Draft:Warrick Cleine

Warrick Cleine was born on New Zealand's West Coast and grew up on a dairy farm while attending Buller High School in Westport. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Canterbury in 1992.{{Cite news |last=Alcock |first=Selene |date=24 July 2024 |title=Being In The Room |url=https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/vn/pdf/publication/2024/07/being-in-the-room.pdf}}

Cleine began his business career in public accounting in New Zealand before relocating to Southeast Asia.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kgBYti9uwgkC&dq=warrick+cleine&pg=PA38 |title=Vietnam Economic Times |date=March 2010 |year=2010 |pages=38–39|publisher=Vietnam Economic Times }}

Cleine led a Management Buy-out of KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2013.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0ZtqERtZc8 |title=Warrick Cleine Chairman and CEO of KPMG, Vietnam and Cambodia {{!}} Vietnam Innovators S2 EP1 |date=2021-08-23 |last=Vietcetera |access-date=2025-03-31 |via=YouTube}} He serves on KPMG's Global Council and Asia Pacific Board and chairs the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and the British Corporate Advocacy Council.{{Cite web |title=Warrick Cleine |url=https://www.asianz.org.nz/our-people/warrick-clein |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Asia New Zealand Foundation |language=en}}

Cleine is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University Vietnam in the School of Business{{Cite web |title=Warrick Cleine |url=https://www.rmit.edu.vn/profiles/c/warrick-cleine |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=www.rmit.edu.vn |language=en}} and a Visiting Professor of Practice at British University Vietnam (BUV),{{Cite web |date=2025-01-10 |title=Warrick Cleine MBE - KPMG Vietnam |url=https://kpmg.com/vn/en/home/contacts/c/warrick-cleine.html |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=KPMG |language=en-VN}} focusing on strategy, trade and geopolitics. He advises the Asia New Zealand Foundation on Asia-Pacific relations.{{Cite web |title=Warrick Cleine |url=https://www.asianz.org.nz/our-people/warrick-clein |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Asia New Zealand Foundation |language=en}}

Cleine is a member of the New Zealand Labour Party and a financial supporter, consistently listed among the top donors in 2020https://elections.nz/assets/Party-donations-and-loans/2021-returns/Labour-Party-Annual-Return-2020.pdf and 2023https://elections.nz/assets/Annual-Returns/2023/Labour-Party-Annual-Return-2023.pdf and a substantial donor to the West Coast Tasman electorate.{{Cite web |last=Milne |first=Jonathan |date=2024-02-22 |title=Big coal company bought West Coast election campaign |url=https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/23/big-coal-company-bought-west-coast-election-campaign/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Newsroom |language=en-US}}

In May 2023, ahead of the general election on 14 October 2023, Cleine was reported to be in discussions with Labour leadership as a potential candidate. Following Jacinda Ardern's resignation as Prime Minister in January 2023 and Labour's declining polls, the party sought experienced figures for its list. Cleine was considered for a list-only position due to his business and policy expertise, rather than contesting West Coast-Tasman, held by Labour MP Damien O'Connor.{{Cite web |last=Moir |first=Jo |date=2023-05-09 |title=Labour looks for heavy hitters ahead of list rankings |url=https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/05/09/labour-looks-for-heavy-hitters-ahead-of-list-rankings/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Newsroom |language=en-US}} Despite prior interest in 2020, he did not stand in 2023, with no official reason provided. Labour lost to the National Party, securing 34 seats to National's 48, ending six years in government.{{Cite news |last=Corlett |first=Eva |date=2023-10-14 |title=New Zealand abandons Labour and shifts to the right as country votes for wholesale change |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/14/new-zealand-election-2023-results-national-party-labour- |access-date=2025-03-31 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}

Post-election, Cleine published an essay based on an episide of US sitcom Seinfeld ("Seinfeld's Lessons for NZ Labour,") advising Chris Hipkins on policy renewal, advocating for adoption of Vietnamese style "Bamboo Diplomacy" based foreign policy for New Zealand, and economic policies based on Mariana Mazzucato's "mission economy" and Thomas Piketty's work on inequality, for tax system alignment between New Zealand and Australia, along with evidence-based populism such as marijuana decriminalisation, advocated by the Helen Clark Foundation.{{Cite web |last=Cleine |first=Warrick |date=2024-09-23 |title=Seinfeld's lessons for NZ Labour |url=https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/09/24/seinfelds-lessons-for-nz-labour/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Newsroom |language=en-US}} In 2022, in his Christchurch Press article titled "How New Zealand can make sense of China's Pacific foray".{{Cite web |title=Stuff |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/300604603/how-new-zealand-can-make-sense-of-chinas-pacific-foray |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}} Cleine advocated a measured response to China's influence, expanding trade and investment ties while strengthening institutional and defence capabilities in New Zealand and the Pacific.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-09 |title=Bryce Edwards: The problem of "blindly following" the US against China |url=https://democracyproject.nz/2022/06/09/bryce-edwards-the-problem-of-blindly-following-the-us-against-china/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Democracy Project |language=en-NZ}} Cleine supported the UK's 2023 CP-TPP entry for its trade and security benefits, and in supporting further expansion of formal trade relationships, he noted a 44% increase in New Zealand-Vietnam trade over five years following Vietnam's entry into the CP-TPP.{{Cite web |last=Rennie |first=Richard |date=2025-02-25 |title=Booming Vietnam a land of opportunity for NZ producers |url=https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/politics/booming-vietnam-a-land-of-opportunity-for-nz-producers/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=www.farmersweekly.co.nz |language=en-US}}

In 2021, Cleine co-founded the Vietnam Corporate Pride Network (VCPN) to promote LGBTI workplace inclusion.{{Cite web |last=VIR |first=Vietnam Investment Review- |date=2021-01-18 |title=Vietnam Corporate Pride Network officially launched |url=https://vir.com.vn/vietnam-corporate-pride-network-officially-launched-82140.html |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Vietnam Investment Review - VIR |language=en}}

Cleine was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours, announced on 30 December 2024 by King Charles III, for "services to British trade and investment in Vietnam."{{Cite web |title=Warrick CLEINE {{!}} Order of the British Empire {{!}} The Gazette |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4783667 |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=www.thegazette.co.uk}} The award recognised his role in strengthening UK-Vietnam economic ties. Cleine stated the honour reflected his commitment to international trade relationships and the professional services sector, as reported by Vietnam Investment Review.{{Cite web |last=VIR |first=Vietnam Investment Review- |date=2024-12-31 |title=Warrick Cleine MBE: an honour for services to British trade and investment in Vietnam |url=https://vir.com.vn/warrick-cleine-mbe-an-honour-for-services-to-british-trade-and-investment-in-vietnam-120593.html |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Vietnam Investment Review - VIR |language=en}}

Cleine resides in Ho Chi Minh City. His brother, Jamie Cleine, is the Mayor of Buller District.

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