Recipients Of The Michael Barnett Scholarship Announced

The Auckland Business Chamber is pleased to announce the two recipients of the 2021 Michael Barnett Scholarship.

This scholarship was established in 2016 to mark Michael Barnett’s 25 years of leadership of the Auckland Business Chamber.

The recipients are Courtney Davies who is currently studying at Massey University and Etienne Tapueluelu who is currently studying at AUT University of Technology.

Courtney Davies will use her scholarship to contribute to her MBA studies at Massey University and to further her passion for sharing this knowledge with others about sciences and the environment. Courtney has already discovered a microbe, which is a virus that infects bacteria, which she has named Inca. Currently employed with Blake NZ, she is proud to also share her knowledge with the next generation through school visits and global classroom opportunities. The Chamber will also support Courtney’s career through networking and advisory opportunities.

Michael Barnett says “This highly intelligent young woman has a bright future ahead of her. Not only do we share an interest in agriculture, but I was interested to learn she has commenced her governance journey already albeit on a voluntary basis. She will be a formidable leader in years to come.”

Etienne Tapueluelu will use his scholarship to contribute to his MBA studies at AUT University where he is undertaking research to help manufacturing employers to better understand the health and safety environment for Pacific Island workers. Etienne will also use some of his scholarship to contribute to his business which he has established with family support. It is a subscription-based Pasifika meal pack, which is targeted to Polynesian families, and consists of only Polynesian ingredients and recipes. Etienne will be provided with a Chamber Mentor to guide him on his business journey.

Michael Barnett says “Etienne’s research will provide valuable feedback to employers, and the Chamber looks forward to the opportunity to share this with business. I believe in lifelong learning, so was pleased to see a mature student, and look forward to seeing Etienne grow his start-up business.”

Michael provides leadership on matters including diversity, education, transport, international trade, ports, infrastructure and local government efficiency. He was an elected local government politician for nine years and was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2011.

Michael continues at the helm of the Chamber and is a Director of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce and a board member of the International Chambers of Commerce.

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