New Zealand’s oldest membership association for technology professionals will abruptly shut down after reaching a “point where the organisation cannot continue”.

In a statement posted online this week, IT Professionals New Zealand (ITPNZ) said that due to ongoing debts it was no longer in a financial situation to continue operating and would formally enter liquidation at a Special General Meeting in late October.

“After a full review of our finances, the Board has confirmed that ITP is insolvent,” the statement said.

“These debts are historic. They go back over many years. While some of the issues were worked on in more recent times, the full scale of the problem only became visible during the leadership change in 2025.

“Once the Board understood the full picture, it was clear that there was no responsible way forward other than liquidation.”

British transfer

ITP NZ will confirm the liquidation at the meeting and a liquidator will be appointed, who will then manage the organisation’s assets, creditors and the final steps of dissolution.

The organisation won’t be running any programs or activities until then, and memberships will come to an end once it is properly dissolved.

ITPNZ has offered a free membership transfer for its members to the United Kingdom equivalent, the British Computer Society (BCS).

“The closure of ITP does not change the importance of our values,” the organisation’s statement said.

“Professionalism, inclusivity and alignment with Te Tiriti [Treaty] remain essential to the future of tech in Aotearoa. These values will outlast any one organisation.

“The Board are in the process of meeting with likeminded organisations to understand if we can find a new home for the membership.”

A sad day for tech

New Zealand-based tech writer Peter Griffin posted on LinkedIn about the closure of the professional body.

“A sad day for the tech industry, at a time when the IT workforce is facing unprecedented change and AI is shaking up skills requirements,” Griffin said.

“It’s a very tough time to be running a membership organisation.”

ITP NZ Fellow and past national president Mike Harte also posted on LinkedIn, saying he was “gutted” about the news.

“I am trying to process the news and what this means for our members, CITPs [Certified International Trade Professionals] and Fellows,” Harte said.

The organisation was first established in 1960 as the New Zealand Data Processing and Computer Society Inc and was renamed to the New Zealand Computer Society later that decade.

It was renamed as IT Professionals New Zealand in 2021.

The organisation aimed to be the "guiding light for NZ’s digital technology professionals, helping them excel at every stage of their careers by providing the resources, connections and advocacy they need to succeed”.

It has approximately 10,000 members, including individuals and New Zealand-based tech firms.

The organisation ran presentations, events and courses for tech workers in New Zealand, along with projects in school outreach and tertiary accreditation, mentoring, and certification.

Last month, ITPNZ CEO Victoria MacLennan stepped down from the role after three-and-a-half years in the position.