The 2009 Awards
The 2009 Blake medalist:
The 2009 Emerging Leader Awardees:
› Andy Hamilton
› Russell Mardon
› Alfred Ngaro
› Rachel Paris
› John Penno
› Iva Ropati
The 2009 Blake medalist:
John Hood
Dr John Hood’s appointment to the position of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 2004 marked the first time, in its 900-year history, a person had been selected for the position from outside the institution.
Formerly Vice-Chancellor of The University of Auckland, Dr Hood’s appointment to one of the world’s leading universities was seen as a tribute to his understanding of the modern university and its role. It also recognised his vision and ability to set direction and goals and to motivate people in achieving them.
Driven to achieve the highest possible standard of excellence in everything he undertakes, Dr Hood’s primary focus over the last ten years, at Auckland and Oxford, has been to work with his scholarly colleagues and other stakeholders to reinforce the strength of universities as “the heartbeat of modern democracies”.
During his time at Oxford, research income has nigh doubled, with the University achieving significant success in the latest Research Assessment Exercise. The physical infrastructure of the institution has been steadily enhanced and plans are advanced for future projects. The Campaign for Oxford has been launched and has to date raised well in excess of £700 million. The University is now financially and administratively stronger.
As Vice-Chancellor at The University of Auckland between 1999 and 2004, Dr Hood’s restless energy and enthusiasm quickly won broad support through his strong advocacy of New Zealand’s need to regain its place in the top half of the OECD. His work championed the potential of academia to play a part in creating a more internationally competitive New Zealand and a culture in which the nation’s top thinkers might be as honoured and respected as the top sportsmen.
During his time in the role, Dr Hood also galvanised the national debate on future options for New Zealand society through hosting two Knowledge Wave Conferences (2001 and 2003).
He gave the University a new sense of direction and left the institution in a strong position to pursue its goals of excellence and international recognition.
Dr Hood has also shown a strong commitment to industry in his career, having spent 19 years heading the paper, building and construction divisions of Fletcher Challenge. Prior to leaving for Oxford, he was a director of ASB Bank, Fonterra Co-operative Group and Universitas 21 Global; Chairman of Tonkin & Taylor, The Knowledge Wave Trust and the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee. He was also a member of the Prime Minister’s Growth and Innovation Advisory Board, New Zealand Secretary for The Rhodes Trust and a member of the Council of the University of Melbourne.
During the 1990s Dr Hood’s leadership extended to the design of the country’s high performance sport architecture as Chairman of the America’s Cup Task Force and the Minister’s Think-Tank on High Performance Sport and as author of the Hood Report on New Zealand Cricket.
Dr Hood has a PhD in Engineering, is a Rhodes Scholar, and also gained a Master of Philosophy in Management Studies from Oxford University.
His tenure at Oxford concludes in September. His outstanding leadership contribution will not stop there. Dr Hood will soon become President and Chief Executive Officer of The Robertson Foundation, a private, family-led philanthropic foundation in America.
2009 Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Awards
Andy Hamilton
(40 years old)
Andy Hamilton is a tireless advocate for improving the funding availability and fundability of start-up businesses. He is the founding Chief Executive of The ICEHOUSE and has played a leading role in the formation of the business incubation and angel investment sectors in New Zealand.
The ICEHOUSE is an Auckland-based business growth centre providing growth programmes for small to medium-sized businesses; business incubation for start-ups; and is the home of New Zealand’s largest group of angel investors.
In the last eight years, The ICEHOUSE has had a significant impact on New Zealand SMEs, providing a learning environment for just less than 2000 owner-managers through its growth programmes and helping 70 companies get started during their residency. These start-ups have raised close to $45 million in venture capital and created more than 300 jobs in the economy. In June, The ICEHOUSE won the Vero Excellence in Business Support award for Outstanding Education Provider.
Beyond The ICEHOUSE, Hamilton’s leadership in the entrepreneurial community extends to the founding and chairing of two national associations, Incubators New Zealand and the Angel Association New Zealand.
In 2003, he supported the founding of the business plan competition, Spark! at The University of Auckland Business School and continues to mentor and support the students involved.
