Jump to content

Andrew Barnes (businessman)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andrew Barnes
ONZM
Barnes at the 4 Day Week Global
Born
Andrew Howard Barnes

(1960-02-05) 5 February 1960 (age 64)
EducationHutton Grammar School, University of Cambridge
OccupationBusinessman

Andrew Howard Barnes ONZM (born 5 February 1960 near Carlisle and grew up in Preston, England) is a New Zealand-based entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded New Zealand's largest corporate trustee company, Perpetual Guardian,[1][2] and spearheaded the trust company's efforts to create four-day working weeks.[3]

Education

[edit]

Barnes attended Hutton Grammar School prior to going to University of Cambridge where he completed his MA in law and archaeology at Selwyn College in 1981. He is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK) and attended Harvard Business School's Program for Management Development in 1992.[citation needed]

Career

[edit]

Barnes began his financial services career in the United Kingdom before moving to Australia at the age of 27.[4]

He spent 20 years in Australia, floating realestate.com.au on the ASX in 1999[5] and holding senior roles in companies including Macquarie Bank, Citi, Tower, and County Natwest, and was chairman of Australasian Wealth Investments.[6]

A return to the United Kingdom saw Barnes taking on the role of director of Bestinvest.[6]

In 2013, Barnes acquired Perpetual Trust in New Zealand, and a year later he founded Complectus and purchased Guardian Trust, creating Perpetual Guardian.[4] In April 2015, Complectus, with Barnes as managing director, acquired e-will platform My Bucket List and in August added Foundation Corporate Trust to its list of acquisitions.[7]

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic saw New Zealand in lockdown, Barnes pushed for law changes to make digital signatures on wills legal.[8] It has been suggested he could be one of New Zealand's next blue-chip politicians.[9]

The Four-Day Week

[edit]

In February 2018, Barnes announced that Perpetual Guardian would be trialing four day work weeks, with staff receiving an extra day off work, on full pay, each week. Staff were not required to work additional hours on their four working days.[10][11] In late March 2018, Barnes said that the trial was going well with staff reporting more time for family, hobbies, ploughing through to-do lists and home maintenance.[12][13][14] After the end of the trial, 78% of employees stated they were able to successfully manage their work–life balance, compared to 54% in November 2017. Employees' stress levels decreased by 7 percentage points and overall life satisfaction increased by 5 percentage points.

The trial sparked widespread international interest[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] along with commentary from workers unions, other businesses and councillors.[23][24][25][26][27] It also generated interest from the World Economic Forum, which noted the success of the trial.[28][29]

That interest grew even more[30][31][32][33][34] when, in July 2018 at the completion of the trial, Barnes announced that the trial had been a resounding success,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41] with productivity up 20%, staff stress levels down,[42] customer engagement levels up more than 30%, revenue remaining stable and costs decreasing.[43] Staff engagement and work–life balance[44][45] also improved. The trial also sparked interest from the New Zealand Government.[46] Barnes recommended to the Perpetual Guardian board that the four day work week program[47] continue,[48][49] and it has since been rolled out on a permanent basis.[50]

While the trial proved highly successful for most staff, a small number of staff reported feeling more stressed or pressured to complete work in the shorter timeframe.[51] The experience prompted the formation of the 4 Day Week Global Campaign[52] and the appointment of a CEO, Charlotte Lockhart, in September 2019.

The successful completion of the trial saw Barnes appearing extensively in both New Zealand and international media.[53][54][55][56] He hailed the four-day work week as a potential means of helping close the gender pay gap and increasing diversity in the workforce, saying women should stop negotiating on hours and start negotiating on their productivity.[57] That theme was picked up by other media in New Zealand. Barnes also held the model up as a potential blueprint for the workplace of the future,[58] ensuring companies were attractive to millennials[59] and a potential way of easing Auckland's traffic congestion.[60]

The trial and subsequent adoption of the four-day work week proved a topic of interest on social media too, prompting plenty of discussion across Facebook and LinkedIn[61][62][63][64][65][66] and garnering mention in LinkedIn's US Daily Rundown – dubbed 'the professional news you need to know'.[67]

In July 2018 he appeared on the Kiwi big business podcast, High Altitude, hosted by John Peebles, discussing innovation, change management, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, the military, leadership, team engagement and the four day workweek initiative.[68][69]

By mid-2019, the topic of a four-day week was at the forefront of global conversation about the future of work. At the International Labor Conference in Geneva in June 2019, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said it was "very likely the future will see a four-day working week as the basis of the social and labor contract."[70] At the same time, the Bank of England's chief economist predicted that the four-day week would replace the standard five-day week for most workers by around 2050,[71] a view endorsed by a survey of British workers.[72] The flexible work model is being trialed in Australia,[73][74][75][76] the United States,[77] Iceland, Germany and the United Kingdom, and the European Trade Union Institute and the Trades Union Congress are campaigning for a shorter working week across much of the workforce.[78] It remains a prominent topic in New Zealand, where Minister of Finance Grant Robertson told The Productivity Hub, "I want to see New Zealand reach a point where we are able to work 400 fewer hours a year while producing more than we do today."[79]

