World Class NZ Awards

Born in Wellington and raised in humble Pukerua Bay, Sir Peter is undeniably one of New Zealand’s most recognisable exports. He has helped to firmly establish New Zealand on the map, not only as a bucket-list destination for tourists, but also for filmmakers from around the globe.

Sir Peter’s love and fascination for filmmaking started early. He was just eight years old when he picked up his first Super 8 cine-camera, and began making short films with friends - his inspiration drawn from his favourite fantasy productions. 

Sir Peter's focus on gory horror comedy such as Bad Taste (1987) and Braindead (1992) shifted with the project Heavenly Creatures (1994) which received considerable critical acclaim, nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Leading to Sir Peter winning the rights to bring J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to life on the big screen - with a last-minute deal for a trilogy. Widely considered to be one of the biggest and most ambitious projects ever undertaken in Hollywood, at first, all predictions pointed to horrendous box office losses. However, they were wrong - and the films went on to achieve mammoth critical and commercial success. Peter Jackson became a household name, garnering 800 nominations and 475 wins, including Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Saturn Awards.

Other Sir Peter works include King Kong (2005), The Lovely Bones (2009), District 9 (2009), The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) and the Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014). 

In 2002, Sir Peter was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film, and in 2010, promoted to King Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. In 2012, Sir Peter was honoured with New Zealand's highest civilian honour, being inducted as a Member of the Order of New Zealand.

From her beginnings in Portsmouth, England Lady Pippa Blake has dedicated most of her life to becoming an outstanding global ambassador and friend to New Zealand, via her work with the Sir Peter Blake Trust.

An artist by trade, in 1979, Lady Pippa married Sir Peter Blake and moved to New Zealand,  stepping into a role with Ceramco NZ, the organisation which sponsored many of Sir Peter’s yachting victories. 

Following Sir Peter’s death, in 2004 Lady Pippa established the Sir Peter Black Trust - a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to continuing her late husband’s legacy, and inspiring the next generation of Kiwi leaders, adventurers and environmentalists. Its stated mission is to help Kiwis make a positive difference for the planet, offering activities that encourage environmental awareness and action, and leadership development. Lady Pippa has actively overseen the growth and development of the Trust for 13 years.

Ian Wright has never been a victim of the ‘tall poppy syndrome.’ He pursued a degree in electrical engineering, and before he’d even graduated, was snapped up by US company and made a home for himself in Silicon Valley. He became Senior Director EngNet then a Director at Cisco Systems before taking up the role of CTO at Altamar Networks. 

Ian capitalized on his knowledge of cars, helping to found the high-performance electric car company, Tesla Motors - becoming its first employee, and Vice President of Vehicle Development. He broke away in 2004 and created the fastest street legal electric car in the world. 

Since then, Ian founded Wrightspeed Inc to create the world’s most efficient range-extended electric vehicle powertrains, as part of his quest to solve Equivalent Variation (EV) economics. 

Over the past two decades, Ian has emerged as one of the leading minds of the electric transportation era. In 2015, he won the Silicon Valley Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum Award and the Bronze Power Generation Edison Award for his work, and in 2016, he was also acknowledged as a Technology Pioneer from the World Economic Forum.

From her grassroots practicing in her aunt’s garage, Parris has gone on to work with some of the biggest names across the globe, putting her Auckland dance workshop The Palace firmly on the map as one of the most recognised studios in the industry. 

Parris founded the dance crew Royal Family, which went on to win Gold at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in 2011, 2012, 2013 and Silver in 2015. 

Parris has also worked with the biggest artists in the industry including Beyoncé, Little Mix, Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Cirque du Soleil and Justin Bieber. Her crew’s list of TV credits also continues to grow, with appearances on American Idol, America’s Best Dance Crew and Dancing with the Stars US and Australia.  

She won Female Choreographer of the Year at the World of Dance Awards, and Young New Zealander of the Year with the Coca Cola Amatil New Zealander of the Year Awards. In 2015, Parris won the Young Leader award at the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards, and the Top Variety Artist Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc. In 2016, at the World of Dance Awards, she was awarded the Live Performance of the Year and for the second time, Female Choreographer of the Year.

Over the course of his career, Phil has taken on more than 80 international consultancies, working with farmers and foragers in such countries as Argentina, Iran, Nepal, Uruguay, Vietnam and China. For over three decades he has worked to develop forage seed production, grassland farming systems, pastoral agronomy and integrated crop livestock. 

Since the early 1980s, Phil has worked to bring Kiwi inspirited grassland farming systems and techniques to western China, for over 30 years later, Phil’s work has included research and development projects regarding improved soil fertility, through plant selection, pasture establishment and management, grassland and livestock production to boost the region's economic performance. He has been responsible for the training of a number of technical staff, enhancing the research capacity, and accelerating the grassland agriculture production in China. 

Phil has been awarded the Chinese Government’s Friendship Medal – the highest honour awarded to foreigners in China and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award - China’s highest accolade for foreign scientists. In New Zealand Phil was awarded the NZ Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture Technology Transfer Award for his extensive contributions to training and research in seed growth, Researcher of the Year by the Foundation for Arable Research, for his work in ‘on-farm research and extension’, and the AgResearch’s Technology Prize.

Privahini Bradoo is a World Class New Zealander, and an outstanding global citizen. 

Born in India, Privahini spent her childhood in Oman, before moving to New Zealand to take up her studies. Since graduating, she has built a career in the USA as a successful entrepreneur, with a passion for merging science and business. 

Having graduated with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland studying Biomedical Science, Privahini went on to complete her PhD in Neurogenetics and Drug Discovery. During her time at the University of Auckland, Privahini led the establishment of Spark (now Velocity) an entrepreneurial initiative for students and founded Chiasma, dedicated to linking the biotech academic community, and industry. 

After winning the $100,000 Fulbright Platinum Entrepreneurship Fellow scholarship, her to study her MBA at Harvard Business School she behind a promising career in neuroscience, Privahini opted to step into the commercial world as an entrepreneur. Privahini worked for several start ups making her mark in Silicon Valley before co-founding BlueOak to revolutionise how we treat end-of-life electronics: converting the e-waste of today into a sustainable source of critical metals and rare earths for the technologies of tomorrow. 

Unlimited magazine placed Privahini in the Top 10 Influencers of New Zealand list, she also won the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from the University of Auckland. Since then, her work has led her to become a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum.

Sir Rob Fenwick is one of New Zealand’s most distinguished business and environmental leaders. Over the course of his 30-year career, he has contributed more to the fields of environment sustainability and natural heritage, than most people can dream of; and his passion for preserving the country for current and future generations is nothing short of inspiring. 

Sir Rob has help to found companies like Growthlink Holdings, NZ Natural and Living Earth Ltd, New Zealand’s largest organic waste composting business. 

Sir Rob acts as an environmental advisor to Westpac New Zealand Limited, Department of Conservation and Air New Zealand. 

Has been the chairman of organisations such as Mai FM, TVNZ, Landcare Research, Antarctica Heritage Trust, the Fred Hollows Foundation, the Government’s Ministerial Waste Advisory Board, and the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Sir Rob was awarded Knight of Justice, Order of St John in 2006 and knighted again in 2016 for services to business and the environment. That same year Sir Rob was also inducted into NZ Business Hall of Fame.

A New Zealand chef raised in Fiji and Samoa, Robert has developed restaurants across the US and Australia, launched “farm to table” resorts in Miami and the Caribbean, and organizes food programs feeding those in need in New York City. 

His first cook book Me’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific connected Pacific agriculture with tourism and won “Best Cookbook in the World 2010” at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris. He followed this up with Mea’ai Samoa: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Polynesia, which won the World Cookbook Award in Beijing for Best TV Chef Cookbook in the World. 

Robert is also Chef Ambassador for Le Cordon Bleu, a world-renowned speaker, television presenter, contributor to The Huffington Post and New Western Cuisine. Robert hosted his own television series Real Pasifik centred on his work, and the food culture in the South Pacific. Robert also co-hosts Marae Kai Masters, a Maori cuisine show, and has appeared as a guest judge on My Kitchen Rules, New Zealand.

Lady Fran is a multi-award winning screenwriter, responsible for writing some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters including The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Lovely Bones and The Hobbit trilogy. She’s also widely known for her aversion to the spotlight, with The New York Times having referred to her as “one of Hollywood’s biggest living mysteries”.

Lady Fran began her career as a television screen writer, her storytelling ability and the way she crafts her characters, has been instrumental in helping to pave her career. She moved onto film scripting for Meet the Feebles (1989) and Braindead (1992) before her big break came in 1994 when her script for Heavenly Creatures was awarded Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, which she again shared with Sir Peter Jackson.

