Kiwi business leaders are criticising DGL boss Simon Henry's comments about Nadia Lim, saying they are "deeply unacceptable".
Henry, the founder and CEO of specialty chemicals company DGL, made the comments during a rich list interview with NBR last month.
During the interview, Henry hit out at the My Food Bag co-founder and celebrity chef, suggesting her looks were to blame for the company's disappointing entry into the public market.
"I can tell you, and you can quote me,” he said. "When you’ve got Nadia Lim, when you’ve got a little bit of Eurasian fluff in the middle of your prospectus with a blouse unbuttoned showing some cleavage, and that's what it takes to sell your scrip, then you know you’re in trouble."
He went on to suggest Lim, a well-respected businesswoman and entrepreneur, was using her "sensuality" to sell the meal delivery service.
"Go back to that prospectus and find that photo. You know you're in trouble. I mean, you know, when you got a TV celebrity showing off her sensuality to hock scrip, then you know you’re in trouble," he told NBR.
Henry's comments have prompted mass outrage with Lim calling them disappointing and saddening and a KiwiSaver provider blacklisting his company.
And it's a view shared by two prominent business leaders Susan Peterson and Abby Foote. Peterson is the chair of Vista Group and an independent director for Xero, Property For Industry, Arvida and Craigs Investment Partners. Foote is chair of Z Energy and an independent director for Freghtways, Sanford and Kathmandu. They told Newshub Henry's comments were concerning and unacceptable.
"Our concern is that any CEO of a listed company using ethnicity, gender or aspects of physical appearance to critique the performance of another listed company is deeply unacceptable," Foote and Peterson told Newshub in a joint statement.
"The power of diversity is well proven as contributing to long term shareholder value. New Zealand has a long way to go on the gender diversity of boards of listed companies.
"We are passionate about ensuring women are not discouraged from putting themselves forward for roles and opportunities due to scrutiny or judgement based on factors which are irrelevant to the role.
"New Zealand deserves much better from people who hold themselves out as leaders - and particularly from someone who has used our public markets to raise capital," they said.
The CEO of Global Women Agnes Naera also took issue with Henry's comments, calling them dismissive, racist and aberrant.
"It's incredibly saddening that this attitude towards women in business exists, let alone in our backyard and is directed towards one of Aotearoa's most successful entrepreneurial wahine," Naera said.
"It's dismissive, racist, misogynist rhetoric like this that acts as toxic sludge to our cause. Whether in the public eye or behind closed doors, these types of comments and attitudes block the veins of growth, understanding and progression in our business community - and put us steps back in the work we are working so hard to leap forward and improve."
Naera said diverse leadership is key to New Zealand's business success and invited Henry to have a korero with Global Women.
"Simon's comments were completely aberrant, but our society will never move forward unless we provide the opportunity and tools for people to expand their perspectives. With this in mind, we would like to extend an invitation to Simon for a korero with Global Women, to support his journey to becoming a more inclusive leader."
It's a sentiment shared by National's deputy leader Nicola Willis who told Newshub Lim is an "extraordinarily successful entrepreneur" who should be celebrated for her achievements.
"The belittling of her on the basis of her looks and clothes is pathetic. What a completely outdated worldview.
"Those sorts of remarks are completely out of step with the attitudes I would expect to see in a modern thriving Kiwi business. I think the remarks say a lot more about the person making them than the person they were targeted at."
Willis, who held several senior roles at Fonterra before becoming an MP, said business leaders have a responsibility to call his comments out.
"As Leaders, we all have a responsibility to call this sort of thing out for what it is: old-fashioned sexism. Good on Nadia for staring it down: that's what real business leadership looks like," she said.
Newshub has contacted Henry multiple times for comment but is yet to hear back.
