Awards winners come on board

Awards winners come on board

At its AGM on Tuesday, 22 March Business Kapiti Horowhenua ('BKH') welcomed two new members to the Board.

Chairman of Business Kapiti Horowhenua Mark Ternent says the appointment of Angela Buswell and Dr Helen Beban to the BKH Board will bring a fresh focus and different skill sets to the table. "We're really excited to have Angela and Helen joining the Board. They are extremely successful business people and proud locals who are committed to creating and promoting business excellence across the Kapiti Horowhenua regions.

Mr Ternent says the fact BKH can attract such high quality Board members is a reflection of the organisation’s commitment to promoting and developing business excellence throughout the region.

At the same time the Board has farewelled long serving member and Deputy Chairman, Ingo Schleuss, owner of Kapinua in Levin. "After 5 years of dedicated service to BKH Ingo has decided that it's time for a well deserved break," says Mark Ternent. "It'll be a little odd not seeing his face at the Board table as he's been an important member of our team for many years and we'll certainly miss his business insight and sense of humour."

New Board Member Profiles

Angela Buswell is the founder and owner of Superminx, a trendy retail chain with stores in Levin and Greytown selling fashion footwear, jewellery and accessories.
Kapiti born and bred, Angela studied footwear design and technology at university in England before returning home in 1998 to work in the family's Waikanae footwear business. In 2000 Angela and her sister Cushla purchased the business and established the 'MINX' fashion footwear brand. MINX quickly established itself in the market, winning the 'brand to watch' award at the 2002 Wellington Fashion Week. In 2003 the company was a finalist in the Wellington Gold Awards and Angela was named a finalist in the Ernst & Young 'Young Entrepreneur of the Year' awards.

In 2006 the sisters made the decision to move the manufacturing of the now iconic MINX brand offshore, and Angela took the opportunity to move from manufacturing into retail, opening her first Superminx store in Otaki. Angela's focus has been to create a business that is fun to both work in and shop in. "If I can create a great place to work, it will become a great place to shop," she explains. "Our aim is to provide outstanding customer service by spending time with our customers, being real and helping them to really enjoy their shopping experience."

The philosophy is clearly working with Superminx winning the Electra Kapiti Horowhenua Business Awards ‘Employee Training and Interaction’ Award in2008, before taking out the ‘Customer Choice Award’ in 2016.

"I love Kapiti and what it has to offer me as a person, my family, my business and career," says Angela. I'm proud to be joining the BKH Board and excited about contributing to the business community at a time when the region is poised for significant growth."

Dr Helen Beban is a qualified veterinarian with 40 years clinical, government, industry and regulatory experience. She has an MBA (distinction), and has held governance roles within the New Zealand Veterinary Association (board member) and the Companion Animal Society (President), as well as spending over a decade as the New Zealand Councillor on the Commonwealth Veterinary Association.

In the 1980's Helen was a vet with the Horowhenua West Coast Veterinary Club in Levin before it was renamed as Horowhenua Veterinary Services, although the business continued to run as a Veterinary Club with elected farmers serving as Directors and Nick Cooper from Colbert Cooper Ltd as Secretary.

In 1989 Russ and Helen Beban bought the business from the Vet Club and were joined a few years later by Hugh Bentall as a partner. The practice expanded rapidly to five full time vets, with Helen leading quality management at the business. During this time the business was named the 'Small Business of the Year' and overall 'Business of the Year' (1995), then 'Rural Business of the Year' and the overall 'Business of the Year' (1999) at the Electra Kapiti Horowhenua Business Awards. Helen sold her partnership to Hugh Bentall in 2001.

Helen has been a member of the New Zealand Veterinary Association's Veterinary Business Group, and was a member of the Massey curriculum review group looking into teaching enhanced business skills for veterinary students. She has worked in government as a National Advisor International Animal Trade for MAF Biosecurity, and as a Technical Services Veterinarian with Hill’s Pet Nutrition (a subsidiary of Colgate Palmolive).

In 2014 Helen was appointed to the newly created Professional Advisor role within the Veterinary Council of New Zealand, responsible for the provision of professional advice and support to Council, Council staff, veterinarians and members of the public on professional standards issues. She drafted a communication strategy and assisted the Council in meeting its strategic communication and professional standards objectives.

Helen has recently retired and looks forward to an extended trip overseas to see family, as well as cycle the Camino Pilgrimage across Spain with Russ and cycle through Central Europe with friends from Waikanae Saturday Cycle Group. She is passionate about the Kapiti Horowhenua; Helen and Russ now live in Waikanae but still own a deer farm south of Levin. She looks forward to contributing to BKH.

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