As worldwide attention grew, Barnes advocated for the positive effects a four-day week could have on the climate.[80]

By the time Barnes' book 'The 4 Day Week: How the flexible work revolution can increase productivity, profitability and well-being, and create a sustainable future' was published in January 2020,[81][82] the initiative had won several global awards.[83]

The four-day week again emerged as a prominent global talking point amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with lockdowns in many countries forcing millions of people to work from home. In a Facebook Live post, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern asked business leaders to look at offering workers a four-day week: "I've heard lots of people suggesting we should have a four-day week, ultimately that really sits between employers and employees... There's lots of things we've learned about COVID and just that flexibility of people working from home – the productivity that can be driven out of that."[84] Her comments spurred a fresh wave of global media coverage[85][86][87][88] of the four-day week as part of a future of work where the trend is moving away from large centralised office hubs in downtown metropolitan areas.

Philanthropy

[edit]

Barnes is an advocate for philanthropy. As the leader of Perpetual Guardian, he established the Perpetual Guardian Foundation,[89] which aims to make donating easy for everyone, enabling donations of as little as $5 to be pooled for causes including feeding the hungry, educating children, supporting the arts and protecting the environment.[90][91]

Under Barnes' leadership, Perpetual Guardian provided sponsorship for a program which sees 3500 children from rural or low decile schools to visit Otago Museum's planetarium each year in an attempt to encourage youngsters to become interested in science and technology.[92]

In February 2018, Perpetual Guardian stepped in as a private sponsor for the Auckland Primary Schools Music Festival, after Barnes heard that the festival was under threat.[93]

Perpetual Guardian also paid for the Giving New Zealand report into charitable giving in New Zealand in 2015,[94] while Barnes himself set up the NZ Bomber Command Fund to preserve the legacy of the Bomber Command in New Zealand.[95]

He worked with MOTAT to preserve the legacy of the Bomber Command unit through a travelling exhibition, followed by a dedicated archive at MOTAT.[96]

Barnes also stepped in to support the Funeral Directors Association of NZ in their bid to lobby for a law change, in order for funeral directors to be able to make final arrangements for deceased persons where there is no will.[97][98]

In April 2017 Barnes began a restoration of the classic yacht, Ariki. Ariki is a racing yacht which was built in Auckland, New Zealand in 1904 by the Logan Brothers. She had a distinguished career as a racing and cruising yacht. From the time of her launch in October 1904, she dominated first class Auckland yacht racing until the appearance of the yacht Ranger in 1938. She has the sail number A3.

In April 2020, when the RSA's annual Poppy Appeal had to be postponed due to COVID-19, Barnes stepped in to create a virtual solution to help raise funds. To kickstart the initiative, Barnes and Perpetual Guardian donated $25,000.[99]

Honours and awards

[edit]
Barnes (right), after his investiture as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the governor-general, Dame Cindy Kiro, at Government House, Auckland, on 26 September 2024

Barnes was a finalist in the 2015 and 2016 New Zealand EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards.[100][101][102]

Barnes also regularly takes part in the Diabetes New Zealand 'Movemeant' Challenge, and won the 2016 annual challenge.[103]

