About

Online electricity retailer Powershop NZ is one of the nation’s biggest start-up success stories of recent years. Amid a sea of recognition, Monique Green says she is particularly proud of the Deloitte’s Fast 50 award in 2010. ‘Although Powershop has won several awards over the years it was the first large high profile one and felt like fantastic recognition of our hard work’. In over seven years as GC, Green has been integral to the business’s growth from 50 beta to 100,000 customers across two countries. ‘I’ve been here right from the start, so have been able to influence key staff and relationships from the beginning’, she says. ‘Right from the start I have been focused on providing very targeted, quick and constructive advice’. Her pivotal achievements during this time have included helping to launch the Australian platform in 2011 and supporting the growth of innovative global technology. Having joined as one of 10 people, Green has always had an unusually broad remit as GC, and has inevitably remained exceptionally close to the business at all times. ‘Having to be across all areas of the business, all the time’ can be a challenge, she concedes. ‘I’ve had to build a lot of key skills in areas I hadn’t dealt with before – for example, competence in understanding financials, human resources, health and safety, open-source compliance’. While her experience of outside counsel has been extremely positive, Green would like to see firms to go the extra mile when it comes to pre-empting future issues. ‘I think law firms in general provide a fantastic service and they’re happy to tailor their advice to what I need. One thing I think they could do better is think about and discuss with in-house counsel, upcoming legislation that might affect them’, she says. ‘For example, although I’d seen newsletters I was taken by surprise to learn the Anti-Money Laundering Act could apply to my business three months in advance of having to comply, and I know that several other high-profile GCs were similarly caught out’.