CERVIN LTD HAS BEEN publishing the NZ Principal magazine since the late 1990s. Well known former NZPF President and Editor of the magazine, Geoff Lovegrove, was clear about why NZPF approached Cervin Ltd (then Snedden & Cervin) to publish the Federation’s magazine. He said it was the company’s strong family values, sense of community service and professionalism that attracted him to their door.
Co-founders of the company, Maurice and Anne-Marie Cervin, established their company, with a couple of friends, in 1989. Early projects included creating and publishing print directories for councils. These were free to the public and funded by advertising. By 1991, Maurice recognised that the healthcare sector could benefit from better information and so they began the creation of medical directories to help GPs and specialists access critical referral information.
Supporting the medical profession would become a lifetime mission for the Cervins. They gradually moved to a digitally integrated system which made it possible for doctors to refer patients to specialists electronically and have more recently created the same service for Australian doctors. This expansion is a new direction for Cervin Ltd, which is now led by Anne-Marie and Maurice’s daughter, Carmel.
The NZ Principal magazine has been an outlier for the business for many years and NZPF will always be grateful that, despite not fitting the company’s business model or profile, the Cervin family continued to support us. As their business has expanded, making the medical world a better place, the time has now come to hand over NZ Principal to publishing company Little Island Press – another family company with the same ethical values. Little Island Press will take over publishing NZ Principal in 2026.
As editor, I have had the great privilege of working alongside the Cervin team for the past 15 years, and have witnessed the service ethic and family values Geoff Lovegrove spoke of, first hand. These values permeate the entire workforce and it is impossible not to feel part of the family culture.
As I move into retirement phase myself, I take with me cherished memories of working with the Cervin team, and thank them all for the care and professionalism that they have brought to NZPF’s flagship publication throughout my tenure.