The seven winners of the World Class New Zealand Award 2006 were announced on 1 March at the Auckland Town Hall.
Prof Alan MacDiarmid, University of Pennsylvania, New Zealand's only living Nobel Prize laureate and a leading researcher in the electrical conductivity of plastics, a key enabler of the information age; author or co-author of 600 research papers and 20 patents; maintains strong professional and personal ties with New Zealand; member of the Order of New Zealand and winner of the Rutherford Medal.
Dr Mark Billinghurst, New Zealand Director, Human Interface Technology Lab (HIT Lab NZ), a leading virtual-reality research organisation based in Christchurch and at the University of Washington; inventor of the 'Magic Book' virtual-reality education tool; member of the New Zealand Government's Growth and Innovation Advisory Board.
Brent Hansen, former Chief Executive Officer, MTV Networks Europe, providing entertainment in 120 million homes; backed New Zealand musical and artistic talent in the UK; guest presenter at New Zealand's 'Resonate' music-industry seminar.
Dr Simon Moroney, CEO, MorphoSys AG, a company based in Germany that specialises in human antibodies; first foreign national to win the German Cross of the Order of Merit; actively seeks to collaborate with, advise and promote New Zealand businesses in Europe.
Ken Stevens, CEO, Glidepath, a baggage and cargo handling and security firm with 426 projects in 31 countries; from Auckland, runs a global operation with offices in Sydney, Santiago, Toronto and Beijing, and with a manufacturing unit in Dallas, Texas.
Prof Peter Gluckman, Founding Director, the Liggins Institute, and a leading researcher on brain injury, nutrition in the womb, and applying evolutionary theory to human medicine; leading adviser on national and international health policy; winner of the Rutherford Medal; former Dean of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland.
Chris Liddell, Chief Financial Officer, Microsoft, the world's leading software company; formerly with senior positions in Carter Holt Harvey, CS First Boston NZ Ltd, Project Crimson, New Zealand Sports Foundation and the New Zealand Rugby Union.
>> Read the full biographies on the Kea New Zealand web site
>> Details of previous winners
The World Class New Zealand Awards are presented by Kea, New Zealand’s Global Talent Community, and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
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