IT Professionals New Zealand closing down

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freitasm

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#322865 1-Oct-2025 18:44

From https://itp.nz/closure

IT Professionals New Zealand (ITP) has reached a point where the organisation cannot continue. After a full review of our finances, the Board has confirmed that ITP is insolvent.

These debts are historic. They go back over many years. While some of the issues were worked on in more recent times, the full scale of the problem only became visible during the leadership change in 2025. Once the Board understood the full picture, it was clear that there was no responsible way forward other than liquidation.

The constitution requires members to formally resolve to wind up. A Special General Meeting (SGM) will be held on 23 October 2025 to confirm liquidation and appoint a liquidator. Once appointed, the liquidator will manage assets, creditors, and the final steps of dissolution.

Someone I know mentioned this is reflection on previous administration and the trend of young IT professionals moving away from associations and into other online groups, like Discord.

What are your views?

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#3420384 1-Oct-2025 19:39

I’ve been a contract developer for nigh on 40 years and never heard of it! Possibly part of the problem?

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#3420387 1-Oct-2025 19:48

Been in IT for 20 years and I’ve never heard of them 🤣

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#3420389 1-Oct-2025 19:50

Heard about it through Open Polytechnic as a student. It was pitched as being essential to get employment but I saw no benefit to it and didn’t renew after my first free year.

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#3420393 1-Oct-2025 20:18

The then-NZCS code of ethics was part of my study curriculum at the turn of the century.

Took about another decade before I joined officially, they had criteria for full membership that included years of professional experience... So I took the time to build it.

What is now ITP has run networking events and webinars/meetings for professional development and has provided a good starting point for IT professionals without ready access to any other networking groups.

As with many of these sorts of forums and groups, publicity and advertising are a complex issue to manage... Cost:benefit is a thing to manage. And running big events has costs associated too.

I've been a member for maybe 15 years now, I've gotten some value from it and I'm looking out for more info about how things have gotten into this state. It's the only 'neutral' or 'generic' group of it's type that I can think of, deliberately inclusive, and it has pedigree... Very sorry to see it go.

No signature to see here, move along...

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#3420458 2-Oct-2025 07:57

I agree, definitely had value from my membership over the 12ish years since I joined. Even just a few interesting webinars a year is value for me since my employer paid for at least half of my years of membership. It is sad to know there won't be a professional body anymore, but then again there's probably much more that members (including me) could have done over the years to make investment pay off for them in certain areas. Whatever the case, it sounds like there has been mismanagement over the past few years based on the tenor of the board's comms. It will be interesting to see what comes to light there.

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#3420463 2-Oct-2025 08:09

I've been in IT in NZ for 20+ years and I've never heard of it.

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#3420467 2-Oct-2025 08:26

It used to be called the New Zealand Computer Society (NZCS) and tried to be a professional body like the what's now known as "Engineering New Zealand", with significant entry requirements. I think they hoped that there would be some sort of government registration requirement for IT practitioners, for which they would be ideally placed as the administrative body.

I've still got my Membership Certificate - dated August 1985 😮 - on my office wall, but ceased paying my subscription back in the 1990s when I found there was little benefit for me as someone who lived in the provinces.

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#3420468 2-Oct-2025 08:32

Ah, I've heard of NZCS but had no idea that it had renamed. Never been a member.

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#3420668 2-Oct-2025 13:37

Suggestion in NZ Herald that it is a case of "Go woke, go broke": <paywalled>

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/shock-as-information-technology-professionals-new-zealand-goes-bust-what-its-accounts-reveal-tech-insider/WQZ4YWUKFVB4DGUABFA7XAZTKE/

Commenting after Griffin’s post, tech industry veteran and former Tuanz CEO Ernie Newman said, “A sad announcement. ITPNZ had its heyday in the days when Paul Matthews led it [Matthews was chief executive between 2008 and 2022]. You knew what it stood for – better careers in IT, better standing for the professionals, more government support (custom, not money) for the sector.

“But since then, it felt like it drifted into non-core ‘woke’ issues and neglected its core ground.”

freitasm

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#3420669 2-Oct-2025 13:40

johno1234:

Suggestion in NZ Herald that it is a case of "Go woke, go broke": <paywalled>

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/shock-as-information-technology-professionals-new-zealand-goes-bust-what-its-accounts-reveal-tech-insider/WQZ4YWUKFVB4DGUABFA7XAZTKE/

Commenting after Griffin’s post, tech industry veteran and former Tuanz CEO Ernie Newman said, “A sad announcement. ITPNZ had its heyday in the days when Paul Matthews led it [Matthews was chief executive between 2008 and 2022]. You knew what it stood for – better careers in IT, better standing for the professionals, more government support (custom, not money) for the sector. “But since then, it felt like it drifted into non-core ‘woke’ issues and neglected its core ground.”

That was a comment on Peter's LinkedIn post, not a comment to the NZ Herald.

I think the "woke" argument is wrong anyway.

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#3420685 2-Oct-2025 15:03

I used to enjoy Jim Higgins (past president) slot on National Radio back in the 1980's. He always had something interesting to talk about.

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#3420692 2-Oct-2025 15:54

Further info here: https://itp.nz/closure

Very sad to see. I remember being a part back in NZCS days and with ITP under Paul Matthews' stewardship, but bailed a number of years back after not seeing the value anymore.

Unfortunately while some decisions and direction could arguably not have helped, ITP is not unique in the struggles of member-based organisations nationwide. Anyone can look around even locally and see the likes of local sports groups, social clubs, town & country clubs and the like under increasing pressure and in may cases - closure - from a declining member base and thus financials.

If you value a member-based organisation locally or nationally which is important to you, now's the time to show your support, as I would say most are struggling.

My views are as unique as a unicorn riding a unicycle. They do not reflect the opinions of my employer, my cat, or the sentient coffee machine in the break room.

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#3420693 2-Oct-2025 15:57

When I looked into it a long time ago when I was actually doing IT stuff, it had a stuff aire to it and entry requirements like it was trying to be an old boys club or something, so did not look into it anymore. They did nothing to get their name out there and seemed to completely vanish recently.

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#3420694 2-Oct-2025 15:58

johno1234:

Suggestion in NZ Herald that it is a case of "Go woke, go broke": <paywalled>

The IT sector has always seemed to me to be one of the more "liberal" industries out there and this is a good thing.

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freitasm

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#3420695 2-Oct-2025 16:01

I think that comment shows a person living in another era.

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