NZEBC Economic Breakfast - NZ Economic Briefing with Jarrod Kerr

On 23 October 2025, the New Zealand Europe Business Council (NZEBC) hosted a sold-out Economic Breakfast at Europe House in Auckland, bringing together members of the European and New Zealand business community for an engaging discussion on the outlook for the New Zealand economy.

The event featured Jarrod Kerr, Chief Economist at Kiwibank, as keynote speaker. Introduced by Frank Olsson (NZEBC), Jarrod delivered an insightful presentation on the current economic landscape, covering key themes such as inflation, interest rates, and global economic trends shaping the New Zealand economy.

Following the keynote presentation, EU Ambassadors accredited to New Zealand shared brief perspectives ahead of the EU–NZ Business Summit 2025, highlighting the importance of the growing economic relationship between New Zealand and Europe. Among those contributing insights were H.E. Ard van der Vorst, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and H.E. Arto Haapea, Ambassador of Finland, who both reflected on opportunities for closer cooperation and the role of European businesses in New Zealand’s economic future.

The morning began with networking over a continental breakfast before NZEBC President Peter Kiely welcomed attendees and opened the event. The programme concluded with an engaging Q&A session led by NZEBC, followed by closing remarks and thanks from NZEBC Vice President Martijn Bakker.

With more than 60 participants and registrations exceeding available places, the breakfast demonstrated the strong interest within the business community for timely economic insights and discussion. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting both the quality of the presentation and the opportunity to connect with peers across the European–New Zealand business network. Austrian Trade Commissioner Ulrike Straka, Slovakia Trade Commissioner Dana Krsakova, Danish Trade Commissioner Ulrik Dahl all Sydney-based added to the discussion.

The breakfast formed part of a wider series of meetings and events leading up to the EU–NZ Business Summit 2025, reinforcing NZEBC’s role as a platform for dialogue and collaboration between European and New Zealand businesses.

Roger Partridge, Chair of the NZ Initiative and Executive Director Oliver Hartwich reported on their July visit to the Netherlands.

NZEBC extends its thanks to Jarrod Kerr, the participating ambassadors, and all members and guests who contributed to making the event such a success.