Lady Fran co-wrote the screenplays for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - another defining moment in her career. Considered one of the biggest and most ambitious projects ever, all signs were pointing to horrendous box office losses, but the films went on to become a mammoth critical and commercial success. Lady Fran’s work on the trilogy was nominated for 49 awards in total - receiving 29 wins from across the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, the Grammy Awards, the Writers Guild of America. Her work on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King alone, took home three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Writing and Best Music.

Other notables works include The Hobbit trilogy (2012-2014), The Lovely Bones (2009), King Kong (2005) and The Frighteners (1996).

In 2002, she was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. A number of New Zealand universities including Massey University and Victoria University, awarded Lady Fran with honorary degrees.

Sarah Robb O’Hagan is considered one of New Zealand’s most successful businesswoman making an impact on the global stage. Executive at some of the world’s most iconic brands, marketing guru and entrepreneur, Sarah has been described as the ultimate example of where fierce businesswoman, mother and fitness fanatic combine.

Sarah was named among Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in Sports and as one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. She was also named in the Top 40 Under 40 lists by Sports Business Journal (2009, 2011 and 2012), Sports Goods Business (2010) and Crain’s Chicago Business (2010) as well as named by Ad Age magazine among Women to Watch in 2010. In New Zealand, she is a recipient of the Sir Peter Blake Trust Award for outstanding leadership.

Sarah’s career has included leadership roles at AirNZ, Virgin, Nike, Gatorade and Equinox. However, Sarah’s biggest passion is helping individuals and companies achieve their potential. Her latest adventure is founding ExtremeYOU, a movement to unlock the potential of individuals, teams and organisations. Her book, ExtremeYOU will be published by HarperCollins in early 2017.

Sir Ralph Norris KNZM is a world-renowned business leader whose lifetime achievements have changed the global banking industry, as well as helped grow New Zealand’s identity as a nation of innovators and high achievers.

Sir Ralph is famously known for his six-year tenure as the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and for being the former CEO of ASB and Air New Zealand. Considered a Chief Executive in Shining Armour, Sir Ralph is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including Chief Executive of the year 1997 and 2004, New Zealand Executive of the Decade 2010, Māori Business Leader of the Year 2010 and Laureate of the Business Hall of Fame 2014.

In 2006, he was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and he was redesignated Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009.

In Australia, he was named Australian Banking and Finance Banker of the Year in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and Banker of the Decade and Customer Service CEO of the Year in 2010. In 2012, the University of New South Wales conferred on Sir Ralph an Honorary Doctorate of Business in recognition of his contribution to Australian business.

Sir Mark Solomon KNZM is widely known for his commitment and contribution to his iwi, kotahitanga (unity) of Māori and the broader well-being of all New Zealanders and the environment.

A humble, compassionate and astute leader, Sir Mark worked for over twenty years as a foundry metal worker before being elected Kaiwhakahaere (Chair) of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the tribal council of Ngāi Tahu in 1998. During this time, his contributions have been diverse and significant, ranging from fostering educational opportunities for young Māori, to taking a strong stance against whānau violence.

A strong advocate of the Māori economy, Sir Mark was instrumental in setting up the Iwi Chair Forum in 2005 and was an original member of the Māori Economic Taskforce established in 2009. Sir Mark was named as the 'Visionary Leader of 2012' in the Deloitte and New Zealand Management Magazine National Business Awards.

In the 2013 New Year Honours, he was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and business.

In 2015, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Lincoln University as Doctor of Natural Resources, recognizing his enduring interest and concern for the natural environment.

Peter Yealands is best known for being the owner and founder of Yealands Estate wines, based in the Awatere Valley in Marlborough. However, Peter's entrepreneurial vision, successes and contributions to New Zealand reach far back beyond wine-making; having pioneered marine farming in New Zealand as well as establishing one of the country's most successful deer farms.

Peter received an Environmental Award in 2003 and was named South Island Farmer of the Year by Lincoln University for his entrepreneurial spirit and unswerving passion for the land.

His trademark 'can do' attitude, commitment to the land and his reputation for ambitious, innovative and sustainable projects have helped preserve and enhance New Zealand for generations to come.

Peter͛s many and varied successes have been recently chronicled in his biography 'A Bloke for All Seasons'.

Matteo de Nora CNZM is often referred to as the man who saved Team New Zealand. Compelled by his love, respect and belief in the team, he became heavily involved in ensuring its survival and ultimate success.

In addition, Matteo has contributed significantly to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, funded a fellowship for research into a cure for tinnitus, funded the Neurology Research Unit at Auckland University, and provided specialist assistance to New Zealand families in need. His funding of the Tinnitus Research Initiative in particular has facilitated the sharing of research on a global scale that will benefit generations of people to come.

In 2011, Matteo was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his contribution to yachting and private funding of neurological research.

Linda Jenkinson is a serial entrepreneur, and Chairman and Founder of John Paul, a global travel concierge provider to the world’s largest brands.  She is the first New Zealand woman to take a company public on the NASDAQ Exchange, the founder of three multi-million dollar companies, and co-founder of WOW Investments, a social enterprise fund that invests in women-owned businesses in West Africa.  

Despite being based between San Francisco and Sydney, Linda actively supports New Zealand across a broad range of initiatives including being a founding member of Kea, Director of AirNZ, The Grid and Global Women New Zealand, member of the New Zealand Olympic Counsel, advisor to the IceHouse and Director and Secretary of the Massey University Foundation.

She was also previously a Board Member of the NZTE Silicon Valley Beachhead Programme.Linda has received countless awards and accolades including being named one of The Most Influential Women in the Bay Area 2014, the first woman to receive The Sir Geoffrey Peren Award for Most Distinguished Alumni from Massey University in 2014, EY Master Entrepreneur of the Year New Zealand in 2013 and Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses 2004-2006.

Audette Exel AO is the Founder of the Adara Group, which consists of two Australian corporate advisory businesses, with the sole purpose to support the non-profit international development organisation, Adara Development.

Recognised by Forbes as a Hero of Philanthropy and named Australia’s Leading Philanthropist 2016, Audette uses her specialist legal and finance background to improve lives and change the way people think about the role of business.

Previously, Audette was the Managing Director of Bermuda Commercial Bank and Chair of the Bermuda Stock Exchange. Today she is also the Vice Chair of the Board of Steamship Mutual and a Non-Executive Director of Suncorp Group.

Audette was elected Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 1995. In 2012, she was named NSW Telstra Businesswoman of the Year as well as among The Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence and was awarded an honorary Order of Australia for services to humanity. 

Helen Clark ONZ SSI is the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand. She not only served three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008 but was also the first woman elected at a general election to be the Prime Minister and was the fifth longest serving person to hold that position.

Since 2009, Helen has been the third highest-ranking official of the United Nations and is currently ranked by Forbes as the 22nd most powerful woman in the world. In 2009, Helen was voted Greatest Living New Zealander in a poll run by the New Zealand Herald and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by the University of Auckland.

The government of the Solomon Islands awarded her the Star of the Solomon Islands in 2005 in recognition of New Zealand's role in restoring law and order in the country, and in 2010 Helen was appointed to the Order of New Zealand for services to New Zealand.

In April 2016, Helen declared her candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Beatrice Roini Liua Faumuina ONZM is an Olympian, Gold Medalist, UN Goodwill Ambassador, champion of Pasifika leadership and business, Sir Peter Blake Leader and one of New Zealand's sporting heroes.

In 1997, she received the prestigious sporting Halberg Award and in 2002, her image was chosen for a Samoan stamp. For services to athletics, she was named Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2005.

Since then Beatrice has been involved in a number of foundations and leadership initiatives. In particular, she was the founding CEO of the BEST Pasifika Leadership Academy, which brought together her passion for creating and growing leaders with her entrepreneurial spirit.

Today, Beatrice is the Trade Commissioner and Consul General in New York, leading NZTE’s team to help New Zealand businesses access East Coast markets.

A natural serial entrepreneur, Victoria Ransom has developed three companies since her early twenties, including Wildfire Interactive, which Google acquired in 2012.

As founder and CEO, Victoria led the company to profitability in just one year and built up tens of thousands of customers, over 400 employees, and eight offices worldwide.  

In 2012, Victoria was #19 on Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40 list and was named one of the Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs.

In 2015, she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.  Victoria has an MBA from Harvard Business School and regularly mentors young Kiwi entrepreneurs and tech start-ups.

Tan Sri Dato Seri Halim Saad is one of the Malaysia’s most successful businessmen, and has all the while been a strong and proactive supporter of the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and New Zealand, particularly in the areas of trade and education.

Tan Sri Halim led Malaysia’s largest corporation, Renong / United Engineers Malaysia Berhad from 1985 to 2001. In 1994, Time Magazine’s Global 100 named Tan Sri Halim one of the upcoming leaders to define the coming age.