Hamilton is also is a director of Anzatech, an Australasian technology forum helping companies enter Silicon Valley, and Deputy Chair of Auckland City’s Metro Project, focused on helping New Zealand to be more innovative.
Among the start-up community, Hamilton is noted for his commitment, enthusiasm, vision and support and is recognised as someone continually looking to push the boundaries.
He believes early-stage investment is fundamental to New Zealand’s success as a country and says his work to develop this market has required vision, courage and an openness to learn from leaders offshore. Hamilton has forged relationships with some of the key investors in early-stage companies in Australia, the US and Europe and been instrumental in bringing many of these people to New Zealand to transfer their experience.
“When we first started in the industry, the angels themselves didn’t have that vision or believe what we believe, so we had to push out in confidence that the industry would catch up.
“Now, it’s a big buzz to hear those in the US and Australia saying what we’re achieving here in New Zealand is incredible.”
Russell Mardon
(38 years old)
Wing Commander Russell Mardon joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as a pilot at the age of nineteen. In as many years since, he has demonstrated inspirational leadership in New Zealand and abroad in testing combat environments, undertaking tours of duty and commanding numerous RNZAF helicopter detachments on operations in Antarctica, Bougainville, Bosnia, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.
Currently, as the Commanding Officer of No.3 Squadron at RNZAF Base Ohakea, he is responsible for 150 people, a fleet of 19 helicopters and is busy preparing the unit for the transition to new helicopter types.
For his command efforts in leading the New Zealand helicopter detachment in Timor Leste in 2002, Russell was made an Additional Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM), his award citing his 'determination, excellent judgement and superb leadership'.
In 2004 he was the Task Group Air Component Commander in the Solomon Islands, responsible for commanding New Zealand and international air assets and combat support units. He used his leadership skills to great effect within a coalition environment requiring considerable cultural sensitivity and political diplomacy.
With a belief in the need for lifelong learning, Mardon attended the Australian Defence Force Command and Staff College in 2005 during which time he undertook additional study to gain a Master of Management (Defence Studies) from the University of Canberra.
Infectious exuberance and enthusiasm are hallmarks of this leader who relentlessly invests considerable personal energy in ensuring a positive morale in his teams, often in austere combat environments.
Russell is an accomplished sportsman who has been an age-group national orienteering champion, represented the RNZAF and New Zealand Combined Services in football, and participated in three Southern Traverse multisport endurance events. His enthusiasm and inspiration for others to take up the challenge continues at Ohakea, where his sporting and social initiatives, all with a core element of fun, have encouraged greater esprit de corps.
He is also a driving force behind the Ohakea Mopedathon, bringing teams together using 50cc motorbikes in a day-long endurance event. His leadership in the Ohakea "You've Got Talent" programme helped bring the concept to fruition, involving the whole of Base Ohakea and raising nearly $5000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Praised for strong communication skills and for being an empathetic and approachable leader, Mardon says he believes in giving people opportunities and empowering them to find solutions to the task.
"People are usually what you expect them to be, so if you expect them step up to the mark, nine times out of ten they will do just that.
"Good leadership is about being able to build effective teams, which includes focusing on each individual’s strengths, then providing them with roles that allow them to use those strengths to shine.”
Russell is also a great believer in growing one’s own successor and making time to be a coach and mentor.
"It's easy to spend time at the computer, but investing time in people comes back to you in spades. At the end of the day, it’s people who make the difference."
Alfred Ngaro
(42 years old)
With capabilities as diverse as the communities he serves, Alfred Ngaro is a respected leader in number of community-led development projects encompassing education, health and social issues such as youth development, anti-violence campaigns and positive parenting projects. Alfred convenes the national leadership function for Inspiring Communities, a national initiative which focuses on unleashing the ingenuity and creative solutions within communities.
His strength in uniting groups with diverse interests and providing creative solutions is demonstrated with his key role in the proposed Tamaki Transformation Project.
