LawFuel Power Lists 2025
No. 13
Allen’s appointment as Chief Ombudsman (January 2025, taking office March 31) fills Peter Boshier’s activist shoes. His CV is eclectic: commercial litigation at Rudd Watts & Stone, CEO of New Zealand Post, Secretary of Foreign Affairs (MFAT), Chair of NZ Racing Board.
Few lawyers have run a $1 billion state enterprise, negotiated trade deals, or stared down ministers. The MFAT tenure was controversial—staff opposition, the 2014 Malaysian diplomat case requiring apology—but his new role tests whether he can channel that experience into transparency advocacy. Boshier was a relentless OIA enforcer; Allen’s corporate background suggests he might be more conciliatory.
He lands at No. 13 because the Ombudsman’s office wields soft power (no enforcement) but hard influence (public embarrassment). Time will tell if Allen swings the bat.
