I was in a number of commercial roles post my MBA degree, so my commercial expertise runs deep. NZTE is very connected to its customers and one of the biggest things it does well is partnering with businesses. I’ve sat across exporters from early stage through to multi-billion dollar companies who have all got their challenges. To be a trusted partner with hundreds of New Zealand exporters with the ability to see what they’ve done well and the challenges they’ve faced is direct commercial experience and has given me knowledge and commercial skills that are really unique.
NZTE also gave me access to international business environments. Understanding the Chinese economy is very different to the US economy. There are particular areas like sustainability where the UK and Europe are ahead of New Zealand so we need to think about how we get a system going which helps companies become more impactful.
The other thing that I bring is a clear sense of purpose and a purpose-led team – and that’s exactly what we have here at ChristchurchNZ. I’m really keen to lead and develop my team to help support and grow the Christchurch business community.