Tan Sri Halim has espoused a vision for cooperation between New Zealand and Malaysia with the view to opening significant new markets for agriculture and food. In 2012, he brought Malaysia’s Halal Industry Development Corporation to New Zealand to advocate combining New Zealand agricultural expertise with funds from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to grow food in third world countries.

Tan Sri Halim is one of New Zealand’s principal Colombo Scholar success stories in Malaysia, and he remains a leading force propelling New Zealand’s relationship with Malaysia to new heights.

Described as a modern day miracle worker, Dr Swee Tan ONZM is an internationally recognised plastic surgeon and research scientist. His dream is to find a way to treat cancer so that patients will no longer have to suffer the indignity of current treatments.

As the founder and executive director of the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, he is dedicated to researching the cause of disfiguring and life-threatening conditions such as birthmarks and cancer, and regenerative medicine.

Dr Swee and his team have received numerous prizes nationally and internationally for their work. In particular, Dr Swee is the recipient of the Wellingtonian of the Year Award for Science and Technology (2014), the New Zealand Value of Medicines Award (2014) and Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Research Award (2011). 

Andrew Adamson MNZM soared to fame for his role in directing the Shrek and Chronicles of Narnia films – the former of which was the first film to win an Academy Award for best animated feature.

Among his numerous major international nominations and awards, Andrew also won international acclaim for his adaptation of Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip.

Andrew is known for being one of the few special effects artists to have so successfully morphed into a movie director.

In 2006, Andrew was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film.

Next, Andrew will reportedly co-write, direct and executive produce Universal’s live-action Curious George movie.

A serial entrepreneur, Claudia Batten has spent over 15 years in the technology sector.

She was a founding member of Massive, a first of its kind network for advertising in video games, which was sold to Microsoft in 2006. In 2009, she co-founded Victors & Spoils, the first advertising agency built on the principles of crowdsourcing. French company Havas bought a majority interest in the agency in 2012. In 2014, Claudia co-founded Broadli to redefine how we use digital connectivity to power networking.

Claudia is a regular speaker on digital innovation, digital media and building businesses for the future. She is passionate about New Zealand claiming its place in the digital world and participates regularly across the NZ Inc ecosystem.

She is currently the NZTE Regional Director for North America, supporting the growth of Kiwi businesses into the market.

In 2013, she was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award from Victoria University in recognition of her commitment to New Zealand and her achievements as an entrepreneur.

Professor Sir Murray Brennan GNZM is a specialist surgeon who has designed and conducted numerous clinical trials, which have produced major breakthroughs in the treatment of patients with soft tissue sarcomas, endocrine tumors, and pancreatic and stomach cancers.  In particular, he has created the world's largest database of sarcoma patients, which will help doctors better design treatments to ensure that patients at the greatest risk of recurrence can be treated more aggressively, while patients at low risk can avoid unnecessary treatment.

Sir Murray’s resume is extensive, having served as Director of the American Board of Surgery, Chairman of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, President of the Society of Surgical Oncology, Vice President of the American College of Surgeons, and President of the American Surgical Association, the oldest and most prestigious surgical association in the United States.

In 1995, Sir Murray was honoured with membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and in 2000, he received the American College of Surgeons highest award, the Distinguished Service Award. In 1994, the Murray F. Brennan Chair in Surgery was endowed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre.

An international leader in technology, Craig Elliott co-founded and is the CEO of Pertino Networks, a cloud networking software company based in Silicon Valley. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of Global Vet Link and Xero and is a Strategic Advisor at NZTE in respect to Angel, VC and PE markets, helping guide New Zealand high-growth technology companies as they enter the US. He is also a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand.

Prior to this, Craig spent 10 years at Apple where he launched online services in 80 countries and seven different languages, serving multiple senior roles, including International General Manager of Internet and Online Services. He was also CEO of Packeteer and took the company from three people to over 200 before going public in 1999 with a market valuation of over $2 billion.

Craig has written several top-selling books in computer science, home automation and automobile racing. 

Sir Neville Jordan KNZM is a highly regarded entrepreneur, investor, advisor and philanthropist. In 1975, he founded MAS Technology Ltd, a telecommunications microwave company, which today remains the only New Zealand private company to have listed on the NASDAQ main board. In 1998, he founded Endeavour Capital. As a venture capital pioneer, he has invested in more than 35 start-ups and early stage companies, from research, science and technology to horticulture and large-scale real estate.

He has chaired or been a member of numerous review panels and committees for New Zealand and Australian governments. In 1995, Sir Neville established the Jordan Foundation to provide scholarships for higher learning, particularly for the disadvantaged and to support the performing arts. In 2014, Sir Neville was elected Chancellor of Victoria University Wellington. His awards and accolades include the Governor-General͛s Supreme Award for Exporting and induction into both the NZ Hi Tech Hall of Fame and the NZ Business Hall of Fame.

In 2014, he was awarded knighthood for services to business, science and the community.

Dr. Catherine Mohr is Vice President of Medical Research at Intuitive Surgical, a high technology Silicon Valley based company that makes the da Vinci surgical robot – the next frontier for minimally invasive surgery. In addition, she is a Consulting Assistant Professor in the department of Surgery at Stanford School of Medicine and on the medicine and robotics faculty of Singularity University.

Dr Catherine has advised several start-up companies in Silicon Valley as well as government technology development programs and start-ups in New Zealand across alternative energy transportation, computer aided design software, medical devices and more.

She is a frequent speaker on the topics of surgical robotics, innovation, and the importance of science, at national and international conferences.

She is also the author of numerous scientific publications, and the recipient of multiple awards.

Bill Buckley is the Founder and Managing Director of Buckley Systems Ltd, the undisputed global leader in the manufacture and supply of precision electromagnets to 90% of the world’s ion implant industry.

Bill and his company have received numerous awards, including: New Zealand Trade Exporter of the Year Awards (1996 & 1998), American Chamber of Commerce Exporter of The Year and Supreme Award Winner 2011, Auckland Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Innovation 2011, and Supreme Business Excellence award; 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Master Award 2011, New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year 2011, and IPENZ Supreme Technical Award for Engineering Achievers 2011.

Bill was recognised a further four times in 2012 and was named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to technology, business and motorsport in 2013.

Dr Doug Cleverly is Founder and Managing Director of Argenta, the world’s first contract research and manufacturing organisation dedicated to animal health. Specialising in providing new product development and manufacturing services to the international animal health industry, Argenta exports products and services to over 59 countries and has an estimated global market share of nearly 10%, and growing.

Argenta made the Deloitte list of the 50 fastest growing companies in New Zealand in 2009 and won the Enterprising Manukau Excellence in Exporting Award the same year. In 2010, it was named the NZBIO Emerging Company of the Year.

In addition, Dr Doug has won the 2011 EY Entrepreneur of the Year and was named a finalist for the KPMG Outstanding International Business Leader in the 2013 New Zealand International Business Awards.

Rob Fyfe is a renowned businessman who has been at the helm of two of New Zealand’s most iconic and loved brands.

As CEO of Air New Zealand from 2003-2012, he successfully led the company by embracing New Zealand’s sense of identity and infusing the unique Kiwi personality into everything it did.

He is now the CEO of Icebreaker, Director of Michael Hill and Antarctica New Zealand as well as Advisor to Craggy Range Vineyards.

Between 2008 and 2010, Rob was named the PRINZ Communicator of the Year, Deloitte Executive of the Year, CAPA Chief Executive of the Year, and was awarded the NZSA Beacon Award.

In 2015, the University of Canterbury awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce. 

Judith Hanratty is the Chair of the Commonwealth Education Trust, which invests in the education, training and development of primary and secondary school teachers in Commonwealth countries.

Prior to this, she was oil giant BP’s company secretary, a role she held for 10 years. Judith is also a Non-Executive Director of the England Golf Union.

In recognition of her long and successful career filled with countless accomplishments, Judith was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the oil and gas industry in 2002 and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for services to Commonwealth Education in 2007.

Australian-born, Andrew Holden became the Head of Communications of Cricket Australia in 2016 after more than 35 years working as a journalist.

During his years as a journalist, Andrew was Editor-in-Chief at The Age Melbourne (2012-2016), and Editor of The Press in Christchurch (2007-2012). This included covering the Canterbury earthquakes in 2010-2011.

His Award recognises his leadership through this challenging time in New Zealand history. 

Annabel Langbein is the New Zealand celebrity cook, food writer and publisher behind Annabel Langbein Media Limited, which provides food and lifestyle media services, including book publishing and TV and video production.

She has authored 18 cookbooks which are published in numerous languages and have been sold all around the world.

She has won countless awards including the 1999 NZ Guild of Foodwriters 'Recipe Book of the Year' Award, 'Best Photography in the World' Award at the World Cookbook Awards in Périgueux, France as well as a Ladle at the 2001 World Food Media Awards.

