Awards, eligibility and criteria

The Awards acknowledge the excellence of Māori in business, Māori business, Māori organisations and iwi, hapū, marae-based organisations. The excellence enhances Māori in the world of business and its reciprocity to its people.

There are six awards:

Entrepreneurial Māori Business Leader award

A Māori person who is entrepreneurial and innovative and are building a business that upholds Māori values.

Dame Mira Szászy Alumni award

A Māori graduate of the University of Auckland Business School who has achieved significant success in their career in business to date.

Outstanding Māori Business Leader award

A Māori person who has demonstrated outstanding leadership characteristics in the business world and whose influence extends beyond the confines of their role.

Māori Governance Leader award

A Māori person who has an exceptional record in leadership and governance in the business world and through that has made a substantial contribution to Māori enterprise.

Kaitiaki Business Leader award

An organisation that upholds Māori values that promotes and achieves environmentally sustainable outcomes.

Mānuka Henare award

An organisation that upholds Māori values that is demonstrably helping to facilitate economic success across communities.

The Business School receives nominations and conducts extensive research to identify and gather information on successful Māori in business, Māori business, Māori organisations and iwi, hapū, marae-based organisations. From that, a list of candidates for awards is put together and considered by a selection committee, which decides who will win each award. The selection committee comprises Māori staff and alumni from the Business School. The winners are informed in advance and are publicly announced at the Awards dinner.