Mohammed Hikmet named 2019 Entrepreneur Of The Year
AUCKLAND 18 October 2019: Mohammed Hikmet, founder of intelligent transport systems developer and manufacturer, HMI Technologies, has been named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year for 2019.
Mr Hikmet will now represent New Zealand at EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year competition in Monaco next June, with winners from more than 50 countries for the top award. Mr Hikmit was chosen from a field of five category winners and received his award at a gala banquet in Auckland this evening.
Along with his brother Ahmed, Mr Hikmet started HMI
Technologies after migrating to New Zealand with his family
after the 1991 Gulf War. After starting a computer repair
business, Mohammed identified an opportunity in the
manufacture of electronic road signs. Following that, he saw
an opportunity in the field of autonomous vehicles, after he
quickly recognised
that these types of vehicles will
reduce the need for road signs and visual communication with
drivers.
Competing for the award
were:
• Grant Taylor (Rascal and
Friends NZ Limited), Products
• Murray Holdaway
(Vista Group), Master
• Brianne West
(Ethique), Young
• Mohammed Hikmet
(HMI Technologies), Technology and Emerging
Industries
• Gavin Yang (Trademonster
Ltd), Services
Judging panel chairman Bill Day, the
founder of Seaworks and the New Zealand Entrepreneur of the
Year winner in 2000, says Mr Hikmet personifies the grit and
determination required to turn an idea into reality.
“Mohammed left war-torn Iraq in the early 1990s for the safety of New Zealand. As a result, he had to start from scratch. He had to re-sit the same tertiary education that he had already completed in Iraq while delivering pizzas to support his family.
Determined to give back to the country that had given him a home, he was determined to use his talents to export the best of New Zealand to the world,” Mr Day said.
“The calibre of the
entire field was extremely impressive. This entrants and
finalists of the award demonstrated again demonstrated a
skew towards young people, women and those from immigrant
backgrounds – a representative snapshot of the changing
face of New Zealand,” Mr Day added.
Awards
director and EY partner Darren White said
each finalist should be praised and they all gave the judges
something to think about.
The beauty of EOY isn’t just the people. It’s their stories – the two are inextricably linked and highlight the colourful and often bumpy journey they have been on to get here today. Aotearoa is fertile ground for budding and established entrepreneurs. Coupled with diverse investment opportunities in the likes of family capital and angel investment, this creates the perfect environment to establish, grow and pivot. Today’s entrepreneurs are increasingly focusing on big-picture challenges by creating purpose-led businesses – this also bodes well for the future,” Mr White said.
This year’s independent judging panel
is:
• Bill Day (founder and chairman,
Seaworks)
• Ranjna Patel (founder and director, East
Tamaki Healthcare and Nirvana Health Group)
• Vaughan
Fergusson(founder and chief product officer, Vend
Technology)
• Cecilia Robinson (Co-Founder, My Food
Bag)
• Sam Hazledine founder and Managing Director,
MedRecruit
Also presented at the EY’s Entrepreneur of
the Year Award Gala Dinner was the ASB Exceptional Services
to
Entrepreneurship Award and the Family Business Award for Excellence. Andy Hamilton from The Icehouse was announced as the ASB Exceptional Services to Entrepreneurship Award, while the Barfoot & Thompson families were announced as winners of the Family Business Award for Excellence.
ASB executive general
manager business banking Nigel Annett said the company is
proud to sponsor an event that recognises the country’s
most entrepreneurial and innovative Kiwis.
“Every year we hear amazing stories from business
leaders across the country who are doing incredible things
on both a New Zealand and international stage, and this year
is no exception,” said Annett.
“The talent
pool that has come out of the Entrepreneur of the Year
awards continues to inspire us, and we’re particularly
excited to congratulate Andy Hamilton as the winner of the
ASB Exceptional Services to Entrepreneurship award.
“Over his 18 years at The Icehouse, Andy has helped
shape the path of hundreds of New Zealand businesses, many
of which are now familiar names in the business community.
Andy’s work in this space and his dedication to supporting
the country’s entrepreneurs has been invaluable. We
couldn’t think of a more deserving recipient for this
award.”