Anne Callinan

Callinan, formerly Simpson Grierson’s veteran litigator, now leads the Commerce Commission during its most transformative period in two decades. Recent enforcement includes criminal prosecution against One NZ (satellite communications claims), Kiwibank (Fair Trading breaches), TSB (unreasonable fees).

The Commission’s expanded powers under Commerce Act reforms—merger call-ins, predatory pricing tests, stronger injunctions—position Callinan at the center of competition policy evolution. Her role involves balancing enforcement with regulatory certainty, ensuring tools are “targeted and proportionate” (as Bell Gully’s analyses emphasize).

Leveling the playing field in telecommunications, groceries, banking means taking on well-resourced defendants with sophisticated legal teams. Callinan’s influence is regulatory and systemic: she’s shaping market dynamics, not just adjudicating disputes.