Cliff has thirty years of international business experience. Cliff has broad experience in senior management, he specialises in assisting businesses and organisations improve their performance through advanced strategic planning and leadership.

He gained most of this experience in a global setting as Assistant Director for Strategy and Planning with Trade Indemnity in England and with Frank Lyn & Associates in Chicago and London. In this role with Trade Indemnity, Cliff worked closely with the Group Personnel Dept to ensure that Departments, Business Units and staff were aligned to the 5 year group strategy. Here he developed the five year rolling group strategy and was responsible for a strategic and operational planning process that involved over 30 senior managers spread over 5 countries, covering several subsidiary companies.

 

For seven years with Frank Lynn and Associates in Chicago and London, Cliff advised some of the world's largest corporates on optimal market and logistic strategies. As a European country project manager for Spain and Italy, he worked with IBM for a year when they developed and implemented their first entry into the personal computer market in 1985.

Before returning to NZ, Cliff worked as a senior consultant for Siddall & Company where he worked with the HR Business Unit to help align business strategy to people. He conducted seminars aimed for HR Directors in latest practices in Human Resources covering staff assessment, leadership, team-working and design of HR systems.

Since returning to New Zealand in 2000, Cliff Osborne has successfully transferred his strategic, Human Resource and training skills to the New Zealand business environment. From 2000 to mid 2003 with Creative Training Systems (NZ) Ltd he worked with NZ clients to ensure their staff were mobilized to achieve company goals.

In June 2003, Cliff Osborne & Associates was formed to provide a holistic strategic business consultancy able to provide better linkages to staff performance. In 2004 Cliff was appointed a Business in the Community mentor for the Tauranga region.

Cliff's current client work is keeping him very busy, but he enjoys the opportunity to share his experiences with NZIM students at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. Several of his client companies provide speakers on subjects relevant to the courses he teaches. Cliff has taught on the NZIM since 2004.

In 2006, Cliff formed a new joint venture company, Catalyst Business Accelerator, to assist high potential companies to develop their international ambitions. For more information go to www.catalator.com

In 2008 Cliff formed VIGOST Ltd, www.vigost.com a specialist strategic planning company. This company conducts strategic planning workshops for the New Zealand Institute of Management in New Zealand on their advanced Executive Leadership program.

Interests:

Cliff writes professionally for the Bay of Plenty Business Times and has authored over 100 articles on current issues facing NZ organisations of all sizes covering all management functions. Cliff enjoys walking, boating/fishing, soccer administration, swimming, music, and reading.

He is a board member of the NZS Waikato/Bay of Plenty Federation