Respected business journalist Rod Oram visits the Nelson region next week to give two talks on the opportunities that Covid-19 presents for New Zealand to tackle climate change, poverty and what he calls “other deeply systemic failures”.

Oram has more than 40 years’ experience as an international business journalist. He has worked for various publications in Europe and North America, including the Financial Times of London, and contributes weekly to Newsroom, Radio New Zealand and Newstalk ZB.

The talks, entitled ‘Regeneration trumps recovery,’ are being organised by The Green Party and held in Nelson and Mapua after Oram praised the party’s Poverty Action Plan in a recent column for Newsroom. In the piece, Oram called the policy “a first and essential step” on the journey to helping New Zealanders make more of their skills and ambition.

The column can be read here: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/greens-poverty-plan-welcome-and-essential

The Green Party’s Nelson candidate, Dr Aaron Stallard, said that, with so much uncertainty surrounding the future, the party was thrilled to be able to offer Nelsonians the opportunity to hear first-hand from one of the country’s most respected business commentators.

“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the importance of experts and sound evidence-based policy. We’re really proud to be bringing Rod Oram to Nelson-Whakatu because, not only will he be talking about what’s ahead, he’s going to be talking about the kinds of policies that we’re going to need to get through the tough times and come out stronger,” Stallard said.

Oram will be speaking at the Mapua Community Hall on Monday August 10 at 7.30pm and at River Kitchen in Nelson on Tuesday August 11 at 5.30pm. Entry: $10 cash on the door for both events.

Background

In Citigroup’s annual global journalism awards, Oram was the winner in 2019 in the General Business category in the Australia and NZ region for his columns in Newsroom on Fonterra; and he was the NZ Journalist of the year. In the 2018 New Zealand Shareholders’ Association Business Journalism Awards, Rod won the Business Commentary category for his Newsroom columns.

Oram was a founding trustee and the second chairman of Ākina Foundation, which helps social enterprises develop their business models in areas of sustainability. He remains actively involved with the foundation and the ventures it supports.

He is a public speaker on deep sustainability, business, economics, and innovation.

In addition to his media work, Oram is a member of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship, which brings together people from here and abroad who seek to contribute to global change from Aotearoa

In 2016, Bridget Williams Books published his most recent book, Three Cities: Seeking Hope in the Anthropocene, details at bwb.co.nz/books/three-cities

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