Annabel The Free Range Cook was also named New Zealand’s best celebrity cookbook in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2010 and she most recently received the Best Home Chef Award at the prestigious Taste Awards in the US – following in the footsteps of Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver.

Geraldine McBride has risen to key roles in SAP, one of the world’s largest business software companies. She was Managing Director and CEO of SAP Australia and New Zealand (2003-2007) followed by President and CEO of SAP Asia (2007-2010).

After a stint as VP and Global Head of Dell Application and BPO Services at Dell, Geraldine returned to SAP to take on the role of President for North America.

An acknowledged global expert in corporate evolution, Geraldine is now the Co-Founder and CEO of MyWave, a global next generation technology business.

A leader among IT giants, Geraldine has been invited to address the World Economic Forum and the European Union and has appeared on the cover of Chief Executive Magazine. 

Hon Sir Donald McKinnon was the Commonwealth Secretary General from 2000 to 2008. Prior to this, he served 21 years in politics, including presiding as Deputy Prime Minister from 1990 to 1996, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1999, and Leader of the House of Representatives from 1992 to 1996.

Among his many awards and accolades, Sir Donald was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order in 2009 for services to the Commonwealth. The New Zealand Government also awarded him its highest honour, Order of New Zealand in 2007.

Sir Donald was named New Zealander of the Year in 2003 by The NZ Society in London.

He was also named Foreign Minister of the Year in 1998 by The World Economic Forum and he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work to peacefully resolve the war on Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.

Dr Sean Simpson is Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of LanzaTech, a company on the threshold of solving some of the biggest problems confronting the sustainable fuels industry today.

From start-up to a multinational company, Lanzatech has received numerous awards for its patented technology and recently attracted investments from Vinod Khosla, one of the world’s leading clean technology investors. In 2016, it made a breakthrough in aviation biofuel with its partner airline Virgin Atlantic. Dr Sean has encouraged the collaboration between biologists, fermentation specialists and engineers to develop the technology and consequently, the company has become a global leader in gas fermentation.

In 2011, Dr Sean won Young Biotechnologist of the Year Award was named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year category winner. In addition, he received the US Environmental Protection Agency Presidential Green Chemistry Award in 2015 and the Sanitarium NZ Innovator of the Year Award 2014. Dr Sean is on the board of The ICEHOUSE business incubator.

Sir Paul Callaghan GNZM FRS FRSNZ (1947–2012) was a world-leading, award-winning Kiwi physicist who specialised in nanotechnology and magnetic resonance. A highly-respected and inspirational leader and teacher, Sir Paul championed science and business as being crucial to New Zealand’s economic growth. His vision was for New Zealanders to get more value and return from their ingenuity by combining science, innovation and commercialisation, and creating a hub of smart, export-focused entrepreneurs, where a high quality lifestyle is achieved through excellence in education and R&D.

In 2001, Sir Paul was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and in 2004, he received the Ampère Prize from the French Academy of Sciences. The following year he was awarded the Royal Society of New Zealand’s most prestigious prize – the Rutherford Medal. Sir Paul was appointed Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2006 and redesignated a Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2011. In 2007, he received a Sir Peter Blake Medal. Subsequently, he also received the Gunter Laukien Prize for magnetic resonance as well as the Prime Minister’s Science Prize. The year before he died, Sir Paul was named New Zealander of the Year.

Sir Graeme Douglas MNZM founded Douglas Pharmaceuticals in 1967. Since then, it has become one of the fastest growing pharmaceutical development and manufacturing companies in Oceania.

Sir Graeme was widely respected for his philanthropy and his support of the West Auckland Community. Notably, he has been a major supporter a number of medical and community causes including: the Waitakere City Stadium, the Waitakere City Athletics Club, the Cancer Society, the Neurological Foundation, the West Auckland Hospice, Medical Air Abroad, the Salvation Army, New Zealand the Heart Foundation, Auckland City Mission, the Liggins Institute and the Oliver Smales Memorial Trust. Sir Graeme and Lady Ngaire’s purchase of an MRI scanner for Starship Children’s Hospital remains the hospital’s largest single personal donation.

Sir Graeme was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1998 for services to the pharmaceutical industry and in 2010 made Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to philanthropy and athletics. In 2012, he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

Sir Graeme died at the age of 87 and will be remembered as one of our greatest Kiwi innovators and businessmen as well as a pharmaceutical pioneer.

Tony Falkenstein is CEO of Just Water International, which he established in 1989. The company floated on the NZX in 2005.

Tony also owns the majority of Bartercard New Zealand, and is Director Buro Seating and Boyd Visuals. Furthermore, he founded Onehunga High Business School, introducing business as a subject to the National Curriculum.

Tony is a regular public speaker on topics of entrepreneurship, business education, and philanthropy.  His accolades include the University of Auckland’s Distinguished Alumni of 2011; Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2010; and named on the Fairfax Business Hall of Fame in 2008. 

David Kirk is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Bailador, a specialist IT and media investment firm based in London.

After a distinguished rugby career, which included captaining the All Blacks and leading the team to win the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, David has led a successful career across diverse sectors ranging from media and sport, entertainment through to central government; and finance.  

He is a Rhodes Scholar with degrees in Medicine from Otago University and Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University.

Notable among his former senior executive roles, David was the CEO of FairfaxMedia. Early on, he also served as Executive Assistant and then Chief Policy Advisor to the Rt Hon Jim Bolger (the then New Zealand PM).

Jeremy Moon is Founder and Managing Director of Icebreaker, the market leader of merino outdoor clothing in Australia, Canada, Europe, the UK, and most recently, USA. The company’s Wellington-based team has grown to over 250 people globally, with offices in Australia, France, Switzerland, Germany, Eastern Europe, Canada and the USA.  

Jeremy also chairs Better by Design, and is a member on the Growth and Innovation Advisory Board.

In his very successful career he has received many awards and accolades, including a Gold Award for Sustainable Sock Packaging and Silver Award for Packaging at the Best Design Awards for Visual Communication in 2010. Jeremy received the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2008. He also received Global Gold and the Supreme Award at the Wellington Gold Awards in 2006.

Prior to this, he received Best Small Business in the Region at the 2001 Wellington Rising Gold Awards. In the same year he received his first award for the company catalogue at the Best Design Awards for Visual Communication, and Best New Sportswear or Outdoor Brand in Europe. In 1998 he was named the Ernst & Young Inaugural Young Entrepreneur of the Year. 

Professor Sir Malcolm Grant CBE FAcSS is the Chair of NHS England, which sets the priorities and direction of England’s national health service. He was the President and Provost of University College London for 10 years. In addition, Sir Malcolm is a barrister, and legal academic and the Chancellor of the University of York.

Sir Malcolm has previously served as Chair of the Local Government Commission for England, of the Agriculture and Environmental Biotechnology Commission and the Russell Group.

During his career, he has specialised in and written widely on topics including planning, property, and environmental law and the regulation of biotechnology.

Sir Malcolm received his knighthood in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to higher education. He is also a member of the Bench of Middle Temple (one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers), and an honorary member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Royal Town Planning Institute.

A former lead singer in a band, law graduate and TV presenter, Ian Taylor CNZM is more well-known for being the Founder and Owner of one of New Zealand's leading and internationally renowned computer graphics companies: Animation Research Limited (ARL). ARL is famous for its Virutal Eye, which is its sports division and a world leader in the provision of 3D TV graphics.

Ian is also the Founder of Taylormade Media.

In 2009, Ian was inducted into the New Zealand HiTech Hall of Fame. The following year, he was named North & South Magazines New Zealander of the Year and awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the New Zealand Computer Society, the top honour of the New Zealand ICT sector. In 2012, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to television and business and in 2013, named Outstanding Māori Business Leader of the Year.

For the development of an innovation mobile application for the 34th America's Cup, Ian and his team received the prestigious Sports Emmy under the category Outstanding New Approaches: Sports Coverage in 2014. 

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is an iconic opera singer and Founder of Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.

Since Dame Kiri’s debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1971, she has become one of the most famous sopranos in the world.  

Her foundation aims to support and financially aid young singers and musicians.

Her achievements have been recognised with an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia in 1990; an Order of New Zealand in 1995; and Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2002. 

Hon Dr Peter Watson ONZM is the President and CEO of Dwight Group, a Washington D.C. based investment bank. An expert in international business and trade policy, he has held top posts in the White House during the Bill, including Director of Asian Affairs at the National Security Council.

An influential figure in the US, Dr. Watson has been engaged in numerous organisations supporting the New Zealand-US relationship. In particular, he is a former Executive Director of the US-NZ Council, on the Board of Visitors of the University of Auckland (US), and Co-Founder and Chairman of the US-NZ Connection/Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles. The latter led to his role as the Chairman of the 1984 Los Angeles New Zealand Olympic fundraising committee supporting our national team. In addition, he has advised the New Zealand Consulate General in Los Angeles, as well as companies such as Air New Zealand and ANZ, among others.

