February 7, 2008
Kea New Zealand and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise have announced the winners of the prestigious 2008 World Class New Zealand Awards, now in its fifth year.
The awards recognise New Zealand’s ‘Tall Poppy’s’ who provide inspiration and leadership for the next generation of business, creative and academic leaders. Winners are those who have given their time, knowledge and skills to help New Zealand succeed internationally. The awards are across a range of sectors reflecting the diversity of the New Zealand economy.
The winners are:
The winner of the Supreme Award, sponsored by HSBC, will be announced on the evening of the Awards.
All eight winners will receive a ‘Tall Poppy’, a unique statuette designed by Richard Taylor from the Oscar-winning WETA Workshop in Wellington. The black-tie gala dinner will be held at The Langham Hotel in Auckland on 27 February.
“New Zealand punches way above its weight internationally and these awards give us the perfect opportunity to celebrate this. As a judge, I have had the privilege of reading about not only these talented individuals but a whole raft of finalists and I have been so impressed with the excellent work New Zealanders are continuing to do around the globe.
“The winners are a shining example to young New Zealand entrepreneurs, of business people and academics succeeding on a world stage while at the same time contributing back into the New Zealand economy,” says Chair of Kea New Zealand, Stephen Tindall.
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Chief Executive, Tim Gibson says “Now in its fifth year I am continually surprised by the sheer number of world class Kiwis doing creative, cutting edge and ground breaking work in their fields. It is a sign of how well New Zealand is excelling on the world stage.”
The 2008 World Class New Zealand Awards are proudly supported by sponsors – HSBC; Gen-i; BDO Spicers; Merck Sharp & Dohme; Enterprising Manukau; Foundation for Research, Science and Technology; Provenco and Wellington City Council.
The black-tie gala dinner will be held at The Langham Hotel in Auckland on 27 February 2008. Tickets are limited and available from wcnz-tickets@keanewzealand.com or by phoning Victoria on (09) 302 3100.
Contact: Connie Sprague, Network Manager - World Class New Zealand, Kea New Zealand, phone +64 21 619 293, email connie@keanewzealand.com
Notes to editors
Kea New Zealand
The Kiwi Expat Association Inc (Kea New Zealand) is an independent, non-profit organisation that brings together people with a passion for New Zealand, wherever they are in the world.
Founded by Stephen Tindall, founder of The Warehouse and The Tindall Foundation; Professor David Teece, Director of the Institute of Management, Innovation and Organisation, University of California at Berkeley; and Dr George Barker, Director of the Centre for Law and Economics, Australian National University, President of the Australian Law and Economics Association. Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, and led by Chief Executive Ivan Moss.
Over 22,000 Kiwis and other ‘friends of New Zealand’ around the world are subscribed to Kea, which helps them to maintain regular contact with the country. Many of these subscribers appear in Kea’s searchable online database, allowing them to be contacted by other Kea members from anywhere in the world.
Active local Kea groups operate in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
www.keanewzealand.com
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the Government’s national economic development agency. It works to stimulate economic growth by helping boost export earnings, strengthen regional economies and deliver economic development assistance to industries and individual businesses.
As a global organisation, NZTE uses its knowledge and contacts in key overseas markets to provide crucial international connections for New Zealand businesses looking to expand internationally and also to attract direct investment into New Zealand.
www.nzte.govt.nz
2008 World Class New Zealand Awards - Sponsors:
HSBC Group
The HSBC Group is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. The Group has around 10,000 offices and over 315,000 employees in 83 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. The HSBC Group serves almost 125 million customers and has assets of over US$2,150billion (at 30 June 2007). HSBC is marketed worldwide as ‘the world’s local bank’.
With listings on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bermuda stock exchanges, shares in HSBC Holdings plc are held by around 200,000 shareholders in some 100 countries and territories. The shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange in the form of American Depository Receipts.
BDO Spicers
BDO Spicers is one of the top five Chartered Accounting and Business Advisory firms in New Zealand with 14 offices, more than 65 partners and over 650 employees nationwide. The company is proud of its hands-on personal approach and its partners' active involvement at all times. BDO Spicers has a strong local presence throughout New Zealand and offers businesses the support, opportunities and benefits of being part of a cohesive global network. It has the unique combination of international strength and local excellence.
Enterprising Manukau
Enterprising Manukau promotes and facilitates economic growth in the region by working with businesses to improve their management capabilities. Moreover, working to promote Manukau as the leading destination in which to live, invest and conduct business. Enterprising Manukau has a team with a wide range of vocational and business experience. The dynamics of this team environment are incredibly progressive and continue to provide businesses and individuals with the tools required to facilitate economic growth and prosperity.
Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology is the largest of the public sector investment agents for research science and technology. We manage investments of approximately $450 million a year – amounting to nearly 70 per cent of the government’s investment in research and development. We work with research organisations, universities and businesses to maximise the benefits of their research for New Zealand – economically, socially and environmentally.
Gen-i
Gen-i is a leading ICT provider in New Zealand and Australia, with a capability that spans the technology and telecommunications sectors to provide clients with seamless and integrated ICT solutions. A member of the Telecom Group, Gen-i employs 1600 people across 15 locations throughout New Zealand and Australia, providing services and solutions to over 3000 corporate, government and business clients. Gen-i is at the forefront of helping clients take advantage of the convergence of IT and telecommunications, and the new opportunities this provides. Gen-i's success has seen it consistently ranked as the number one ICT company in New Zealand for both mindshare and marketshare, according to the IDC Brand Awareness survey and IDC IT Services Tracker.
Provenco
Provenco is a New Zealand-founded technology company operating globally with customers in over 20 countries. Provenco creates and delivers smart technology for business which is reflected in each of its business areas: forecourt solutions for the international retail oil industry; EFTPOS payment and retail technology in the domestic New Zealand market; and distribution of retail, barcoding and mobile & wireless technology in Asia-Pacific. Wellington City Council
Wellington = New Zealand's Capital of Creativity and Innovation. Wellington City Council aims to promote Wellington’s reputation as New Zealand’s centre of creativity and innovation in order to attract and retain smart, innovative people and creative, forward-looking enterprise.
Merck Sharp & Dohme
Merck Sharp & Dohme (NZ) Ltd is the New Zealand subsidiary of Merck & Co Inc, a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Merck discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets medicines and vaccines to address unmet medical needs. Alliances with innovative partners are an integral and essential part of Merck's long-term business and research strategy. More than one-half of the company's sales are from alliance products and patents and in 2006 Merck established 53 major research collaborations and technology transactions globally to augment internal research efforts. These were across a range of therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, diabetes, novel vaccines, obesity, infectious disease and oncology.
newzealand.govt.nz - connecting you to New Zealand central & local government services
© 2003-2008 New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
