Polis Consulting Group
1. Business / Trading Name: Polis Consulting Group Limited (trading as Polis Consulting Group). Often abbreviated as “PCG”
2. Company Number: 8136138.
3. New Zealand Business Number (NZBN): 9429048754620.
4. Entity Type: NZ Limited Company (registered company).
5. Business Classification: M696205 – Business consultant service. (This code denotes management consultancy services in NZ.)
6. Industry Category: Management consulting and public policy advisory (professional services). Polis operates as a strategy consulting firm serving public and private sector clients.
7. Year Founded: 2020 (incorporated 3 November 2020).
8. Addresses:
• Registered Office: C/O Darvill Mellors & Co Ltd, 2–12 Allen Street, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
• Wellington Office: Level 10, 111 The Terrace, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011 (the principal business address).
• Auckland Office: Generator co-working space, 12 Madden Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland (as listed on Polis’s website for its Auckland presence).
9. Website URL:
https://www.polis.nz
.
10. LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/polis-consulting-group/?originalSubdomain=nz (Polis uses LinkedIn as a primary social media platform to share updates.)
11. Company Hub NZ URL: https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429048754620
12. NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/co/8136138
13. Social Media URLs: Polis does not appear to have official public Twitter or Facebook pages; however, team members (e.g. co-founder David Cunliffe) are active on platforms like Twitter (X) and Facebook in individual capacities. (The firm also advertises events via third-party pages such as university clubs on Facebook.)
14. Ultimate Holding Company: None. Polis Consulting Group is an independent firm.
15. Key Shareholders:
David Cunliffe (83.33%)
Thomas Klotz (16.67%)
Former shareholders are Kieran Brown (co-founder) (initially had 50 shares and was an equal cofounding shareholder with Cunliffe) and Gregory (Greg) Presland – a Auckland lawyer and Labour Party activist – an early part-owner.
16. Leadership: The firm is led by a small senior team. David Cunliffe serves as a Partner (co-founder). Kieran Brown (co-founder) has been a Partner/Director, bringing global consulting experience. Thomas Klotz is a Partner, with a background as a senior consultant at McKinsey, BCG, etc.. The Independent Chair of the board is Don Jaine, a corporate governance veteran. The General Manager is Dani Windfuhr, overseeing operations. Dr. Annalise Higgins is a Director (leading the Auckland office). Additionally, Quanita Khan serves as an Acting Director, bringing public-sector policy expertise.
17. Staff: Polis is a boutique firm with a network of seasoned consultants and advisors. Notable staff include Roger Dennis and Suzanne Snively as Senior Associates – both well-known in strategy and economics circles. Vicky Robertson (former MfE Chief Executive) has joined as a Senior Associate, lending high-level public sector expertise. Many team members have backgrounds in top consulting firms or government. (The firm’s website lists associates such as Ian Dickson, Matt McKevitt, Terri-Ann Scorer, Ian Morton, Vicky Robertson, Louise Glyde, Te Wai Coulston, among others.)
18. Staff That Have Held Previous Government Roles: Polis’s roster notably includes several “revolving door” figures from government: Hon. David Cunliffe – former Minister of the Crown and Leader of the Opposition (Labour Party) ; Vicky Robertson – former Secretary for the Environment (Chief Executive of MfE) ; Quanita Khan – formerly in leadership at the Auckland Policy Office and MBIE (economic development policy advisor). In addition, co-founder Kieran Brown was a public-sector Fellow at McKinsey and has advised governments abroad. (It’s also worth noting that Greg Presland, while not a staffer, is a long-time Labour Party figure and local government official who had ownership in Polis.)
19. Past Employees: As a young firm, few departures are public. One significant former associate is Greg Presland, who was a part-owner in Polis ; Presland is no longer a shareholder (his stake is listed as historic). Co-founder Kieran Brown’s role evolved – he was initially a director/shareholder, and while he remains affiliated, he stepped back from any formal director role in filings (listed as historic director as of 2021). No other specific past staff have been identified in media or public records.
20. Clients: Polis Consulting Group’s clients span government agencies, local councils, and private-sector companies. Known clients include New Zealand government entities – e.g. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) (which paid Polis ~$567k in FY2021/22 for consulting services), and the NZ Infrastructure Commission (Te Waihanga) (Polis co-developed a major 2021 technology report for Te Waihanga with Beca). State-Owned Enterprises: e.g. MetService – Polis was commissioned to write MetService’s 2023 submission to a government review. Local governments: e.g. Waikato District Council (Polis facilitated the Council’s strategic priorities workshop in April 2023) ; Eastern Bay of Plenty councils (Polis was tasked with refreshing an Eastern BOP economic strategy) ; Northland Inc (Northland’s economic development agency) – Polis conducted a socio-economic impact study on port expansion for Northland Inc in 2022. Iwi and community organizations: e.g. Whakatōhea Mussels Ōpōtiki (hosted Polis for a strategy hui). Private sector clients: Polis mentions advising a “high-end consumer durables retailer” on low-carbon transition and an unnamed “multibillion-dollar global tech firm” on entering the NZ market. They have also worked with clusters of R&D-intensive firms (through Callaghan Innovation programs).
21. Industries/Sectors Represented: Polis’s work spans public policy and economic development, infrastructure and transport, technology and innovation, energy/environment, and corporate strategy across various industries. They have been active in regional economic development (supporting local government and regional growth initiatives), infrastructure planning (e.g. national infrastructure strategy, ports, utilities), weather and climate services (MetService), research & innovation (science/innovation agencies, R&D firms), digital and creative industries, finance and corporate sectors (via strategy consulting for private companies), and primary industries (aquaculture, etc., through regional projects). In their own words, their five practice areas include competitive corporate strategy, economic/industry development, innovation & digital, public policy design, and infrastructure advisory – indicating coverage of multiple sectors from tech and creative industries to heavy infrastructure and government policy.