Peter was appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002 and Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to New Zealand –US relations in 2012.

Lord Charles Denman contributed to New Zealand for more than 40 years, by working behind the scenes to open doors into the UK and Middle East for some of New Zealand’s biggest and most successful companies.  He served as a Board member of NMA, a British based company that financed farmers and as a Director of Challenge, which later merged to become Fletcher Challenge.

Throughout his career, he has worked alongside some of New Zealand’s most successful business leaders, including Sir Ron Trotter and Malcolm McConnell. Lord Charles was an Adviser on Middle Eastern affairs to the UK Prime Minister Edward Heath and appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Francis. 

Michael Boustridge is CEO and President of CIBER AG and Advisor of AnyPresence. Previously, he was Chief Executive of BT Group’s Asia Pacific region, as well as President of BT USA and Canada. He has extensive global experience in the IT services sector and a successful track record of delivering operational results at a billion dollar scale. A proud Kiwi, Michael uses every opportunity, and every contact, to promote New Zealand, specifically its agility, innovation and leading edge technical and software development skills. 

Professor Bob Elliott is the Medical Director of Living Cell Technologies, which develops cell-based products to treat life threatening human diseases.

He is a world leader in the treatment of diabetes and auto-immune related research. In particular, he pioneered the live saving breakthrough transplantation of insulin-producing pig cells into humans to treat type-1 diabetes.

His method for testing for Cystic Fibrosis in infants has been internationally adopted, and he continues to collaborate with international businesses in Australia, the USA, Canada, Belgium, Israel, China and Russia.

In 1999, he was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand order of Merit. 

Sir George Fistonich KNZM is the Founder and Owner of Villa Maria Estate Ltd, New Zealand’s leading wine award winner and exporter to over 50 countries.

In addition to founding Villa Maria at age 21 in 1961, Sir George opened New Zealand’s first licensed winery restaurant in 1979 at the Vidal Estate, setting the standard and leading the way for vineyard restaurants around the country.

He was knighted in 2009 for his services to the wine industry and he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Wine Challenge Awards in London in 2011.  

Dr Howard Harper was a pioneering medical missionary in  for 50 years. After qualifying as an ophthalmologist in the 1960s, he ran a number of eye camps in Pakistan before moving to Afghanistan where he established the Noor Eye Hospital in Kabul.

Following a military coup, he moved to Iran and trained eye surgeons, taught at Tehran University, and worked at a leprosy mission. In the 1980s.

Howard returned to England and founded Vision International, enabling him to continue his work in Central Asia. He also established a large eye hospital in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.  

In 2002, Dr Howard was the second foreigner to be granted Afghani citizenship and given a passport.

He is the recipient of the prestigious Augusta award from Auckland Grammar School and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. 

Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas serves as Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, Trustee and Chairperson of the Redevelopment Committee of the Imperial War Museum, and Governor of Westminster School and Westminster Abbey Choir School. She was Special Adviser to the Chair of the world’s largest law firm, Clifford Chance.

Notably, Dame Judith was the first woman to be Chair of the Royal Opera House, and the first female Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee of the City of London Corporation.

In 2002, she was named Dame of the British Empire for services to the City of London and in 2004, she was named New Zealander of the Year in Britain.

Sam Morgan is best known as the Founder of TradeMe, New Zealand’s largest online auction site, which he sold to Fairfax in 2006. He is now an investor through his private investment group, Jasmine Investment Holdings, and a Director and/or advisor to a number of Kiwi start-ups including Vend and Xero.  

He is involved in several not-for-profit organisations including Medicine Mondiale and One Acre Fund. Jasmine is also focused on high-impact philanthropy.

In 2010, Sam was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the New Zealand Computer Society. 

Dame Anne Salmond is a distinguished Professor of Maori and Pacific history and anthropology at the University of Auckland. While serving as the Pro Vice Chancellor (Equal Opportunities), she sponsored the Starpath project, with the aim to enhance educational achievement for low income Maori and Pacific students.

She is also Vice President of the Royal Society of New Zealand and Chairperson of the Longbush Ecological Trust, an organisation dedicated to restoring the Waimata River in Gisborne with native plants and animals, and creating a place where people can enjoy ecological adventures.  

Dame Anne received the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Non Fiction in 2004 and was named Fellow of the New Zealand Academy of the Humanities in 2007. She was also named Dame Commander of the British Empire for Services to New Zealand History in 1995; Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1990; Foreign Associate of the American National Academy of Sciences for Excellence in Scientific Research; Fellow of the British Academy; and Commander of the Order of the British Empire for Services to Literature and the Maori people.  

Dr Michael Stedman is Managing Director of National History New Zealand (NHNZ), a major global supplier to National Geographic Channels, whose documentaries have received over 200 international awards, including Emmy Awards and a prestigious Wildscreen Panda.

He has accrued over 30 years’ experience and held numerous senior positions in the television industry.

In honour of his achievements, Dr Michael was awarded the Screen Production & Development Association’s Industry Champion Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, as well as named Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004. 

Sir Ron Carter ONZ KNZM is one of New Zealand’s most notable businessmen. He joined Beca engineering company in 1959, becoming partner in 1986 and later Chair until 2002.

Sir Ron has been a member, director or chairperson of many iconic and significant New Zealand boards, including Air New Zealand, Sir Peter Blake Trust and the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch Earthquakes.

He also developed and co-founded the Iwi Business Consortium in 2009.

In 1998, he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to engineering and business and made a member of the Order of New Zealand in 2014.

In 2001, Sir Ron received an honorary doctorate in engineering from the University of Auckland and in 2009, was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

Mark D’Arcy is VP and Chief Creative Officer of the Facebook Creative Shop. After two decades working as a writer and Chief Creative Officer in advertising and media, Mark joined Facebook in 2011 to better explore the creative potential of the Facebook platform. As part of this effort, he founded the Facebook Creative Council.

Mark’s prior role was Chief Creative Officer of Time Warner’s Global Media Group. Mark has been widely recognised for his creativity and leadership in the creative industries and regularly speaks all around the world on the subject of creativity in social media, the transformation of marketing, the communication arts and the role and purpose of brands in society.

Mark has served as a juror on numerous international awards shows including the CLIO Awards, LIA Awards, The International ANDY Awards and in 2013 served on the inaugural Innovations Lions jury at the Cannes Lions Awards.

Dr Jilly Evans PhD FRSNZ (Hon) is the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder of US-based biopharmaceutical company PharmAkea Therapeutics.

With more than 30 years’ experience conducting biochemistry research, she is a world-leading authority in the eicosanoid field (molecules that control inflammation and immunity).  

Jilly is a founding member of the Maurice Wilkins Centre Scientific Advisory Board and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

In 2016, she was named in the Top 50 Women of Achievement complied by Zonta Clubs New Zealand.

Jilly is a passionate advocate for women in science and contributes to causes to alleviate childhood poverty and help New Zealand better commercialise biotechnology research. 

With a research career spanning over 35 years, Sir Richard Faull ONZM, KNZM is recognised internationally as a leading expert on the workings of the human brain and the neurodegenerative diseases that can affect it, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.

In 2007, his research group provided the first evidence that the diseased human brain can repair itself by the generation of new brain cells, overturning the long-held view that the adult brain can only degenerate.

He is also the founder of the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank at the University of Auckland.

Sir Richard’s contributions to neuroscience have been recognized numerous times. In 1993, the University of Auckland awarded him a Personal Chair in Anatomy. In 2002, he was awarded the Inaugural Peter Gluckman Medal and Distinguished Faculty International Lecturer at the University of Auckland. In 2005 he was awarded the Liley Medal by the Health Research Council and in 2007, New Zealand’s top science honour, the Rutherford Medal. 

Sir William Gallagher KNZM, MBE, HonD is the CEO and Chair of the Gallagher Group, a highly successful Hamilton-based exporter of animal management, fencing and security systems. Sir William has grown the company into one of the largest and most profitable private companies in the Waikato, employing 650 people in New Zealand, 400 overseas and bringing in annual sales of USD160 million.

He has made significant charitable contributions through the Gallagher Group Trust and is a major sponsor of the Rescue Helicopter, Waikato Stadium, Mounted Police, Gallagher Community Swimming Pool, Gallagher Hockey Centre and the Performing Arts Centre at Waikato University.  

Sir William’s achievements and contributions have been officially recognised on numerous occasions. These include his Knighthood in 2011 as well as being inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2012, being named Outstanding International Business Leader in 2009, and receiving the Excellence in Communication Leadership Award in 1996. In 1987, he became a Member of the British Empire and in 1990 received the Queen’s Commemorative Medal for services to New Zealand. 

