+64 7 839 4771

Jon Calder

Qualifications : MBA, PGDipMS, University of Waikato.

 

Law Firm Leader Badge JPC 2023 JPC Managing Partner of the Year 2022 Website Profile 2021 Most Influential Lawyer JPC2 JPC Website Profile Managing Partner 2021 JPC Website Managing Partner 2020


Jon is an experienced leader with a proven record in leading change, through organisational transformation and process redesign. Jon’s passion lies in designing strategy and building organisation-wide capability to execute and deliver a superior level of performance and profitability. His success has been demonstrated through a track record of growing brands and creating sustainable performance improvement to realise value.

As Chief Executive of Tompkins Wake, Jon leads the firm, combining our 100 years of history with some of New Zealand’s most talented legal practitioners and since 2016, has guided the firm through its growth to become a leading New Zealand law firm, with Tompkins Wake being named New Zealand Mid-size Law Firm of the Year in 2019, 2020 and again in 2021.

In 2018, Jon was named Chief Executive of the Year at the Westpac Waikato Business Awards recognising his leadership and achievement with the Judges commenting that “Jon is courageously confident yet humble, grounded and always looking for ways to improve. He has found his own authentic leadership style.”

2019 saw Jon named Managing Partner (Chief Executive) of the Year (<100 Lawyers) at the New Zealand Law Awards and he won the award again in 2020 becoming the first law firm leader to win the award two years consecutively.

Prior to joining Tompkins Wake, Jon held senior leadership roles with a number of iconic New Zealand organisations including Air New Zealand and Infratil.

An experienced and confident communicator, Jon has a proven ability to engage and connect with stakeholders at all levels including experience in international business and government level forums.

Other Credentials

  • Excellence Awardee (and Finalist), Law Firm Leader of the Year (>100 lawyers), 2023 NZ Law Awards
  • Leading the Law Firm of the Future Program, Harvard Law School, Harvard University, 2022
  • Excellence Awardee (and Finalist), Managing Partner of the Year (<100 lawyers), 2022 NZ Law Awards
  • Most Influential Lawyers List, NZ Lawyer 2021
  • Managing Partner (Chief Executive) of the Year (<100 lawyers), 2020 NZ Law Awards
  • Managing Partner (Chief Executive) of the Year (<100 lawyers), 2019 NZ Law Awards
  • Leadership in Law Firms, Harvard Law School, Harvard University, 2018
  • Chief Executive of the Year, Westpac Waikato Business Awards, 2018
  • Foundation Board member, Agenda Waikato
  • Member and Alumnus, Te Hono Movement
  • Te Hono Bootcamp IV, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford, 2015
  • Member, New Zealand Institute of Directors

 

Jon has been involved in New Zealand Government led Business Delegations including:

Jon has been a keynote speaker and presented in forums including:

  • 2023 LAWFEST, Keynote "Achieving Sustainable Growth"
  • 2022 Future Firms Forum", Opening speaker "Driving Growth: A Non-Lawyers Perspective"
  • 2019 LAWFEST, MC and Panel Speaker, Changing the mould: Lessons from innovative firms
  • 2018 EMA Managers and Team Leaders Conference (Opening speaker)
  • 2015 EURASCO AGM, Rennes, France
  • 2015 NZ Marketing to the Rural Sector Conference
  • 2014 New Zealand - India Business Forum
  • 2013 WINTEC Graduation (Keynote Speaker)
  • 2012 China Modern Agricultural Summit, Yangling, China (https://bit.ly/2JiGICo)
  • 2012 University of Waikato Management School Graduation (Keynote Speaker)
  • 2012 NZ Applied Business Education Conference (Keynote Speaker)
  • 2008 Cargo Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Conference

New chair strengthens Tompkins Wake’s diverse team

The appointment of a new chair at Tompkins Wake is strengthening its already diverse team as the firm positions itself for further growth.(Joeli) Scot...

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Tompkins Wake gifts $250,000 to the Waikato Regional Theatre

Tompkins Wake is gifting $250,000 to support the development of the Waikato Regional Theatre to help boost the region’s economy and create a space whe...

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Tompkins Wake invests in leading governance consultancy

Tompkins Wake has purchased a 50 per cent stake in leading governance advisory Board Dynamics, enabling the duo to enhance their current offering to c...

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New NZ-UK free trade deal good news for exporters

The announcement on 21 October 2021 that New Zealand and the United Kingdom had agreed to an in-principle free trade agreement (FTA) is good news for ...

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Tompkins Wake announces three senior promotions

Tompkins Wake is pleased to announce the promotion of three legal specialists across our Auckland and Hamilton offices. Damandeep Sadhra, Jacinda May ...

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Tompkins Wake new naming rights sponsor for Rotorua Business Awards

Tompkins Wake is thrilled to be the new naming rights sponsor for the Rotorua Business Awards, which celebrate innovation, growth and creativity in th...

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Tompkins Wake forms new regional partnership with The Icehouse

Tompkins Wake are thrilled to announce a regional partnership for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty with The Icehouse, that specialises in business capabi...

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Lowndes team set to join Tompkins Wake

Tompkins Wake will welcome three of the team from Lowndes on 1 September 2020.Lowndes founder Mark Lowndes, Director Kerri Dewe, and Associate Reuben ...

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Tompkins Wake named as an employer of choice

We are delighted to have been named as a top workplace in the NZ Lawyer Employer of Choice 2020 list. The list showcases legal employers from across t...

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Rich, family-like culture the backbone of Tompkins Wake's COVID-19 response

The day New Zealand went into lockdown was the day junior solicitor Josh Nyika had been scheduled to spend working at home. March 25 was meant to have...

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AdviSME launch set to disrupt legal SME industry

One of New Zealand’s largest law firms has launched a technology-driven legal service designed to disrupt the market for small to medium business.Advi...

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Tompkins Wake recognised for its commitment to innovation

Tompkins Wake is one of 15 law firms across the country recognised as being at the forefront of innovation by NZ Lawyer.The publication made the annou...

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