In the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours, Barnes was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and philanthropy.[104]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Face Value: Perpetual Guardian's Andrew Barnes on the perils of false optimism". stuff.co.nz.
  2. ^ "The future of wills is selfie videos, says Perpetual Guardian's Andrew Barnes". stuff.co.nz.
  3. ^ "Kiwi firm Perpetual Guardian to test four-day week with workers on full pay". nzherald.co.nz.
  4. ^ a b "Entrepreneur steps back from daily management of trustee business". stuff.co.nz.
  5. ^ "Success stories chase top spot". nzherald.co.nz.
  6. ^ a b "Executive Profile: Andrew Howard Barnes MA, ACIB". bloomberg.com.
  7. ^ "Complectus continues buying spree with Foundation Corporate Trust". The National Business Review. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  8. ^ Stock, Rob (24 March 2020). "How to make a legally defensible will in coronavirus lockdown". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  9. ^ Venuto, Damien. "Could Perpetual Guardian founder Andrew Barnes be NZ's next blue-chip politician?". NZ Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Kiwi firm Perpetual Guardian to test four-day week with workers on full pay". NZ Herald. 7 February 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Perpetual Guardian to test four-day week". Stuff. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  12. ^ "'Heck it was productive': New Zealand company trials four-day work week .... but will it stick?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Perpetual Guardian's four-day working week trial going well". Stuff. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  14. ^ "Workers embrace four-day week at Perpetual Guardian". NZ Herald. 29 March 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  15. ^ Roy, Eleanor Ainge (9 February 2018). "Work four days, get paid for five: New Zealand company's new shorter week". the Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Новозеландская компания сократит рабочую неделю до 4 дней". Interfax.ru (in Russian). 9 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  17. ^ "A New Zealand company is trying out a four day week". The Independent. 9 February 2018. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Lavorare quattro giorni, ma essere pagati per cinque: il sogno si avvera in Nuova Zelanda". L'Huffington Post (in Italian). 9 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  19. ^ "New Zealand company trials four-day work week". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  20. ^ "We believe efficiency will come with more staff focus". NewsComAu. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Why this company switched to a four-day work week". CNBC. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Four-Day Workweeks Create More Productive Employees, New Study Shows". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  23. ^ thedailypost (15 February 2018). "Opinion: Four-day working week worth a shot". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  24. ^ "More Kiwi companies eyeing four-day working week after Perpetual Guardian announces trial". NZ Herald. 8 February 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Robyn Pearce: Can we really work less yet achieve more?". NZ Herald. 20 February 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  26. ^ "What you need to know about a four-day working week". Stuff. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  27. ^ "NZ business announces 4-day work week for all staff". MYOB Pulse. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  28. ^ "New Zealand firm adopts its four-day working week permanently". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  29. ^ "World Economic Forum on LinkedIn: "An 'unmitigated success'". Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  30. ^ "'Would rather come to work': Four-day working week trial a success, but didn't work for everyone". The Age. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  31. ^ "Company Tests 4-Day Work Week, Employees Return Energised After Long Weekend - WORLD OF BUZZ". www.worldofbuzz.com. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  32. ^ Heute, www.heuta.at. "Neuseeländische Firma führt Vier-Tage-Woche ein". Heute.at. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  33. ^ "Neuseeländisches Unternehmen führt Vier-Tage-Woche ein (neues deutschland)" (in German). Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  34. ^ "Saptamana de munca de patru zile, un succes in Noua Zeelanda". Wall-Street (in Romanian). Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  35. ^ "'We've seen a massive increase in engagement'". NewsComAu. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  36. ^ Yeung, Jessie. "A New Zealand company tried a four-day work week. It was a 'resounding success'". CNNMoney. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  37. ^ Roy, Eleanor Ainge (18 July 2018). "Work less, get more: New Zealand firm's four-day week an 'unmitigated success'". the Guardian. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  38. ^ "Perpetual Guardian founder Andrew Barnes hails four-day week trial". Newshub. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  39. ^ "Four-day week. Yes we can!". Radio New Zealand. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  40. ^ "Working four-day weeks for five days' pay? Research shows it pays off". Stuff. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  41. ^ "Kiwi business hails four-day work week trial". RadioLIVE. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  42. ^ Lea, Brittany De (19 July 2018). "New Zealand company tested four-day work week, results may surprise you". Fox Business. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  43. ^ "Perpetual Guardian founder Andrew Barnes hails four-day week trial". Newshub. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  44. ^ "Perpetual Guardian improves work–life balance using four-day week". www.employeebenefits.co.uk. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  45. ^ "A 4-Day Workweek? A Test Run Shows a Surprising Result". Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  46. ^ "Four-day work week trial 'very interesting' - Workplace Relations Minister Iain Lees-Galloway". Newshub. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  47. ^ "Home". 4 Day Week. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  48. ^ "Four-day working week trial at Perpetual Guardian a success, boss wants to make it permanent". NZ Herald. 21 July 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  49. ^ Herald, Newstalk ZB Staff ; Damien Venuto, NZ. "Four-day working week may become permanent for Kiwi company". Retrieved 29 November 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  50. ^ "Perpetual Guardian makes four-day week permanent". Stuff. October 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  51. ^ "'Would rather come to work': Four-day working week trial a success, but didn't work for everyone". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  52. ^ "4 Day Week Global". 