Ian McCrae is the Founder and CEO of Orion Health, New Zealand’s largest software exporter and an award-winning global provider of healthcare information technology.

Since 1993, Orion Health has grown from a company of four people to over 1250 staff in 27 offices worldwide, enabling healthcare to more than 90 million patients.  

Ian is passionate about the role that technology can play in providing highly personalised healthcare by using personal information that is captured and made available in real time.

Orion Health was awarded the Supreme Award at the 2012 New Zealand International Business Awards. 

Investor and philanthropist, Julian Robertson KNZM (Hon) is best known as the Founder of Tiger Management and has been described as ͞The Wizard of Wall Street͟.

With several business pursuits in New Zealand including world-class golf resorts and world renown wineries, Sir Julian has been an active promoter of New Zealand’s economic and cultural attributes. In particular, he has been a staunch support of the New Zealand wine industry and determined to increase its profile in the US market.  

Notably, Sir Julian gifted 15 major artworks to the Auckland Art Gallery in 2009, including paintings by Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin and Piet Mondrian dating from the late-19th to mid-20th century. Valued between $200 and $250 million, this is the most significant collection gifted to any New Zealand public gallery.

In addition, he serves on a number of boards and in 2010, pledged, alongside Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, to donate a portion of his assets to charity.

Dr Kerry Spackman is a world leading elite athlete coach with a focus on attitude and mental skills.

He has mentally prepared Olympic athletes and the All Blacks as well as written The Winner’s Bible, which covers his successful tools and techniques for helping world champions improve their performance.

In addition, he is widely recognised in Formula One for making landmark contributions in areas ranging from simulator design to driver optimisation. After analysing data telemetry, Kerry invented a multi-million-dollar electronic system, which won the NEEDA Award for the Most Significant Electronic Export from New Zealand.

He has a PhD in cognitive neuroscience. 

Ian Witten is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Waikato.

An expert in computer software and digital technology, he established New Zealand as an international leader in digital library software now used by the BBC, New York Botanical Gardens and UNESCO.

As Head of the University of Waikato’s New Zealand Digital Library Research Group, Ian oversaw the development of Greenstone Digital Library software, providing ways to organise information and make it available over the internet or on CDs holding the equivalent of about 340kg of books. Greenstone has been adopted in more than 60 countries and used to collate information for disaster relief operations across Latin America, for combatting AIDS in Africa, and for development purposes in French sub-Saharan Africa. 

Sir Ray Avery is a unique blend of pharmaceutical scientist, inventor and social entrepreneur.

He is the Founder and CEO of Medicine Mondiale, an independent development agency focused on improving the lives of the world’s poor by making quality healthcare technology accessible in developing countries.

Some of Sir Ray’s key achievements include making Intraocular lenses affordable to the world’s poorest people, enabling greater access to cataract surgery; developing the Acuset IV Flow Controller to administer intravenous fluids and medicines; developing Proteinforte, a nutritious food product that delivers pre-digested protein to high-performance athletes and malnourished children; and developing the low cost Liferaft Infant Incubator for use in the developing world environment.  

Sir Ray’s background includes being a founding member of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Auckland as well as Technical Director at Douglas Pharmaceuticals and at the Fred Hollows Foundation. He has also been the Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Health Innovation Hub.

His honours include: Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit 2011, Readers Digest NZ’s Most Trusted Person 2011, EY Social Entrepreneur 2011, Sir Peter Blake Leadership Medal 2010 and KiwiBank New Zealander of the Year 2010.

Sir John Buchanan was a successful businessman whose long and distinguished career included a number of high profile positions at some of the world’s leading companies.

After earning a doctorate in organic chemistry at the University of Auckland, he moved to the UK to undertake post-doctoral studies at Oxford. His career at BP started in 1970 and from 1996-2002 he was Executive Director and Group Chief Financial Officer. During this time, the company completed a transformational merger with Amoco, the largest industrial merger at the time.

In retirement, Sir John remained a prominent figure in the business world, serving on a number of boards, including being Chair of the UK Trustees of the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

In 2007, Sir John received the inaugural Augusta Award, Auckland Grammar School Old Boys’ Association’s highest award. In 2012, he was knighted in the UK for services to industry and in New Zealand received a Lifetime Contribution to Finance and Business Award as part of the 2012 New Zealand CFO Awards. 

Jane Hunter OBE CNZM is known around the world as the First Lady of New Zealand Wine. As owner, viticulturist and managing director of Hunter’s Wines since 1987, Jane has led the company to outstanding local and international success as one of New Zealand’s ground-breaking premium wine labels.  

As part of her commitment to the wine industry and her passion for research and development, she has been heavily involved in planning for the future growth of New Zealand's wine industry. This has seen her serve on the Board of the Wine Institute of New Zealand, as a Foundation Director of the New Zealand Wine Guild, as well as Director of Plant and Food Research and NZTE.  J

ane has been highly recognised in her field including an OBE in 1993 for services to viticulture, recipient of the inaugural Women in Wine Award in the UK in 2003, made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009, and was the first woman inducted in the New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame.

She also has an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Massey University. 

Professor Peter Hunter MNZM is one of New Zealand’s highest-achieving scientists and a global leader in the rapidly developing field of computational physiology.

He is best known for being behind the world’s first anatomically based computer model of the human heart. He is also the Founder and Director of Auckland’s internationally recognised Bioengineering Institute. He is the Co-Chair of the Physiome Committee of the International Union of Physiological Sciences, Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Auckland, Director of Computational Physiology at Oxford University and Director of the Medical Technologies Centre of Research Excellence.

In addition, Peter holds honorary or visiting Professorships at a number of universities around the world and is on the scientific advisory boards of several research institutes across Europe, the US and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2012, Peter received a Lifetime Achievement Award from IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society in the US. In 2010, he was appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit and in 2009, was awarded the Rutherford Medal.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and of London, among others.

Phillip Mills is the Founder, Owner and CEO of Les Mills International, the world’s largest distributor and leading creator of branded group-exercise programming for health clubs.

A former international track and field competitor, he attended UCLA on an athletic scholarship and graduated in philosophy. On his return to New Zealand, he became one of the pioneers of the international fitness industry and a driving force behind the popularization of the modern group fitness experience.

Today, millions of people attend Les Mills classes every week around the world.  Phillip’s business success and contribution to the fitness industry was recognized by the Australian Fitness Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year New Zealand Award 2004.  

In addition, Phillip is committed to combatting global obesity and advocating for sustainable business. In 2007, he and his wife, Dr Jackie Mills co-wrote and published the acclaimed book Fighting Globesity - A Practical Guide to Personal Health and Global Sustainability.

In 2011, Phillip co-founded Pure Advantage alongside some of New Zealand’s most prominent business leaders to lobby for green economic policy. 

Dr Craig Nevill-Manning is the Chief Technology Officer of Sidewalk Labs, focused on developing new urban technologies and working with portfolio companies to develop their engineering teams and technology.

Before joining Sidewalk Labs, he was the Engineering Director at Google where he founded its first remote engineering centre, and oversaw the development of products including Google Local (now Maps) and Froogle (now Google Shopping), as well as features of web search such as Question Answering and Web Definitions.

With regards to Google’s philanthropic arm, Craig also co-founded Google’s Flu Trends and Crisis Response projects, providing maps, imagery and a missing persons service.

Prior to joining Google in 2000, he was an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at Rutgers University, and a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Biochemistry Department at Stanford University. He is the author of 44 peer-reviewed academic publications, and was awarded a Career Grant by the National Science Foundation for work combining information retrieval and computational biology. 

Described as a creative force, Sir Richard Taylor KNZM is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Weta Workshop, the world renowned special effects company behind The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Hercules, Xena, The Chronicles of Narnia and Avatar to name a few.  

Famous for turning fantasy into reality, his credits to date include five Oscars, four BAFTAs and a raft of other international entertainment awards.

He was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2010, and named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006 and Wellingtonian of the Year in 2001.  

Although Weta Workshop is the flagship of Sir Richard’s business interests, his business partner and wife Tania and him have also diversified into a series of affiliate businesses. 

Karen Walker CNZM is one of the most well-known and influential Kiwi fashion designers on the international stage.

Since founding Karen Walker in 1989, her brand can be found in over 30 countries, 200 cities and in 950 stores worldwide. Her collections are shown each season at New York Fashion Week, she has permanent showrooms in London, New York, Tokyo and Sydney, and her products regularly receive editorial coverage in international magazines such as i-D, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Elle, W and Nylon.

Karen was included in The Business of Fashion's BoF500 as one of the 500 people who shaped the global fashion industry in 2015, 2014 and 2013. Phaidon has also included her in their book Sample, which curates the 100 most influential designers and Taschen included her in their book Fashion Now 2, which highlights the world’s most important 160 designers as selected by i-D magazine.

