The Power Of Three Celebrate Wellington’s Business Community!

Last night at Te Papa, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Te Awe Māori Business Network and Wellington Pasifika Business Network hosted the 2023 Wellington Address.

The Wellington Address celebrates the business community of the city and honours those who contribute to it. Wellington is a compact city with a connected and agile business community. Business is done on the pavements and in the cafes just as often as in its boardrooms. The Address celebrated business life in Wellington and provided the opportunity to remind ourselves of why we love the city, despite the challenges we sometimes face.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Te Awe Māori Business Network and Wellington Pasifika Business Network is a collaboration known as the ‘Power of Three’ and we celebrate it as a uniquely Wellington first. It was Wellington businesses people at the Chamber, Māori and Pasifika groups, who identified the opportunity to grow together and support each other.

Wellington businesspeople make a real difference to all of us fortunate enough to live here. Each member of The Power of Three, nominates two people to honour, all of whom have dedicated themselves to making a positive impact in our city, their hard mahi and relentless energy inspire us and help Wellington’s business community thrive and prosper. The six individuals honoured last night were:

- Lynell Tuffery Huria (of Ngāti Ruanui and Ngā Ruahine). As the first Māori patent lawyer here in Aotearoa, Lynell is a specialist in all aspects of trademark protection, management and enforcement.

- Jamie Williams (of Ngāti Kuri, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahu). Jamie is one of the founders of Kapura.

- Dame Kerry Prendergast DNZM, CNZM. Former Mayor of Wellington and former Vice-President of Local Government New Zealand.

- Rob Jury. Chief Engineer, Structural Engineering - Beca

- Michel Tuffery. Of Samoan, Rarotongan and Ma’ohi Tahitian heritage, Michel is one of the leading artists of his generation.

- Galu Letiu. Originally from the village of Va o Iva in Savai'i, Galu has spent his working career in building and construction.

Two honourees were selected by each of the constituent partners of the Power of Three: The Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington Pasifika Business Network (WPBN), and Te Awe Māori Business Network.

"We too easily take for granted the sacrifice that goes into running a business, and the indispensable role it plays in Wellington’s success," said Simon Arcus, Chief Executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

"The Wellington Address recognises individuals who have held high profile day jobs while distinguishing themselves in their communities. The honourees are people who have that service ethic well beyond their day job and who have contributed above and beyond to our business community. This year, we recognise the length and breadth of Dame Kerry Prendergast’s service to the city and we also celebrate the potential Wellington has to become a science super city and recognise Rob Jury’s service to engineering. I look forward to celebrating innovation and enterprise for years to come."

Te Rau Kupenga, the newly appointed Te Awe Māori Business Network Chair, said "‘The Power of Three’ presents a real opportunity to further strengthen ties across the business community in Wellington and last night’s event clearly demonstrates the role the partnership plays in ensuring the successes of Māori and Pasifika business people are celebrated. All six honourees are inspiring role models and have shown high standards of accountability and good governance and are well deserving of the recognition they have earned."

Paul Retimanu, Wellington Pasifika Business Network Chair, said "The partnership has come a long way since the inaugural Address last year and we have exciting plans to further deepen ties between our organisations."

The 2023 Wellington Address would not have been possible without generous support from our sponsors. CentrePort Wellington & Capgemini sponsored the Wellington Chamber awards, AV Media sponsored Te Awe’s, and the Ministry of Pacific People’s sponsored WPBN’s. Stacey Shortall, one of last year’s honourees, delivered the 2023 address.

If you would like to find out more about ‘The Power of Three’, or would like to explore becoming a member of one of the constituent organisations, please contact Ed Gibbs (ed.gibbs@businesscentral.org.nz / 027 280 3622).

Te Awe Wellington Māori Business Network is a non-profit organisation that was established in 1996. It is the oldest Māori Business Network operating in New Zealand. Te Awe has a strong membership base representing small to medium-sized businesses through to large corporate companies. Te Awe's purpose is to promote, assist and encourage Māori in business through regular networking Hui where Māori business owners meet and share their business successes and challenges.

The Wellington Pasifika Business Network started in 2014 with the passion of a small group identifying a significant gap in the market, particularly the lack of visibility of Pasifika businesses in the region. The Wellington Pasifika Business Network’s goal is to help grow Pasifika businesses in Wellington, to help create a community of like-minded Pasifika business entrepreneurs who can share ideas and successes, and to drive leading-edge for Pacific by Pacific innovation. The genuine commitment to bringing together the Pasifika business community was premised on the primary goal to encourage innovation, prosperity and growth of small business through quality network events and engagement whilst celebrating our successes and challenges in the world of business.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is a business membership association and has represented businesses in the Wellington Region for over 165 years, advocating for the interest of business and the development of the region’s economy. The Chamber provides export and trade, employment, health and safety, and human resources advice, along with professional learning and development training, business mentoring, and employment placement programmes. The Wellington Chamber is part of the Business Central Group, with around 3,600 members throughout Central New Zealand (Gisborne to Taranaki and down to Nelson) and includes Business Central, ExportNZ, and Porirua Chamber of Commerce, affiliated with both the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce and BusinessNZ networks.

The relationship between the organisations is founded on shared values and a genuine belief that the business community is stronger working together. The partnership aims to strengthen the voice of Māori and Pasifika businesses in the city.

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