Described as the most innovative social renewal project in New Zealand, this government-led project involves major changes to the East Auckland communities of Point England, Glen Innes and Panmure where fifty-five per cent of the homes are state-owned and progressively due to be modernised.
In brokering effective team-based working relationships between government officials and community groups, Alfred’s transparent leadership and determination to bring people with him on the journey have helped to promote trust and create space where unlikely people are able to work together to find solutions.
His initiatives include creating the role of community commentators, now recognised as part of the Tamaki Transformation Project governance structure, and the introduction of community specialists to the various work streams such as housing, social services and economic development to ensure local expertise is recognised and a community mandate established.
The former pastor of a multi-cultural church and manager of the Tamaki Community Development Trust is esteemed in Tamaki with the respect of someone who has delivered creative and meaningful results and developed trusting relationships with hundreds of people. An example of this is a programme he developed last year which celebrated and supported effective fathering among the staff of The Warehouse.
Alfred chairs the Auckland District Health Board Pacific Health Committee, has chaired the Pacific Advisory Committee of the Auckland City Council and presents at many conferences and workshops nationally. Locally, he is a member of the Tamaki College Board of Trustees and retains strong connections back to the Cook Islands through his involvement with early childhood development programmes.
As a leader, Alfred strives to be a “space creator” rather than a “space invader” making way for others to become involved, and hopes to inspire those he works alongside at the grassroots of the community to see there are opportunities for all to be leaders.
“The world of leadership and opportunity is not as far away from us all as we may think. Everyday people can take up leadership opportunities to stand for or against the things they believe in. It’s all about being the best at who we are and that starts with our own attitude to change.”
Rachel Paris
(32 years of age)
Recently promoted to Partner at commercial law firm, Bell Gully, Rachel Paris has broken ground in the legal community as the first partner to be appointed in a part-time capacity at her firm.
Demonstrating professional leadership by negotiating this partnership arrangement, the 32-year-old hopes to inspire a fundamental shift in the traditional business model for law firms and to encourage young lawyers to lead a full life, which incorporates family and a fulfilling career.
While managing her legal profession with motherhood, Rachel also pursues her interest in media and film – co-authoring a feature film screenplay currently in production with South Pacific Pictures.
“The screenplay project is also a way of leading by example to my younger colleagues that they need not be confined to the role of “traditional” lawyer. We can pursue our passions and contribute to the cultural fabric of New Zealand while maintaining office jobs.”
A strong belief that strong leaders can be “made” and need not be “born” continues to inspire Paris to lead by example and get involved at a grass-roots level as much as possible.
At Bell Gully, this means playing an active role in the law firm’s recruitment process and in developing training initiatives for juniors across the company. Rachel considers the appointment of the many junior staff she has mentored over the years into challenging positions at Bell Gully, and in the local and international business community, to be one of her most rewarding achievements.
Outside work, Paris has been involved with mentoring students at Tangaroa College in Auckland, volunteering as a reading tutor at St John’s Primary School in Tower Hamlets in London, developing business literacy and entrepreneurship through engagement with the Young Enterprise Scheme and Business Hall of Fame and speaking at school assemblies, charity events and career guidance evenings.
Rachel began her legal career at Bell Gully in 2000 after graduating with a conjoint law and arts degree, coming top of law school and her honours programme.
In 2003, she came first at Harvard Law School in the specialist International Finance LLM Programme, with her dissertation cited as “influential” by the Wall Street Journal editorial in December 2007.
While at Allen & Overy’s projects group in London (2003-2005) Paris advised blue-chip clients on the financing and structuring of major infrastructure and acquisition projects. Later, at leading UK media law firm, Olswang, she advised companies such as Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros on film production financing.
She has also received numerous prizes and scholarships for academic, leadership and professional excellence for the five publications she has authored.
Rachel believes popular views of leadership have evolved substantially during the past decade with leaders no longer being just the formal, authority figures.
“In this knowledge age, the more relevant leaders are the innovators who challenge the way things have always been done because they are ambitious for improvement. This is a more democratic interpretation of leadership, which supports the view we can each be leaders in our own way – we simply need to find a cause that inspires us and to take action to rally others to help achieve our goal. That is the type of leadership to which I aspire.”