In 2007, Karen was awarded the Prix de Marie Claire for best creative talent and in 2014, was appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to fashion design.

In 2016, Karen Walker’s ready-to-wear garments were certified Child Labour Free. 

Distinguished Professor Margaret Brimble CNZM, FRSNZ is a highly accomplished chemist who has been pivotal in the discovery of several new drugs.

She is a Professor and Chair of Organic Chemistry and Director of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Auckland, Principal Investigator of the Maurice Wilkins Centre as well as the Centre of Brain Research and Associate Investigator of MacDiarmid Institute.  

In 2016, Margaret was the first New Zealander to be named as one of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry’s Distinguished Women in Chemistry. She is also a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to science and a recipient of the Rutherford Medal. In 2007, she was named a L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Laureate and in 2014, was awarded the Westpac Women of Influence Award in Science and Technology.

Professor Garth Cooper is one of New Zealand’s foremost biological scientists and biotechnology entrepreneurs.

His research has led to major advances in the understanding of disease mechanisms in diabetes and related syndromes, which in turn have led to the discovery of new therapies. He is the Professor in Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Auckland, Director and Professor of Discovery and Experimental Medicine at the University of Manchester, as well as visiting Professor of Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Oxford and of Pharmacy & Pharmacology at the University of Hong Kong.

In addition, he is an expert at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine & Health. In New Zealand, Garth has served numerous scientific organisations, including the New Zealand Government’s Biotechnology Taskforce and the Māori Health Committee, among others. He is also Chair and founding member of the Sustainability Council of New Zealand.  In 2003, Professor Garth Cooper was named North and South New Zealander of the Year and in 2005 as NZ BIO’s inaugural Biotechnologist of the Year.

In 2005, his university laboratory also received international recognition with a corporate Frost and Sullivan Global Award.  

Rod Drury is a serial technology entrepreneur who has been involved in numerous successful start-ups. He is now the Founder and CEO of Xero, a leading global online accounting platform for small businesses.

Passionate about New Zealand participating with its full potential internationally in the tech space, he has been a strong advocate and supporter of issues such as Broadband.  

His awards include: EY New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2013, Business Leader of the Year 2012, Distinguished Alumni Award 2011, Flying Kiwi Award and Member of the NZ Hi-Tech Hall of Fame 2009, Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Computer Society 2008, NZ Hi-Tech Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 and 2007 and Wellingtonian of the Year Business Category 2014.  

Rod sits on the Victoria University Faculty of Commerce and Administration Advisory Board and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. Previous board memberships and directorships include TradeMe, SQL Services and NZTE. He also co-founded Pacific Fibre and was selected as New Zealand’s first representative on the Mircosoft MSDN Regional Director Programme. 

Peri Drysdale MBE is a successful international businesswoman and entrepreneur passionate about environmental sustainability.

In 1981, she founded Snowy Peak, designing and producing high quality innovative luxury knitwear, which she exported worldwide.

In the 1990s, she pioneered the development of possum fibre and wool and launched Merinomink. Concerned about the environmental degradation she was witnessing as she traveled the world, Peri later founded the sustainably lifestyle fashion brand Untouched World.  Under Peri’s leadership, Untouched World has won a host of global awards and became the first fashion company in the world to be given permission to carry the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

The Untouched World Charitable Trust, funded by profits from sales of Untouched World, is meanwhile on a mission to play a leading role in the creation of a world where each individual's full potential is realised while assisting the planet to sustain its ability to support current and future generations.  

Peri has received wide recognition for her work ranging from being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1992, to North and South Magazine's New Zealander of the Year 2006, to being awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Commerce from Lincoln University in 2007. 

Bruce Farr OBE is a highly successful designer of racing and cruising yachts.

He founded Farr Yacht Design, which is considered as the top racing-yacht design team in the world. The company’s long-running record of achievement dates back more than 30 years and includes 43 World Championships won in Farr designs and a multitude of design successes at internationally prestigious grand prix yachting events, including the Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race), America’s Cup, Vendée Globe, Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Barcelona World Race, Transat Jacques Vabre, Copa del Rey and many others.

In 1990, Bruce’s services to yachting were recognised by being awarded the Order of the British Empire.

In 2015, Bruce came out of retirement to consult on the design for an updated version of the 12-metre class that will be sailed in the San Francisco Yacht Racing Challenge in July 2017. 

Phil Keoghan MNZM is best known for hosting the hit television series The Amazing Race since its 2001 debut.

He has also worked in more than 100 countries for over 24 years as an actor, author, television host, producer, director and cameraman. This includes creating and co-creating a number of original television series and completing a feature length documentary The Ride, which followed his 40-day, 3500-mile bike ride across America raising over $500,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  

In 2012, Phil was named as one of six Emerging Leaders at the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards for his support of the Christchurch earthquakes relief efforts.

In 2014, he was also made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to television and tourism. On top of this, he has won numerous professional awards, including seven prime-time Emmy Awards as a producer and host of The Amazing Race. 

Craig Norgate (1965-2015), a successful businessman and leader, is famous for being Fonterra’s first CEO from 2001-2003 before he headed to PGG Wrightson followed by the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

He was also on the boards of Port Taranaki and the New Plymouth District Council’s investment fund. Before that he was the inaugural President of the NZ/US Council, and a Director of the New Zealand Dairy Board, Sealord Group, NZRU and Mainlands Products as well as CEO of Kiwi Co-operative Dairies before it merged with others to form Fonterra.

In 2005, Craig won the New Zealand Herald Business Leader of the Year Award. 

Maurice Prendergast is the former CEO of Comvita New Zealand and Pumpkin Patch. Under his leadership, Pumpkin Patch grew into a global company with more than 250 stores worldwide and over 3000 employees.

In 2012, it won the Supreme Award at the New Zealand International Business Awards.

Maurice has also held executive positions in accounting, distribution and property development in both New Zealand and Australian companies. 

Dr John Bedbrook is the Vice President of DuPont Agricultural Biotechnology, Director of Plant Biosciences and Advisory Board Member of the College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley.

He has published over 100 scientific papers and is the author of multiple US issued patents. DuPont Agricultural Biotechnology solves global challenges rooted in science and engineering and John’s role is focused on product development and biotechnology to drive the company to an R&D leadership position.

Prior to joining DuPont, John served as President and CEO of Verdia as well as Plant Science Ventures and Savia, Co-President of DNA Plant Technologies and Founder of Advanced Genetic Sciences.  

Sir Paul Callaghan GNZM FRS FRSNZ (1947–2012) was a world-leading, award-winning Kiwi physicist who specialised in nanotechnology and magnetic resonance.

A highly-respected and inspirational leader and teacher, Sir Paul championed science and business as being crucial to New Zealand’s economic growth.

His vision was for New Zealanders to get more value and return from their ingenuity by combining science, innovation and commercialisation, and creating a hub of smart, export-focused entrepreneurs, where a high quality lifestyle is achieved through excellence in education and R&D.

In 2001, Sir Paul was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and in 2004, he received the Ampère Prize from the French Academy of Sciences. The following year he was awarded the Royal Society of New Zealand’s most prestigious prize – the Rutherford Medal. Sir Paul was appointed Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2006 and redesignated a Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2011. In 2007, he received a Sir Peter Blake Medal. Subsequently, he also received the Gunter Laukien Prize for magnetic resonance as well as the Prime Minister’s Science Prize. The year before he died, Sir Paul was named New Zealander of the Year. 

An innovative educator, Sir John Hood served as Vice-Chancellor of both Auckland University and Oxford University and was named a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to tertiary education in 2014.

He was the first person in Oxford’s 900-year history to be elected to the role from outside the University’s academic body.  

Sir John has shown strong commitment to industry, having spent 19 years heading the paper, building and construction divisions of Fletcher Challenge in New Zealand. He has also been a strategic consultant to a number of major corporations and served as director of ASB and Fonterra and is the former Chair of Tonkin & Taylor.In 2010, he was appointed President and CEO of The Robertson Foundation, a private family-led philanthropic foundation in the US.

Finally, Sir John was Chair of the Rhodes Trustees and was a Sir Peter Blake Medalist in 2009. 

Sir Ralph Norris KNZM is a world-renowned business leader whose lifetime achievements have changed the global banking industry, as well as helped grow New Zealand’s identity as a nation of innovators and high achievers.

Sir Ralph is famously known for his six-year tenure as the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and for being the former CEO of ASB and Air New Zealand. Considered a Chief Executive in Shining Armour, Sir Ralph is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including Chief Executive of the year 1997 and 2004, New Zealand Executive of the Decade 2010, Māori Business Leader of the Year 2010 and Laureate of the Business Hall of Fame 2014.

In 2006, he was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and he was redesignated Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009. In Australia, he was named Australian Banking and Finance Banker of the Year in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and Banker of the Decade and Customer Service CEO of the Year in 2010.

