Teamwork And Excellence For Business Hall Of Fame

Commitment To Teamwork And Excellence For Business Hall Of Fame Laureates

Commitment to excellence and teamwork are the constant themes throughout the careers of Diane Foreman and Peter Menzies, two new laureates to the Enterprise North Shore Business Hall of Fame.

“Peter and Diane, two long-term North Shore residents, are great examples of why we established our Business Hall of Fame,” says Enterprise North Shore Chairman, Ian Watson on Monday. “We wanted to celebrate the contribution of our North Shore leaders to sustainable business and to community service. Diane and Peter are exemplars of the contribution that business makes to society; by building and growing good businesses, by providing employment and careers for New Zealanders and then ensuring they contribute with leadership and sound governance and by making significant contribution in the broader community.”

In building the local economy, it’s important to have role models that can show the way ahead, believes Ian Watson. “Diane and Peter are fantastic ambassadors for the contribution that inspired, forward-thinking and entrepreneurial business people make to the economy, not just of North Shore or wider Auckland, but of New Zealand. They join an illustrious group of great New Zealanders.”

Ian Watson will present Business Hall of Fame trophies to Peter Menzies and Diane Foreman, at the Gala Dinner for the 2006 Westpac Enterprise North Shore Business Excellence Awards, on Thursday, 31 August, at North Harbour Stadium.

Other North Shore residents that have been recognised as Enterprise North Shore Business Hall of Fame laureates include inaugural laureates Geoff & Jim Smale, Stephen Tindall and Ralph Robert, in 2004, and Peter Maire, David Levene and Graham Avery, in 2005.

The 2006 Enterprise North Shore Business Hall of Fame Laureates:

DIANE FOREMAN

Diane’s business grounding came with her Directorship role for Trigon Industries and later, when she took over running of the business as CEO. A significant exporter, Trigon had annual sales of $NZ 140 million and 750 staff, with manufacturing facilities in New Zealand, United Kingdom and USA when Diane and her husband Bill Foreman sold the business in 1995. This enabled the establishment of Emerald Group, a private investment company. As CEO, Diane presides over a diverse portfolio including the Emerald Food Group, a manufacturer and exporter of ice cream brands including Movenpick and Killinchy Gold. With New Zealand Natural, its Australian-based franchised ice cream operation, Emerald sells franchises and ice cream throughout 400 franchised outlets in 15 countries. Emerald also owns Emerald Inn, a boutique hotel in Takapuna and with its venture capital arm, Emerald Ventures, has investments in Emergent, an executive recruitment company and in Healthcare Holdings Ltd. Diane’s services to the community have been driven by being a mother to six children. She founded the Hearing House for Cochlear Implanted Children and is currently Vice Chairman for Mercy Ascot Hospitals Ltd.

PETER MENZIES

A civil engineer, Peter worked on major construction projects in New Zealand and overseas during the 1960s, before joining Mainline Construction in 1971. By the time he had retired from the business as Chairman of the Mainzeal Group in 1993, his skills in governance and management had accompanied successful completion and tenanting of a series of major high-rise commercial buildings throughout Auckland’s CDB. Teamwork and adopting a visionary outlook and adapting to market changes were skills he drew on for subsequent chairman and director appointments with Mercury Energy and Vector Ltd, Auckland Uniservices, Team New Zealand and the Electricity Corporation, among others. A family and community focus shaped Peter’s involvement in a series of not-for-profit organisations, the best-known being leadership in 2001 and 2002 of the development with business, community, iwi and government of the groundwork supporting the Auckland Regional Economic Development Strategy recently adopted by the Auckland Regional Council. His current appointments include governance roles for the University of Auckland, Growth & Innovation Advisory Board, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, New Zealand Seed Fund, DamWatch Services and the Tindall Foundation.

Background:

The Enterprise North Shore Business Hall of Fame was established by Enterprise North Shore’s Board of Trustees in 2004. The criteria recognises individual business people whose contribution of time and effort to business and the community has been instrumental in generating business, community and economic growth for North Shore City and for New Zealand. Worthy members will have conducted a successful, financially viable business for a minimum of ten years and be domiciled in North Shore City by residential address and/or business location. Nominations to the Business Hall of Fame are requested annually from North Shore residents and business people.

Ends

© Scoop Media