Rise and Rise of Simon Power
Simon Power, LawFuel’s Lawyer of the Year in 2011, has carved out a diverse career path that spans law, politics, and finance. Resigning from Parliament in 2011 where he served as Minister of Justice, his career has to date involved his role as acting CEO of Westpac, CEO of TVNZ for sixteen months and CEO of Fisher Funds Management from 2023.
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His career trajectory from his Palmerston North law firm (Fitzherbert Rowe), to parliament, business, and academia has shown a unique ability to use both personal and business skills to build a remarkably diverse career.
Described as an “outstanding minister” by Prime Minister John Key, Power implemented an array of justice reforms including passing the Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill to modernize and streamline the justice system, xxpanding victims’ rights through the Victims of Crime Reform Bill, implementing new measures to combat family violence, including police safety orders which together with other changes were regarded as some of the most significant law reforms in the past 50 years.
There were ample additional changes the hyper-reforming Minister implemented also, including his working to modernize the criminal procedures and attempting to put “the right to a timely trial back at the heart of the criminal justice system” using audio-visual links (AVL) to update New Zealand’s criminal justice processes.
Apart from serving as Minister of Justice, he also served as Minister of Commerce, State Owned Enterprises and Associate Minister of Finance between 2008 and 2011 when he resigned from parliament at the age of 41.
His time in parliament was marked by a strong belief in small government and market economies, principles that guided his approach to governance.
Since leaving Parliament, the ‘Power lawyer’ has gone on to matters financial with major roles in Westpac as acting CEO and more recently his role at Fisher Funds, one of the country’s largest fund managers.
He is currently pursuing a PhD in political science, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to understanding and analyzing political systems.
A recent NZ Herald article indicated his “most indulgent spending moment” driven by his passion for politics and history which saw him make a research trip to various US Presidential libraries, illustrating his intellectual curiosity and ongoing fascination for political history.
Power’s upbringing in Palmerston North instilled in him the values of hard work and financial prudence. These principles continue to guide his approach to both personal finance and business leadership.
Simon Power’s career trajectory from lawyer to politician to corporate leader illustrates the versatility of legal training with a legal background that provided him with skills and knowledge that shaped his approach to policymaking, legislative work, and his overall career trajectory in politics, public organisations and business.
