Finalists Announced For The New Zealand Leadership Awards

The inaugural New Zealand Leadership Awards have named thirty-six finalists across various business and community sectors. Presented by Robert Walters and supported by New Zealand Rugby, these awards aim to celebrate and honour outstanding leadership within New Zealand’s diverse professional and community landscapes.

The awards received over 630 nominations across ten categories. These nominations were evaluated by a distinguished panel of 31 experts from the business and community sectors, including four Knights, three Dames, and industry game changers including Peter Beck from Rocket Lab and Hnry’s Co-founder and CEO James Fuller. The selection process highlighted the depth and breadth of leadership talent within New Zealand.

Shay Peters, CEO of Robert Walters Australia and New Zealand, expressed his admiration for the quality of entries, stating, "The calibre of entries for the New Zealand Leadership Awards has been outstanding. This is a testament to the exceptional business and community organisations operating in our country. It's been a challenging task for the judges to narrow down to these finalists."

He further congratulated the finalists, acknowledging their exceptional leadership and significant contributions in their respective fields. "It's truly inspiring to witness Kiwi organisations thriving under great leadership, navigating through challenging market conditions and emerging stronger than ever."

Peters added, "The diversity in nominations has been remarkable, with the finalists coming from government departments, early childhood schools, banks, energy companies, growth management firms, vehicle repair shops, and AI technology specialists. Many of these finalists have achieved global recognition for their initiatives and leadership, competing on the world stage. This diversity underscores the need for the Leadership Awards, providing a platform to celebrate and champion excellence across all sectors of our business and community organisations."

The New Zealand Leadership Award 2024 finalists are:

SME Business Leadership Award – sponsored by Xero

Maria Johnson – MD of Little School

Catherine Jones – CEO Creative HQ

Nicola Taylor – Co-Founder – Tax Traders & Taxi

Community Leadership Award – sponsored by Anthony Harper

Joy Reid – CEO – One Mother to Another NZ

Charlotte Gibson – Chairperson – Te Poho-O-Rawiri Marae

Dr Amanda Evans – CEO & Founder – Rei Kotuku

Innovation Leadership Award – sponsored by Hnry

Antonia Modkova – Director of Intellectual Property and Innovation – Soul Machines

John Rendall – Head of Technology and Innovation – Animation Research Limited

Mark Vella – CEO – Total Healthcare Charitable Trust

ED&I Leadership Award – sponsored by SkyCity

Martin King – Director – Pride Pledge

Leana Becker – Founder – Adaptive Whakauru Charitable Trust

Sarah Archer – Head of Talent, Diversity & Inclusion – Chorus NZ

Entrepreneur Leadership Award - sponsored by Steinlarger

Levi Fawcett – CEO – Partly

Arash Tayebi – Founder & CEO Kara Technologies

Saba Samiei – Founder and CEO – MACSO

Alexia Hilbertidou – Founder – GirlBoss New Zealand

Ratu Mataira – Founder & CEO – Open Star Technologies

Public Sector Leadership Award – sponsored by Meredith Connell

Debbie Power – Chief Executive – Ministry of Social Development

Carolyn Tremain – Chief Executive – Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Jeanine Tamati-Elliffe – Tuia Te Herenga Initiative Lead – Environment Canterbury

Māori Leadership Award – sponsored by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei

Dr Jim Mather – Managing Director – Mather Solutions

Stacey Morrison – Radio Host – NZME

Donna Flavell – CEO – Waikato-Tainui

Pasifika Leadership Award – sponsored by Tuputoa

Nina Nawalowalo – artistic Director – The Conch Charitable Trust

Paul Retimanu – Chairman – Pacific Business Trust

Sustainability Business Award – sponsored by Fonterra

Hayden Smith – Founding Trustee – Sea Cleaners

John Berry – CEO – Pathfinder Asset Management

Anne-Maree O’Connor – Head of Sustainable Investment – NZ Super Fund

Large Business Leadership Awards – sponsored by Air New Zealand

Russell Shaw – CEO – Top Energy Group

Vittoria Shortt – CEO - ASB

Chris Quin – CEO - Foodstuffs North Island

Paul Newfield – CEO – Morrison & Co

Emerging Leader Award – sponsored by New Zealand Rugby

Ratu Mataira – Founder & CEO - OpenStar Technologies

Alexia Hilbertidou – Founder - GirlBoss New Zealand

Luke Campbell – CEO & Co-Founder – VXT

Sasha Unsworth – Acting Director, Transformation & Change – New Zealand Police

For more details on each of the finalists please visit: https://www.robertwalters.co.nz/microsites/new-zealand-leadership-awards/finalists.html

The winners of each of the categories will be announced at a prestigious Awards Gala night on 15th August at the Dome, Auckland War Memorial Museum. To purchase tickets please visit: https://events.humanitix.com/new-zealand-leadership-awards

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