Dr James Morrison - Managing Director PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Auckland University)

Dr James Morrison commenced his professional career in the Strategy Practice of Accenture, the world's largest management consultancy, after completing a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering. At Accenture, James built a strong track record in consulting to clients at a high level across a broad spectrum of local and international businesses, before returning to New Zealand in 2002 to take up a role as strategy manager for the newly created Fonterra Cooperative Group. James subsequently took on the role of managing price optimisation for the dairy ingredients business, an area critical to Fonterra's overall strategy. After leaving Fonterra in 2004 to resume his consulting career with an Auckland-based firm, James ventured out to create James Morrison Consulting in 2005.

James currently provides advice to a broad range of clients, including agri-business, telecommunications, utilities, retail business, sports management and technical services. He also currently works with a number of co-operative organisations. James specialises in problem solving and developing strategies for businesses, to assist them in achieving peak performance. He applies structured problem-solving skills to client situations, and draws on particular analytical skills in technical areas such as price optimisation analysis, scenario planning using systems thinking, and customer value modeling.

On a professional level, James is a regular presenter at New Zealand Cooperatives Association seminars, and also a member of both IPENZ and the Professional Pricing Society. He is also a member of the advisory board for the School of Mechanical Engineering at Auckland University, and presents a short course in Price and Revenue Management through the Auckland University Business School.

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Provided a significant New Zealand company with revenue opportunities exceeding $30 million p.a., or over 10% of current turnover, through price and revenue optimisation. This work also identified opportunities beyond the original brief including restructuring specific areas of the product portfolio to better match the requirements of the market.
• Conducted a performance review of a co-operative business, then worked with the board on addressing specific performance issues and developing the optimal capital structure for the future business.
• Established measurement of telephone sales "Return on Investment" across a 120 seat call centre, identifying and demonstrating the successful programs for investment; then designed new performance measures.
• Reviewed the manufacturing product mix and sales performance of a dairy co-operative, highlighting the trends and demonstrating the opportunity for a preferred mix to produce better marginal financial yields, with specific implications for plant utilisation and production constraints.
• Established the ANZ Championship as a joint venture between Netball New Zealand and Netball Australia, significantly restructuring their respective domestic seasons, gaining the commitment of all the regional- and state-based organisations, and securing a new underwriting contract from a major broadcaster.
• Managed and wrote the "Accenture Report" for the SANZAR rugby unions in 2001, providing a vision for the future of the game and options for renegotiation of the sports major broadcasting contract.
• Facilitated development of the Strategy for New Zealand Dairy Farming, a strategic document endorsed by all the industry stakeholders, and guiding investment and on-farm activity to take New Zealand forward to 2020.
• Developed a series of pragmatic service level agreements, with successful mediation between parties, for various Australian utility company infrastructure owners and service companies.
• Created rigorous scenarios based on systems thinking for the New Zealand gas and electricity markets, with a projected price for the client's energy investments that was 30-40% lower than expectations - and was proved correct in the subsequent 6 years.

CONTACT

PHONE: +64 274 343244
EMAIL: james@morrisonconsulting.co.nz