Winners - 2010 World Class New Zealand Awards

Supreme: Professor Richard Faull
Friend of New Zealand: Julian Robertson
Information & Communications: Ian McCrae
Creative: Mark D'Arcy
Life Sciences: Dr Jilly Evans
Manufacturing, Design & Innovation: Bill Gallagher
Science, Technology & Academia: Professor Ian Witten
Investment & Business: Sir Ron Carter
New Thinking: Dr Kerry Spackman

Supreme: Professor Richard Faull
Neuroscientist Professor Richard Faull is recognised internationally as a leading expert on neurodegenerative diseases of the human brain. His research spans 35 years and encompasses all major regions of the brain and spinal cord, the science of the diseased human brain in Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as epilepsy and schizophrenia. Professor Faull is based at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at The University of Auckland, where he founded the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand Human Brain Bank – an internationally-recognised resource providing tissue for leading research programmes on Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s. In 2007 Professor Faull was awarded New Zealand’s highest scientific award, the Rutherford Medal, by the Royal Society of New Zealand for exceptional contributions to science. [Sponsored by Industrial Research Ltd]

Friend of New Zealand: Julian Robertson
Leading New York investor Julian Robertson enjoys several business pursuits in New Zealand including two world-class golf resorts, Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers, and the Dry River and Te Awa wineries. Julian actively promotes the many economic and cultural dimensions of New Zealand among his international business and personal networks. He is a staunch supporter of the New Zealand wine industry and is determined to increase the profile of our exports in the US market. In 2009, Julian and his wife, Josie, gifted 15 major artworks to the Auckland Art Gallery. The works include significant paintings by Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin and Piet Mondrian dating from the late 19th to mid 20th century. Valued at between $200 and $250 million, this is the most significant collection gifted to any New Zealand public gallery. [Sponsored by Westpac New Zealand Ltd]

Information & Communications: Ian McCrae
Ian McCrae is Founder and Chief Executive of Orion Health, an exporter of health integration software that provides the healthcare sector with clever IT solutions to improve patient care in hospitals. The company operates across four continents, employs 320 people and has more than 1000 customers worldwide including hospitals, veterinary clinics and universities. Its flagship software products include healthcare records portal Concerto, records integration system Rhapsody and a messaging and mapping tool, Symphonia. Ninety per cent of sales revenue is from deals outside New Zealand, making Orion Health the largest New Zealand-owned software exporter. Last year, the company ranked 63rd in the top 100 healthcare IT companies in the US. [Sponsored by MetService]

Creative: Mark D'Arcy
As President & Chief Creative Officer, Time Warner Global Media Group and Senior Vice President, Time Warner, Mark D’Arcy partners with industry-leading advertisers to create ideas that leverage the assets of Time Warner. Prior to joining the Global Media Group, Mark worked for more than 15 years as a writer and creative director in a number of advertising agencies worldwide, working for many top brands including: Sony, Virgin Atlantic, Nissan, Qantas, M&Ms, Revlon, American Express and General Motors. He has won numerous creative awards and accolades for his work in the US and internationally, with two of his commercials being named in Ad Week’s Top 50 commercials of the year in 2001 and 2002. He is Vice president of the US branch of Friends of AUT University, a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Science and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of the City of New York. [Sponsored by Wellington City Council]

Life Sciences: Dr Jilly Evans
Dr Jilly Evans is Co-founder, Vice-president and lead biologist of US-based biopharmaceutical company, Amira Pharmaceuticals. With more than 30 years' experience conducting biochemistry research, Jilly is a world authority in the eicosanoid field (molecules that control inflammation and immunity) with her research resulting in more than 100 published papers. Since its establishment in 2005, Amira has rapidly developed small molecule compounds for clinical assessment in inflammatory diseases. Previously, Jilly played key roles in the teams that developed the anti-asthmatic drug Singulair and arthritis drug, Vioxx. When not working, Jilly champions other causes including the promotion of women in science-based careers, alleviating childhood poverty and lending her expertise to help New Zealand find a good working model and niche for commercialising biotechnology research. [Sponsored by Ernst & Young]

Manufacturing, Design & Innovation: Bill Gallagher
Renowned as one of New Zealand’s most astute businessmen, Bill Gallagher is Chair and Chief Executive of Gallagher Group, the highly successful Hamilton-based exporter of animal management, fencing and security systems. Under Bill's leadership, the company has grown into one of the largest and most successful private companies in the Waikato, employing 650 people in New Zealand, another 400 overseas and annual sales of US$160 million. Bill has made significant contributions to many charitable and sporting organisations through the Gallagher Group Trust. He regularly visits customers in some of the 130 countries the company sells products to, holding seminars, training sessions and field days. In 2008 Bill received an honorary doctorate from University of Waikato. [Sponsored by Glidepath Group].

Science, Technology & Academia: Professor Ian Witten
Professor Ian Witten's work at the University of Waikato has established New Zealand as an international leader in the provision of digital library software. As head of the University’s New Zealand Digital Library Research Group, Ian oversaw development of Greenstone Digital Library software, now used by the BBC, New York Botanical Gardens and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Greenstone provides ways to organise information and make it available over the internet or on CD with each CD holding about 340kg of books. Now adopted in more than 60 countries, Greenstone has been used to collate information for disaster relief operations in Latin America, for combating AIDS in Africa and for development work in French sub-Saharan Africa. [Sponsored by the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology]

Investment & Business: Sir Ron Carter
Company Director Sir Ron Carter is the former Chair and Managing Director of Beca Group engineering consultants, the company behind some of New Zealand's most significant infrastructure projects including the: Tasman Pulp and Paper Mill, Motonui Gas Plant, Comalco aluminium smelter, Mangere sewage treatment plant and simulator design for the Anzac frigate project. Under Sir Ron's leadership, Beca Group established offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Australia and when he stepped down as Chair in 2000, had 1250 staff with building projects completed in 83 countries. He continues to be involved with the company as a strategic advisor. As a professional company director, Sir Ron is currently on the boards of Trustpower, Rugby World Cup 2011 and Rural Equities. He was knighted in 1998 for services to engineering and business. [Sponsored by BDO]
 
New Thinking: Dr Kerry Spackman
Neuroscientist Dr Kerry Spackman has become a world leader in the field of sports coaching, where the difference between winning and losing is often attitude and mental skills. Success working with Formula One drivers, elite athletes and business people has seen demand for his services grow worldwide and Kerry's successful tools and techniques are now recorded in his book The Winner’s Bible. William Morris Enterprises has signed Kerry to promote him and turn The Winner’s Bible into a global brand, planning a television series to screen in the USA and UK based around the ideas in the book. The New Zealand Government agency SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) has contracted Kerry to develop programmes to give New Zealand Olympic athletes a competitive advantage for the London 2012 Olympic Games. He also works with the All Blacks, Silver Ferns and Black Caps. [Sponsored by Gen-i]