4 Day Week Global. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  53. ^ "Kiwi company trials four-day working week for more 'energised, engaged workforce'". TVNZ. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  54. ^ "Seven Sharp". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  55. ^ "'Would rather come to work': Four-day working week trial a success, but didn't work for everyone". WAtoday. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  56. ^ "Happier at Work podcast; active CEO Podcast #58 Andrew Barnes 4 Day Week". NRGperform. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  57. ^ "Four-day working week trial a bonus for working mums". Stuff. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  58. ^ "[GRTV] Why a four day week is good; Fears about markets". Good Returns. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  59. ^ "Millennials are rejecting the 9-5 workday". Stuff. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  60. ^ "Four-day week could help to ease Auckland's traffic woes". NZ Herald. 18 July 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  61. ^ "Arianna Huffington on LinkedIn: "Yes, you can thrive in a condensed work week."". Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  62. ^ "ABC Australia". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  63. ^ "Fox Business". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  64. ^ "CNN BUSINESS on LinkedIn: "Perpetual Guardian said its employees all reported greater productivity, better work–life balance and lower stress levels from working one less day a week."". Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  65. ^ "Anderson Cooper 360". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  66. ^ "The Telegraph on LinkedIn: "Several UK companies have begun trialing 4-day weeks in a bid to improve their staff's work/life balance and reduce stress. But could it also be the answer to Britain's productivity problem?"". Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  67. ^ "The four-day work week really does work, why people resort to job 'ghosting,' and more top insights". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  68. ^ ""Andrew Barnes, The Man Behind the 4 Day Week Initiative" from High Altitude by Dr John Peebles on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  69. ^ Dr John Peebles (17 July 2018), Full Interview: High Altitude Conversations with Andrew Barnes, the man behind 4 day week initiative, retrieved 24 July 2018
  70. ^ 4-Day Work Week 'Likely in Future,' Russia's Prime Minister Says.,The Moscow Times
  71. ^ on track for four-day working week by 2050, says Bank of England chief economist.[dead link‍],The Telegraph
  72. ^ Brits back a four-day working week claiming they could do the same job, study shows., CNBC
  73. ^ This Australian company introduced a four-day working week and nearly tripled its profits.,Business Insider Australia
  74. ^ This firm adopted a four-day week and nearly tripled its profits.,Australian Financial Review
  75. ^ The Aussie business giving workers a four-day working week.,Yahoo Australia
  76. ^ will work smarter, not longer': Is Ireland ready for a four-day working week?,The Journal Ireland
  77. ^ 'It isn't nirvana': How four founders managed a four-day workweek.,The Washington Post]
  78. ^ WHAT IF... WE WORKED LESS?, New Internationalist
  79. ^ Anna Rawhiti-Connell: Work less and prosper.,Newsroom
  80. ^ Barnes, Andrew (29 January 2020). "I pioneered the four-day week – now it must be used to fight the climate crisis". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  81. ^ Stock, Rob (22 January 2020). "The world can't get enough of New Zealand four-day working week entrepreneu". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  82. ^ "Big Idea for the New Decade: 4 Day Week phenomenon told in new book". Cision PR Newswire. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  83. ^ "Inside Perpetual Guardian's gamechanging campaign to promote the four-day work week". The Drum. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  84. ^ Jacinda Ardern on Facebook Watch, retrieved 2 July 2020
  85. ^ "New Zealand Prime Minister opens door to 4-day working week". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  86. ^ "Jacinda Ardern 'encourages' employers to think about four-day week". Stuff. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  87. ^ Roy, Eleanor Ainge (20 May 2020). "Jacinda Ardern flags four-day working week as way to rebuild New Zealand after Covid-19". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  88. ^ "Jacinda Ardern says a 4-day workweek could help New Zealand's economy recover from the coronavirus downturn". Business Insider Australia. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  89. ^ "Appointment announcement - Perpetual Guardian Philanthropy". The National Business Review. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  90. ^ "Perpetual Guardian Foundation". www.perpetualguardian.co.nz. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  91. ^ "Plan to change the way we give to charity". Stuff. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  92. ^ "Sponsor helps museum reach for the stars". Otago Daily Times Online News. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  93. ^ reporter, Simon Collins Education (28 February 2018). "Sponsor saves iconic Auckland Primary Schools Music Festival". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  94. ^ Perpetual Guardian (1 December 2015), Andrew Barnes on Breakfast TV1, retrieved 2 March 2018
  95. ^ "Philanthropy report ranks Kiwis third most generous in the world". Stuff. December 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  96. ^ "Aerial salute to Les Munro". NZ Herald. 6 August 2015. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  97. ^ "Company offers to help in case of man's body held in Dargaville funeral home for seven months". NZ Herald. 6 February 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  98. ^ Laird, Lindy Laird, Lindy (22 February 2018). "Vigil nearly over for Dargaville man Thomas Brugman, unclaimed and unburied after seven months". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  99. ^ "Kiwi philanthropist creates virtual solution amid postponement of Poppy Appeal during Covid-19". TVNZ One News. TVNZ. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  100. ^ "EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 finalists named". Stuff. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  101. ^ "Wide range of backgrounds in candidates for entrepreneur award". NZ Herald. 22 July 2015. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  102. ^ "Success stories chase top spot". NZ Herald. 6 August 2015. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  103. ^ Perpetual Guardian (3 March 2016), Diabetes New Zealand Fitbit 'Movemeant' Challenge Winner Andrew Barnes Talks Workplace Wellness, retrieved 2 March 2018
  104. ^ "King's Birthday Honours 2024: The full list of all recipients". The New Zealand Herald. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=Andrew_Barnes_(businessman)&oldid=1248344184"