22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements: Several Polis engagements have entered the public domain via official disclosures or media: For example, the MetService “Project Hau Nuku” submission authored by Polis became public through an OIA release. The Northport expansion impact study Polis did for Northland Inc was published by that agency in 2022. Polis’s facilitation of Waikato District Council’s strategic workshop was noted in council meeting minutes. The firm’s involvement in the Eastern Bay of Plenty economic development refresh (re: Waste-to-energy and data centre proposals) was mentioned in a Kawerau District Mayor’s report. Their co-authorship (with Beca) of the report “Preparing for Technological Change in the Infrastructure Sector” for Te Waihanga is acknowledged in that published report. Additionally, Polis staff have appeared publicly at events – e.g. presenting at an Electra business networking event in Horowhenua (David Cunliffe as guest speaker, noted by the local Mayor), and hosting student case competitions/workshops (University of Auckland Case Club events in 2024). However, much of Polis’s lobbying/advisory work occurs behind closed doors (e.g. private consulting contracts), with details only emerging via Official Information Act disclosures or client reporting.
23. Affiliations: Polis Consulting Group is a member of Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ) – the firm links to EDNZ on its site, indicating involvement in that professional association. Polis also partners with other consultancies on projects (e.g. Beca Ltd on infrastructure research, and unspecified engineering/finance partners on port infrastructure work). The firm shows a sustainability affiliation via CarbonClick (carbon offsetting, linked on their site). Key individuals in Polis have their own affiliations: for instance, Kieran Brown is a Fellow of the Berkeley Research Group Institute (a global think-tank network), and Suzanne Snively was Chair of Transparency International NZ (an anti-corruption NGO) – her presence connects Polis indirectly with NZ’s integrity community. While not an “affiliation” per se, it’s notable that Polis established a tech offshoot Loxias.ai – an AI-driven consumer insights venture fully owned by Polis, with operations in the UK and Ireland. (This indicates international collaboration and diversification in data analytics.)
24. Sponsorships / Collaborations: Polis has engaged in collaborations to raise its profile and recruit talent. In academia, it collaborated with the University of Auckland Case Club, sponsoring or hosting case competition events and workshops for students (Polis partners led a strategy event in 2024). The firm has co-hosted or spoken at industry events – e.g. partnering with Electra Business Network in Levin for a business event (with David Cunliffe as speaker). As noted, Polis worked jointly with Beca on a government-commissioned study, demonstrating collaboration with larger consulting firms. There is no public record of Polis sponsoring political parties or similar, but the firm and its principals do contribute thought leadership via think-tanks and conferences (e.g. David Cunliffe co-authored a policy paper with the Helen Clark Foundation in 2023, per his own commentary). The launch of Loxias.ai represents a collaboration between Polis and international tech experts to build a marketing analytics platform. In summary, Polis’s collaborations tend to be in professional and educational domains rather than traditional corporate sponsorship of, say, sports or arts.
25. Events (Organised or Hosted): Polis has held and participated in various events: In 2021, it helped organize the “Infrastructure 2021: Looking Ahead” symposium in partnership with Te Waihanga (Polis’s Kieran Brown was a speaker). The firm regularly hosts client workshops and public consultations as part of projects – e.g. running public engagement for the 30-year Infrastructure Strategy nationwide. Internally or for recruitment, Polis has organised strategy competitions and networking events – notably, the Polis Strategy Challenge with University of Auckland in 2024. They have also been involved in Economic Development NZ conferences and local government retreats as facilitators (as indicated by council documents where Polis led strategy sessions). While Polis doesn’t advertise large public conferences of its own, its leaders often appear at policy seminars, webinars, and panel discussions. (For example, David Cunliffe has appeared in webinars about strategic policy, some via the Helen Clark Foundation and other forums.)
26. Political Donations: There is no public record of Polis Consulting Group Ltd as a company donating to political parties. Given its principals’ political backgrounds, any contributions likely occur in a personal capacity. For instance, David Cunliffe would have donated to Labour during his political career (and received donations, as an MP), but as a consultant he has not been reported making large political donations.
27. Controversies: Polis Consulting Group has attracted some scrutiny for possible conflicts-of-interest and behind-the-scenes influence. In early 2024, political commentator Bryce Edwards noted that Greg Presland – a prominent Labour figure and part-owner of Polis – was criticizing right-wing “dark money” campaigns while himself co-owning a lobbying/PR firm. This raised eyebrows about transparency, though no wrongdoing was alleged. The firm’s work for MetService came to light only via OIA, sparking discussion on why a state company hired external consultants to lobby for restructuring the weather sector. Some see Polis’s heavy presence of former officials (including a recent top civil servant, Vicky Robertson) as an example of the “revolving door” between government and consultants, a situation that can blur public interest and private gain.
28. Other Information of Note:
The firm’s expansion into data analytics (via Loxias.ai) is a unique angle – Loxias is described as Polis’s “fully owned subsidiary” building AI tools for consumer insights. This suggests Polis harbors tech ambitions beyond traditional consulting. The Cunliffe–Presland connection: Greg Presland was David Cunliffe’s electorate chair in Waitakere and a close ally; their joint involvement in Polis underscores how political networks can translate into business partnerships.
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz