New Zealand’s most prestigious celebration of individual achievement, the Kea World Class New Zealand (WCNZ) Awards, has
today announced its second trio of 2019 award recipients.
Among the winners is entrepreneur and innovator, Fady Mishriki, who is being acknowledged for his significant and
ongoing contribution to the global technology and business ecosystem.
Fady is widely known as the founder and former CEO of PowerbyProxi, a company he launched in 2007 and quickly grew to
become a global leader in wireless power technologies, culminating in its acquisition by Apple in 2017.
Beyond this pioneering contribution to the technology landscape, Fady’s commitment to fostering the world’s next
generation of innovators and entrepreneurs has also seen him play an active and ongoing role in initiatives such as the
University of Auckland’s Engineering Dean’s Leadership Program and the Velocity Challenge (Business School).
Kea Global CEO Craig Donaldson says the WCNZ Awards are about recognising leading New Zealanders whose outstanding
accomplishments are enhancing New Zealand’s reputation on the world map.
“This year’s second round of WCNZ winners have all helped to further improve New Zealand’s global reputation. I am
thrilled to recognise their brilliance and accomplishments, and the WCNZ Awards is a great opportunity to share their
inspiring journeys.”
In addition to Fady, the other Kea WCNZ winners announced today include globally recognised HR professional Kirsten
Nevill-Manning, and renowned neurologist and neuroscientist Christopher Shaw.
Kirsten Nevill-Manning, Vice President of People Operations, IT and Facilities at Teachers Pay Teachers, (who has
previously led international recruitment and expansion for both Google and Facebook) is being acknowledged for her
extensive philanthropy work, including with non-profit organisations, Acumen and the Robin Hood Foundation.
Christopher Shaw, Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics at King’s College in London is being recognised for his
exceptional contribution to medicine and neuroscience. Christopher is responsible for having led ground-breaking
research which led to the identification of many genes that, when mutated, cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, AKA
motor neuron disease) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). His team are turning now from discovery to treatment by
launching a spin-out company with an ambitious programme of novel gene therapies.
Further WCNZ winners announced earlier this month include Allbirds entrepreneur Tim Brown, business leader Rachel
Taulelei, and scientist and entrepreneur Elizabeth Iorns.
They, along with the Supreme and Friend of New Zealand Award winners, will be recognised at an Award ceremony held at
Auckland’s SKYCITY Convention Centre on Thursday 20th June. Tickets to the award ceremony can be purchased here.
Each World Class New Zealand Award winner will receive a Tall Poppy statuette, designed by Weta Workshop co-founder and
2009 Supreme Award winner Sir Richard Taylor.
Established in 2003, the WCNZ Awards provide a platform that recognise inspirational, world Kiwis and friends who are
making outstanding contributions to New Zealand’s international reputation.
For more information about the recipients, see below:
Fady Mishriki
• Founder, former CEO and former CTO of New Zealand wireless charging technology company, PowerbyProxi.
• Current Managing Director of Apple’s Auckland Technology Centre.
• Board Member of Wireless Power Consortium.
• Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland.
• University of Auckland Distinguished Alumnus (2015).
• University of Auckland Spark (now Velocity) Entrepreneur of the Decade (2013).
• Supported the University of Auckland Dean’s Leadership Program (Engineering) and the Velocity Challenge
(Business).
• Recently inducted into the University of Auckland’s Chancellor’s Circle.
Kirsten Nevill-Manning
• Former Director of International Human Resources for Facebook, supporting their global expansion with the
recruitment of thousands of employees.
• Former Manager of International Staffing at Google, leading the international expansion teams into New Zealand,
Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
• Vice President of People Operations, IT and Facilities at Teachers Pay Teachers, a New York-based online
educational marketplace, connecting teachers to enable them to share original educational resources.
• Kirsten is married to computer engineer and former Kea World Class New Zealand recipient, Craig Nevill-Manning.
Together, the couple have made significant philanthropic contributions to a variety of organisations including the Robin
Hood Foundation.
• Board member of Acumen.
• Co-owner of Happy Bones, a New Zealand café in New York.
Christopher Shaw
• MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRCP (Hon), FMedSci, FANA, FK.
• Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College,
London.
• Director, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute.
• Associate Director, UK Dementia Research Institute.
• Led an initiative to build equip and staff a new Neuroscience research facility, the Maurice Wohl Clinical
Neuroscience Institute.
• His team discovered more genes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) than
any other laboratory.
• Launched a spin-out company to develop novel gene therapies for ALS and FTD.
Tim Brown
• Co-founder and co-CEO of innovative sustainable footwear company Allbirds, “the fastest growing shoe company in
the world.”
• The Allbirds Wool Runner shoe has been dubbed “the world’s most comfortable” by TIME Magazine.
• Raised U.S. $50 million in a Series C funding round in October 2018.
• Former Vice Captain of the New Zealand All Whites.
Rachel Taulelei
• CEO of Kono NZ, a Māori-owned New Zealand food and beverage company employing over 450 staff, farming more than
1000ha of land and sea, and exporting to over 25 countries.
• Founder of Yellow Brick Road, a sustainable seafood company.
• Former NZ Trade Commissioner in Los Angeles.
• Received the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award, and is a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to
food and hospitality.
• Named as Māori Woman Business Leader for 2018.
• Member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council.
Dr Elizabeth Iorns
• Co-founder and CEO of Science Exchange.
• Raised $60M in venture capital funding from top US investment firms (Union Square Ventures, Maverick Capital,
Norwest Venture Partners).
• Co-founder and board director of Perception Therapeutics.
• Director of the Reproducibility Initiative, Co-lead of the Reproducibility Project Cancer Biology.
• Mentor at Y Combinator.
• Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from the Institute of Cancer Research (UK).Assistant Professor at the University of
Miami’s Miller School of MedicineOver 60 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier scientific journals.