Kanaway Yusingco

Avondale is one of the true melting pot suburbs of Auckland.

It’s a diverse, multi-cultural community with Avondale College, one of the country’s largest secondary schools, at its centre.

Kanaway Yusingco, of mixed Philippine/Chinese ethnicity, arrived in Avondale with her family in 1988 via a rather circuitous route that involved leaving the Philippines when she was four, spending two years in Thailand and then two in New Plymouth.

When she was old enough to go to Avondale College, Kanaway joined the Samoan group and was comfortable engaging in different cultural groups and activities.

Her interest in people lay at the heart of who she was and what she enjoyed doing the most, particularly after being introduced to psychology at school which she soon realised would become her future pathway.

At university she did a conjoint Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Management, Psychology and Organisation Studies, followed by an Honours degree in Organisational Change and Innovation. Dr Darl Kolb played a key role in helping to establish her career.

"Darl really took the time to understand me as a person and his Organisational Change and Innovation Honour’s programme was a perfect mix of strategy and continuous innovation which really resonated with me at the time and continues to do so in my career today."

Kanaway helped co-found the highly successful and popular Management Consulting Club at university.

After graduating she was one of 300 applicants seeking to join Air New Zealand’s highly sought-after graduate programme. She still vividly remembers receiving the call telling her she had been accepted.

"There were some amazing candidates who applied so to this day I still consider it a privilege and miracle I was accepted."

It was an exciting time to be working at Air New Zealand as the airline rebuilt itself after years of underperformance. For a young graduate just starting out in the corporate world, Kanaway found it empowering to work alongside many high-quality managers on a range of different projects across the airlines various divisions.

Eventually deciding it was time to do an OE, Kanaway headed to London where she joined Global Systems Mobile Association, a London based organisation that focuses on supporting mobile phone operators around the world with the development of technology innovations.

She then had an idea for a business of her own focused on the unique traits of people.

Uniquely Wired helps clients to identify what makes them unique and how they can stand out from their competitors. It works alongside clients to develop and implement a go-to market strategy to build sustainable growth.

The business works with a range of clients spanning the globe, from Italy to Israel across blockchain, robotic process automation through to mining and start-up technology companies.

As founder and managing partner, Kanaway is focused on growing the consulting and recruitment sides of the business. In addition, she is involved in a social enterprise initiative to help those from disadvantaged backgrounds to secure work. And she is the University’s Volunteer Alumni co-ordinator in London.

Of her future plans, Kanaway says she wants to be able "to live life through an unforced rhythm of grace! Just that right balance of making the biggest positive impact for change I can, with as much enjoyment as possible.

"The geek in me is very excited about this next phase and equally curious to see where this journey leads."