Recognising those who give their time to the Business School
Alumni and industry who give their time to support our programmes and students were recognised at a special thank you event hosted by the Dean at the end of November.
Every year, alumni and industry professionals volunteer their time and expertise to the Business School as guest speakers, guest lecturers, judges for student competitions, mentors, coaches, advisory board members and more.
Business School supporters from 2024 were invited to a special Supporters Thank You event hosted by the Dean, Professor Susan Watson, at the Business School on Wednesday 27 November 2024.
It was a fantastic opportunity to recognise and celebrate the incredible people who give their time so generously to support our students, our programmes, and the School.
Attendees heard from guest speaker Sam Stubbs, Simplicity Co-founder and Managing Director, who this year has also been a mentor on the University’s Kupe Leadership Scholarship Programme. Sam shared some of his own journey, the lessons he’s learned over the years, and his passions and motivations.
Longtime Business School supporters received Supporter Awards at the event.
Michelle Maidens and Pippa Styles were recognised for their longterm
contributions to the Business School’s Women’s Mentoring Programme as mentors for nine and six years respectively.
Kavita Khanna was recognised for her ongoing multifaceted support and commitment to advance HRM education initiatives at the School, bringing invaluable insights in her role as National President of HRNZ.
For over two decades, Research Association New Zealand (RANZ) has been helping our students achieve their career goals, supporting internship and placement opportunities, providing mentors, and organising workshops, industry conferences and events where professionals share key trends and career advice with students.
Over the last 8 years, Greig Brebner, along with his colleagues at Blunt, have generously offered their time, energy, and valuable insights to our Business School students, taking part as panelists at various University events and conferences, guest lecturing, and offering Blunt as a case study for a range of student projects and case competitions, including on the MBA.
Chris Goode and Becky Swan have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the startup ecosystem, serving as both mentors and champions for aspiring entrepreneurial students and staff at the University’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the last 14 years.
Christine McKinnon is the guiding force for students looking to get their CA qualification and is passionate about connecting with students and raising the profile of the accounting profession.
A special posthumous award in honour of Ani Sengupta, ex GM - Digital and Technology at Hirepool, was presented on behalf of the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM). Ani was a committed supporter of the ISOM department and a passionate advocate for student growth and success.
During the evening, the Business School's Associate Dean External Engagement, Dr Drew Franklin, presented several certificates of recognition to individuals who have made an impact through their contributions.
Knight Hou, CEO and Co-Founder of Relab, a leading B2B SaaS platform designed for real estate agents. Knight has been an invaluable supporter of the Department of Property over the last few years, guest lecturing the Property Analytics course, co-developing authentic assessments for the Property Technologies courses, coaching and mentoring students, and even collaborating on research. Knight's expertise and dedication have greatly enriched the learning experience for both our students and staff.
Patrick Dougherty and Elaine McQueen from Kāinga Ora, who, over the last 3 years, have been delivering a range of guest lectures and workshops for our Property students, as well as assisting with developing assignments featuring Kāinga Ora case studies. These lectures and workshops have significantly impacted our students’ education by broadening their understanding of property development beyond mere profit.
Adrian Griffin and Theo Van Dijk from SAP both committed hundreds of hours, organising several industry events for our students, both at their offices and with partner organisations, on top of guest lecturing, attending careers sessions, and providing our students with access to SAP software. This year over 100 students spent 1-2 days at SAP and PwC’s head offices in Auckland to engage in design thinking workshops - an incredibly valuable and unique experience for our students.
Francois Du Plessis, who when he was in the role of Digital Marketing Manager at Samsung Electronics, helped establish an outstanding collaboration between students on the digital marketing course, MKTG 304, and Samsung NZ, where students were given 15 brand-new Galaxy Z Flip5 phones, and were challenged to develop a comprehensive digital marketing campaign proposal for the newly launched phones. What’s even better is that the top 3 winning teams got to keep the phones!
Grant Hartley from Will & Able, a social enterprise which creates jobs for individuals with learning disabilities. Grant spent an entire semester working with 530 third-year students on Business 351: the Industry Case capstone course, helping the teaching team write the case, being available for student interviews and on-site visits, and taking part in the judging panel, as well as providing feedback. This challenging case has been instrumental in helping students develop important high-level skills including critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical decision making.
Third-year Commerce and Property student Meghana Gaddam closed the event with a special thank you message to all our supporters on behalf of the student body.
The evening was a wonderful opportunity to show our appreciation for all the time, effort and dedication our supporters have given to us over the past year.
See more photos from the event below.
