartinJenkins website.
26. Public Service Commission – “Consultants and Contractors report 2022,” (cited in NZ Herald).
27. State Services Commission – “Inquiry into use of external security consultants” (Southern Response Inquiry media release), 2018.
28. Beehive.govt.nz – “Crown Manager’s final report released” (Paula Bennett & Nick Smith, 10 Apr 2015).
29. Precision Driven Health Annual Report 2019 (mentions MartinJenkins board composition).
30. Chorus Next-Generation Network Model Review – MBIE External Review (MartinJenkins, 2019).
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz