Hon. David J. BUTCHER
Advisory Board Chairman
Global Reform Strategist | Infrastructure and Utility Specialist | Former Cabinet Minister, New Zealand
Hon. David Butcher is a globally respected consultant and former New Zealand Minister of Energy with over 50 years of experience in public policy, enterprise reform, and infrastructure development. A trusted advisor to over 40 countries, he has led transformative reforms across the energy, telecom, and utilities sectors, partnering with the World Bank, ADB, UNDP, and EBRD.
David began his career as a labour economist after earning a BA (Hons) in Economics from the Victoria University of Wellington. His early work shaped wage control and industrial relations policy in New Zealand before he entered Parliament, where he served for over a decade—including as Cabinet Minister for Energy, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Regional Development, and Postmaster General.
As Minister, David spearheaded:
Since the 1990s, David has advised governments on:
Governments worldwide widely recognize him for designing policy and regulatory frameworks that attract investment, improve governance, and expand access to infrastructure. He became a parliamentary expert for the Commonwealth Secretariat, aiding frontier countries with reform. He is a published author and keynote speaker on privatization, economic reform, and regulatory best practices—championing market-driven development and institutional resilience.
David's global impact in his consulting engagements spans organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), UNDP, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Notable achievements include:
Hon. David Butcher is a globally respected consultant and former New Zealand Minister of Energy with over 50 years of experience in public policy, enterprise reform, and infrastructure development. A trusted advisor to over 40 countries, he has led transformative reforms across the energy, telecom, and utilities sectors, partnering with the World Bank, ADB, UNDP, and EBRD.
David began his career as a labour economist after earning a BA (Hons) in Economics from the Victoria University of Wellington. His early work shaped wage control and industrial relations policy in New Zealand before he entered Parliament, where he served for over a decade—including as Cabinet Minister for Energy, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Regional Development, and Postmaster General.
As Minister, David spearheaded:
- Deregulation of the liquid fuels sector.
- Corporatization of electricity.
- Public finance reforms introducing output-based budgeting.
- Restructuring of state-owned enterprises to foster competition.
Since the 1990s, David has advised governments on:
- Energy reform in Myanmar, Mongolia, and Rwanda.
- Telecom liberalization in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
- PPP development and utility modernization in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Governments worldwide widely recognize him for designing policy and regulatory frameworks that attract investment, improve governance, and expand access to infrastructure. He became a parliamentary expert for the Commonwealth Secretariat, aiding frontier countries with reform. He is a published author and keynote speaker on privatization, economic reform, and regulatory best practices—championing market-driven development and institutional resilience.
David's global impact in his consulting engagements spans organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), UNDP, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Notable achievements include:
- Successfully designed corporatization models for Myanmar's state enterprises and drafted foundational laws on hydropower development.
- Spearheading regulatory reforms in Rwanda and Cambodia that led to increased competition and reduced tariffs in telecom sectors.
- Leading the restructuring of Mongolia's coal and electricity sectors to improve efficiency and attract investment.
Dedication
85Knowledge
95Experience
95