John Penno
(40 years old)
Just ten years ago, Synlait was simply an enterprising concept discussed by John and a group of friends around a kitchen table.
Today, the concept has materialised to an integrated dairy farming enterprise producing more than 75 million litres of milk and manufacturing 30,000 tonnes of dairy product for export each year, with ambitious goals for New Zealand’s dairy industry and its contribution to economic growth.
Leading Synlait to these significant achievements in such a short timeframe has required Chief Executive, John Penno to successfully engage the hearts and minds of talented individuals to take them on the journey.
Recently, that has included teaming together the country’s top dairy operators to build a $100-million milk powder processing plant, when all he could show them was an empty paddock.
Penno is a firm believer that effective businesses harness the collective ability and potential of individuals and says he doesn’t see himself as an individual leading a team, but rather an individual leading a group of leaders.
“It’s not about being the leader all of the time, but showing leadership when it is needed and being prepared to do the things you need to do to achieve what the group wants. I think the best leaders empower others to take the lead,” says John.
With 200 employees, Penno considers Synlait to be a “tiny” player in the dairy industry, but that doesn’t preclude ambitions to help lead the country further onto the world stage as an excellent producer of milk-based nutritional foods to meet growing world demand.
He believes professional development is crucial when it comes to motivating staff because it builds confidence among employees. To help his own development, he recently completed a leadership course at Stanford University in California.
“At Stanford I was surrounded by people who were focusing on personal growth and development. If you put yourself in challenging situations it gets you in better shape to take on the next challenge,” says Penno.
John’s involvement in the local business community sees him active with irrigation plans for the development of sustainable farming operations in Canterbury. He also chairs the Dairy Environment Leadership Group and is an executive member of the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand.
John is a sought-after speaker for conferences for industry and interest groups and freely avails himself to participate in these events.
Iva Ropati
(42 years old)
In leading the successful transformation of One Tree Hill College, its Principal, Iva Ropati has helped instill a sense of pride and identity beyond the school gate to the wider community.
When the former league professional was appointed as Principal seven years ago, the college, then known as Penrose High, was not the first choice of secondary school for parents in the neighbourhood.
Finance and governance challenges were compounding the difficult learning environment for students and staff, but with a revamped board of trustees, Iva has worked hard to impart vision throughout the college and lift the standard of achievement.
Key initiatives include a $15-million building development to change the appearance and culture of the college and a successful name change following wide community consultation.
Ropati has advocated strongly for investment in continued education for his 80 staff to improve their skills and knowledge and, with a firm stance on student attendance and discipline, works hard to create a positive learning environment.
The college has attracted 100 more students in the past year, many from its own neighbourhood. A recent report from the Education Review Office praised its “inspirational transformation”.
To achieve that, the former Warriors player has transferred his team skills from the field to the school yard, with a strong belief everyone must play their part to see the college become a champion Central Auckland high school.
“I see myself as a cog in the bigger machine – creating opportunities for others to lead, take ownership and get excited about the school. If you don’t have leaders leading, you won’t have a successful team.”
Measuring daily decisions at the college against the yardstick of what’s best for student achievement, Iva hopes to bring to life the school motto: “Strive for higher things”.
“I’m hoping that every day when the kids see me, particularly those that have had some barriers in their lives, they can aspire to achieve the same levels, if not higher, in their own lives. If I can do it, so can they.”
Prior to his appointment at One Tree Hill College, Ropati was Deputy Principal at Onehunga High School, with earlier teaching appointments at Saint Kentigern College, Lynfield College and schools in the United Kingdom.
A commitment to equality in education saw Iva spend his recent sabbatical in America studying how indigenous people develop in the “Western” education system.
Iva believes school is one of the best places to promote and nurture leadership potential.
“If we could see more schools promote leadership our future would be taken care of.”
Sir Peter Blake
"Having vision is not enough. Change comes through realising the vision and turning it into a reality. It is easy to espouse worthy goals, values and policies; the hard part is implementation."
Learn about Sir Peter Blake and his journeys around the globe