Diane Foreman

Diane Foreman CNZM is one of New Zealand’s most prominent businesswomen and the chief executive of the Emerald Group, a conglomerate with investments spanning healthcare, manufacturing, recruitment and hospitality.

Foreman’s breakthrough came when she played a key role in selling her then-husband’s Hamilton plastics business, Trigon, for million. From that foundation she built the Emerald Group into a diversified empire, acquiring and growing businesses across multiple sectors in New Zealand and internationally.

Her recognition has been sustained and significant. She was named EY New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009, appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to business, named by Forbes as one of the most influential women in Asia in 2014 and in 2024 was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. She published In the Arena, a book on entrepreneurship, in 2015.

Foreman’s profile is noteworthy because she built a diversified business empire as a solo operator in sectors historically dominated by men, earning recognition at both national and international level and demonstrating that New Zealand can produce business leaders of genuine scale and influence outside the technology sector.

Diane features in our look at the NZ women who redefined success on their own terms.

Sources: Wikipedia · NZ Business Hall of Fame · NZ Herald