In 2012, the University of New South Wales conferred on Sir Ralph an Honorary Doctorate of Business in recognition of his contribution to Australian business.

Brian Peace is the Founder and CEO of BrashTech as well as the Founder and former CEO of Peace Software, an early provider of IT, billing and CRM software to the deregulated utility sector.

Peace Software became a world leader in its space and in 2006, when it was sold to NASDAQ-listed global entity First Data, it employed more than 400 staff across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA.  

In addition, Brian worked as a lecturer in Information Systems at Auckland University and as a consultant on system acquisition and implementation.

He was named EY Technology Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999, Distinguished Alumni Award winner at the University of Auckland in 2001 and New Zealand Technology Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002. 

Kevin Roberts CNZM is the former CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the world’s leading creative organisations.

He started his career in the 1960s with iconic London fashion house Mary Quant. He then worked for Procter & Gamble in Europe and the Middle East and was CEO of Pepsi-Cola Middle East and Canada before coming to New Zealand to be COO of Lion Nathan.  For 16 years, he was also a member of the Management Board of Publicis Groupe, the Paris-based global communications group.Today he is a business ambassador for the New Zealand United States Council and Chair of My Food Bag.

He is a former director of the New Zealand Rugby Union and a former board member of New Zealand Football and Trustee for Team New Zealand America’s Cup challenge.

In 2013, he was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and the community.  A world leader on creative thinking, marketing and leadership, Kevin advises national organizations and global brands across commerce, media and sport.

He has honorary appointments and doctorates at a number of international universities and has published several books. 

Geoff Ross is the CEO of the Moa Brewing Company and Chair of Trilogy.

He is famous for founding and being the CEO of 42 Below, the world’s most awarded vodka sold in over 5000 bars worldwide. 42 Below was a listed company prior to its sale to global spirits giant Bacardi in 2006.

His awards include Marketer of the Year 2006 and Deloitte Fast 50 Winner 2005.  

Geoff’s background includes being Managing Partner and Board Member of DDB Advertising and Client Service Director and Management Team Member at Saatchi & Saatchi.

He is now a trustee of the Melanoma Foundation and Pure Advantage. 

Professor Mark Billinghurst is a Professor at the University of Canterbury and a Director at the Human Interface Technology Lab.

With a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, Mark has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in human computer interface technology, particularly in the area of augmented reality.

Mark has achieved several accolades for his contribution to human interface technology research. He was awarded a Discover Magazine Award in 2001, for Entertainment for creating the Magic Book technology. He was selected as one of eight leading New Zealand innovators and entrepreneurs to be showcased at the Carter Holt Harvey New Zealand Innovation Pavilion at the America's Cup Village from November 2002 until March 2003. In 2004, he was nominated for a prestigious World Technology Network Award in the education category and in 2005, he was appointed to the New Zealand Government's Growth and Innovation Advisory Board.

Sir Peter Gluckman ONZ, KNZM, FRS, FMedSci, FRSNZ is the Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

He has built an extraordinarily successful career as a New Zealand-trained, internationally distinguished scientist with extensive involvement in many aspects of science, health and educational policy development. He is the only New Zealander to be elected to the Institute of Medicine at the US National Academies of Science and the Academy of Medical Sciences of Great Britain.  

Prior to being the Chief Science Advisor, he was the Dean of the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and founded and was the Director of the Liggins Institute and the National Research Centre for Growth and Development.  

Sir Peter is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, an honour bestowed on just 42 New Zealand-born scientists since the Society's establishment in 1660. He received New Zealand’s top science award, the Rutherford Medal in 2001 and was named New Zealander of the Year in 2004. He was reassigned to Knight Companion in 2009 for services to medicine, having previously been made a CNZM in 1997. In 2015, he was appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit. In 2016, he received the American Association for the Advancement of Science Award for Science Diplomacy.

Brent Hansen was a director of iconic 80s music show Radio With Pictures for four years.

In 1987, he joined MTV and climbed up the ranks to be President and Chief Executive MTV Europe followed by President of Creative and Editor-in-Chief MTV International. During this time, he was responsible for overseeing creative and editorial endeavours for 89 international channels as well as branding, creative, music, programming and editorial output for all global initiatives.

Brent has been instrumental in backing the music careers of Kiwis in the UK and was a major supporter of the 2000 retrospective exhibition of New Zealand modernist artist, Len Lye, at the celebrated Pompidou Centre in Paris and broadcast his avant-garde films across the MTV network.  

Chris Liddell CNZM is a widely respected New Zealand businessman who was the Vice Chair and CFO of General Motors. His leadership of the company’s global finance operations included the GM IPO, the largest ever IPO at the time.

His earlier career included Senior Vice President and CFO at Microsoft, CFO of International Paper and CEO of Carter Holt Harvey, New Zealand’s second largest listed company at the time.  

Chris currently brings his 30 years of finance and operation experience to the chairmanship of the Next Foundation and Xero.

He is a former director of the New Zealand Rugby Union and governor of the New Zealand Sports Foundation. A Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Auckland, Chris has actively supported a number of environmental projects in New Zealand. In 2015,

he was awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and philanthropy. 

Alan MacDiarmid ONZ FRS was integral in working out how to make plastic conduct electricity, which has had innumerable practical applications in the information age and earned him a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000, making him New Zealand’s third Nobel Laureate.  

A Fulbright Fellowship and Shell Scholarship led to Sir Alan gaining doctorates at the University of Wisconsin and Cambridge University respectively. He joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania in 1955, where he held the distinguished position of Blanchard Professor of Chemistry from 1988 until his death in 2007.  

In 1999, Victoria University of Wellington accorded him an honorary doctorate and in 2001 created the Alan MacDiarmid Chair in Physical Chemistry. In 2000, the Royal Society of New Zealand awarded him its top honour, the Rutherford Medal, and in 2002 he became a Member of the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand's highest accolade.  

Sir Alan continued with his pioneering research and eminent university positions around the world until his death in February 2007. His contribution to science and, more widely, the quality of human existence, was exceptional.

Dr Simon Moroney is the Co-Founder and CEO of MorphoSys AG, a Germany-based company actively engaged in drug development partnerships and clinical trials.

Prior to co-founding MorphoSys, Simon held positions at universities in the UK, Canada and Switzerland. From 1984 to 1986, while an Associate in the Harvard Medical School and an employee of ImmunoGen Inc, he worked on the first generation of anti-cancer antibody conjugates.  

His awards include the Bavarian State Medal for Outstanding Services to the Bavarian Economy 2009, the German Cross of the Order of Merit for services to biotechnology and a Commonwealth Scholarship to the University of Oxford.  

Sir Kenneth Stevens is the Founder and Chair of Glidepath Limited, an engineering company specialising in computerised airport baggage handling equipment and projects. Since 1972, the company has grown to an estimated worth of $500 million with offices and facilities around the world.

Glidepath won 15 national awards for business and exporting achievements between 1991 and 2012. Sir Ken has been recognised on 9 occasions, including EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist 2005, Engineering Entrepreneur of the Year 2009, and a knighthood in 2009 for services to exporting.

Sir Ken plays a key role in a range of organisations and activities to promote New Zealand business and international cooperation including as a Board Member and Trustee of the Asia New Zealand Foundation and Chair of Export New Zealand. 

Dr Richard Mander is a product design leader with a successful track record in using disruptive technologies to build innovative, high quality consumer products and turning them into a commercial success.

On completion of his PhD, Richard worked at Apple, which included being the Engineering Group Manager and overseeing QuickTimeVR, an immersive photo visualisation technology.

He headed Zanzara for 7 years before returning to New Zealand to be the CTO of Navman, a designer and manufacturer of GPS products for cars and boats.

He has also been the CEO of HumanWare and BigScreenLive as well as holding senior positions at numerous other companies.  

His awards include several New Zealand Hi Tech Awards in 2007, Export Deal of the Year Award 2007, Break Through Start-up 2010, an CES Innovation and Design in Engineering Award for the ContourGPS camera in 2011, and a SPIE Prism Award for Green Photonics in 2013.

Andy Lark is the CMO of Xero, the world’s fastest growing SaaS Company and leader in online accounting. He also chairs Group Lark, an accelerant for digital and brand transformations.

For the past two decades, Andy has worked alongside CEOs and their leadership teams to define and attain digital and brand greatness for their institutions. He has also built some of the world’s most successful ecommerce sites, online communities and applications for smartphones.  

Prior to joining Xero he was Chief Marketing and Online Officer for Australia’s leading financial institution, the Commonwealth Bank. There he launched the world’s most successful eWallet.

He is now a non-executive director of Mighty River Power, SLI Systems, Fronde and Number 8 Ventures.

In addition, he invests in and advises numerous start-ups and technology leaders including Simple, Flamingo, Marketshare and Marketo.