Alex Penk
About Alex Penk
CEO
Alex leads the work and mission of Maxim Institute, representing our work in public, and speaking and writing about public leadership - a topic he studied during his time as a Visiting Fellow at the McDonald Centre at Oxford University in Trinity Term 2016. His previous study includes a Master of Laws from Cambridge University and degrees in law and science from the University of Auckland.
Most Recent Activity
Countering our fear of dying
By Alex Penk
Last week, I was struck by the fear of dying. Not my own, mind you. I was chairing a panel…
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Think Big 2.0: The Provincial Growth Fund risks turning into a fiasco
By Alex Penk
This article was written by Alex Penk and Julian Wood, and first published on The Spinoff on 26 February, on…
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Media coverage of the launch of “A Risk Worth Taking” Policy Paper
By Alex Penk
On the morning of the release of our analysis of the Provincial Growth Fund, our report was featured on the…
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Dom Post and The Press feature Alex on Jordan Peterson
By Alex Penk
As conversation increased around noted academic Professor Jordan Peterson’s visit to New Zealand, Alex Penk’s op-ed was printed in The…
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Alex Penk responds to Maryan Street’s op-ed in Stuff newspapers
By Alex Penk
In response to Maryan Street’s op-ed that predicted the End of Life Choice Bill would pass this year, CEO Alex…
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Financial responsibility goes beyond mere “Rules”
By Alex Penk
Sometimes the most important ideas are the ones that aren’t being discussed. This came to mind with the release of…
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Alex on NZ Herald panel discussing the Living Wage
Alex Penk joined the NZ Herald Kiwi Workplace Lunchtime live streamed panel discussion on the Living Wage. You can watch…
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The little things that can change us
By Alex Penk
Last weekend, my daughter was shrieking in my ear with a mixture of delight and fear as we skimmed across…
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Two-and-a-half cheers for child poverty bill
By Alex Penk
I was born at the tail-end of Gen X, so I grew up with a pop culture saturated by “fear…
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Miscarriage Bill should be welcomed – Alex in The Spinoff
By Alex Penk
“A bill to provide bereavement leave for miscarriages will soon face its first vote in parliament. It’s a subject that’s…
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The collision of research and real life
By Alex Penk
I’ve never been to Maraenui, but I’ve now had a pretty eye-opening introduction to the Napier suburb. The devastation caused…
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Don’t leave law to the lawyers
By Alex Penk
One day, a man called John Entick was at home when in walked Nathan Carrington and three other government agents….
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TOP goes for a walk
By Alex Penk
Gareth Morgan has a point. I know this may be an unpopular view, but hear me out. Last week Morgan…
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End of Life Choice Bill contains flaws that are impossible to fix
By Alex Penk
This column was published in Fairfax newspapers on Wednesday 20 June 2018 and on stuff.co.nz Parliament has started hearing submissions…
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When AI goes wrong
By Alex Penk
You may have heard that the robots are coming to take our jobs, thanks to artificial intelligence. But a…
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“Stay woke”
By Alex Penk
In a recent video, Barack Obama warned voters about “fake news,” telling us “to be more vigilant with what we…
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Taking the Right Risks for the regions – Newsroom column
By Alex Penk
At the launch of our Taking the Right Risks policy paper, Alex Penk and Julian Wood co-authored a column for…
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Time to take a risk for the regions – Newsroom column
By Alex Penk
To lay out an explanation for the recommendations in our Taking the Right Risks policy paper on regional development, Alex Penk…
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Alex Penk talks with Mike Hosking – Regional development policy paper
Upon the release of our regional development paper, Taking the Right Risks, Alex Penk was interviewed by Mike Hosking on…
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Alex Penk on The Project – Newshub
By Alex Penk
In response to the Government’s minimum wage rise, The Project featured an interview with Alex Penk as part of a…
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