Case Study: Zespri achieves stronger global compliance and a robust speak-up culture with NAVEX's EthicsPoint®

Zespri International Strengthens Compliance Following Challenges

Zespri International, a New Zealand–based kiwifruit exporter with operations across Europe, Asia and the Americas, faced a major compliance crisis after a Chinese importer was found guilty of customs duty evasion. The prosecution of Zespri’s Chinese subsidiary led to fines, legal fees, imprisonment of an employee and intensive investigations, exposing weaknesses in its decentralized operating model, trust-based practices and global oversight.

To address this, Zespri implemented NAVEX Global’s EthicsPoint Incident Management—an anonymous, multilingual hotline and case system—alongside strengthened policies, communications and compliance visits. The program provided early warnings, clarified expectations for partners, prompted the dismissal of noncompliant customers, attracted better partners, and helped reshape Zespri’s culture toward more diligent, ethical global operations.

Zespri

Colin Pretorius

Internal Audit and Compliance Manager