2024 Award winners

Left to right: Māori Governance Leader award winner Traci Houpapa, Professor Carla Houkamau, Dr Kiri Dell, Dame Mira Szászy Alumni award winner Karleen Everitt, and Tom Irvine from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

The Ngā Tohu Kaiārahi Pakihi Māori o Aotearoa | Aotearoa Māori Business Leaders Awards dinner was held on Wednesday, 23 October 2024, at the University of Auckland. This biennial event, hosted by the Business School, honours outstanding Māori achievements in business, shining a spotlight on those whose innovation, leadership and commitment to Māori values are shaping the future of business in Aotearoa and beyond. Since their inception in 2003, the awards have evolved into a platform that acknowledges individual success and celebrates the collective impact of Māori enterprise on communities and the nation.

Professor Carla Houkamau (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Pākehā) says the event not only recognises individual excellence but also celebrates the collective spirit of Māori entrepreneurship. “We are proud to host an evening that brings together leaders from across the business community and political spectrum to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of Māori to our business landscape.”

The 2024 Awards recognise excellence across six categories, each highlighting the unique contributions of Māori in the business world.

  • Vanessa Hayes, founder of kaupapa Māori business Torere Macadamias, won the Entrepreneurial Māori Business Leader award. The macadamia industry in New Zealand had solely relied on international exports, but Torere Macadamias produces 20 tonnes annually for the country and recently has been Air New Zealand’s choice for long haul and business class flights.

  • The Dame Mira Szászy Alumni Award went to Karleen Everitt, a University of Auckland Business School graduate who has had a stellar career and is currently leading Te Ao Māori Strategy at ANZ Bank.

  • The Outstanding Māori Business Leader award went to Harry Burkhardt, co-founder and managing director of Replas Ltd, an innovative company transforming waste plastic into valuable products.

  • Traci Houpapa, chair of the Federation of Māori Authorities, won the Māori Governance Leader award for her extensive leadership in business and governance, shaping the Māori business landscape. She holds a number of directorships and Ministerial appointments, including Chiefs Rugby and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

  • Moana New Zealand was honoured with the Kaitiaki Business Leader award for their dedication to sustainable fisheries management. The seafood company is a 100 percent iwi-owned organisation with a deep sense of responsibility and respect for New Zealand’s fisheries.

  • Māori Women’s Development Inc., a charitable trust formed, managed and operated by Māori women, earned the Mānuka Henare award for its continued support of Māori women in business, offering loans and wrap-around support.

The Business School acknowledges the generous support of the event’s sponsors: BNZ, Asia New Zealand Foundation, He Kai Kei Aku Ringa – Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, NZ Māori Tourism, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Tohu Wines and Callaghan Innovation.