Leader of the National Party. Leader of the Opposition. Prime Minister. He has been member of Parliament MP for Botany since Luxon was born in Christchurch and grew up in Howick in East Auckland , before studying commerce at the University of Canterbury.
He worked for Unilever from and held senior roles at Unilever Canada in , joining Air New Zealand as group general manager in and succeeding as CEO the following year. He won the pre-selection for the safe National Party seat of Botany in East Auckland in , and retained the seat for National at the general election despite a landslide defeat for the party nationally. Luxon was often touted as a potential National Party leader during the turbulent time for the party politically in the aftermath of the general election , even before becoming an MP.
He won the leadership unopposed on 30 November , a little more than eight months after he gave his maiden speech , after a party crisis caused the removal of previous leader Judith Collins. Becoming the seventh National Party leader in less than five years, Luxon reorientated the party around the COVID recession and the " cost-of-living crisis ", criticising Labour for its leadership.
With Labour's landslide defeat, he led his party to win 15 seats and a plurality of 48 at the general election , following polls narrowing and then strongly favouring National from the middle of the year onwards.
Despite enjoying a percentage point swing, National returned the second-lowest vote share of any party that has won a plurality under proportional representation. Luxon worked for Unilever from to , starting in Wellington as a management trainee for two years, leaving for Sydney in He worked his way up in Unilever, working in Sydney until , in London from to , and then Chicago from to , becoming "Global Deodorants and Grooming Category" Director.
