Company-X user experience (UX) lead Hohepa (Cory) McKenzie was a finalist in the Te Hapori Matihiko Awards.

McKenzie was a finalist in the Whiua ki te Ao (Take it to the World) category for contribution to global projects in digital and tech.

McKenzie has been leading UX design for US multinational Cisco Systems Inc’s Mergers and Acquisitions Hub since 2021. The hub manages Cisco’s acquisitions and its integration process.

Company-X Software Engineer Mark Nikora, who works alongside McKenzie on the project, nominated him for the award.

Nikora said he was “over the moon” that McKenzie was a finalist in the awards in July.

“When you look at the ‘before UX design’ and then the ‘after UX design’ versions of things you can see the footprint of someone who has a deep drive for making a product a success,” Nikora said.

“Meticulous. Understanding. Passionate. It is a pleasure to see Cory’s work.”

Company-X project technical lead Jake Wilkinson said: “Over the past two years, Cory has played a pivotal role in revolutionising the project’s digital and tech landscape. What began as a consulting position for a brief period of three months quickly transformed into a full-time commitment, as it became evident that Cory’s remarkable skills were indispensable for the project’s success.

“Beyond his remarkable technical contributions, Cory has also revolutionised the stakeholder engagement processes. Through his ingenious strategies, he has facilitated simultaneous cross-continental focus groups with various levels of user groups. This approach has not only streamlined stakeholder feedback but has also facilitated more effective decision-making and alignment across global teams.

“Cory’s exceptional contributions to global projects in the digital and tech domain make him an outstanding candidate for this award. His ability to blend technical expertise, innovative thinking, and leadership skills has had a profound impact on Cisco’s project and the wider industry.”

Company-X user interface (UI) and UX consultant Briana Christey said: “Cory has established a presence for UX Waikato on LinkedIn and co-organises regular group meetups to connect, inspire and support UX/UI designers in the Waikato region, both those who are well-established in their careers, and those who are just starting out.

“In the group, Cory is a thought leader on industry trends, design best practices and resources. His wealth of experience as a designer, coupled with his real passion for UX/UI, make him a valuable contributor and mentor for other designers in our region. He regularly shares resources such as design podcasts, articles, and emerging tools and technologies, and facilitates conversations that enable other designers to level up their craft.”

Asked how he felt on being shortlisted McKenzie said: “Amazing. Humbled. Still in shock. I never thought I would be a finalist for an award like this. It just goes to show with the right focus and attitude doors open for you where you least expect it.”

About Company-X

Company-X’s reputation is built on designing and building tools that help clients make evidence-based decisions.

The software specialist is renowned for creating solutions that consolidate asset, financial and other statistical information from a range of sources to provide insights into performance.

Company-X supports clients to improve the quality of business-critical data for effective decision making.

Expertise includes mixed reality and emerging technology.

Company-X builds highly skilled, tightly knit, self-managing, and co-located teams. Its analysts, architects, designers, developers, testers, and project managers stay with projects from beginning to end and deliver quality software quickly.

Clients include New Zealand government agencies, multinational organisations, and infrastructure businesses.

Co-founded by directors David Hallett and Jeremy Hughes, Company-X is celebrating a decade of business in 2023.

Company-X has won many awards:

• Company-X won an ExportNZ Top Tech Companies of 2022 award.
• Company-X won the Best Professional Service Innovation Award in the Hamilton Central Business Association Central Business District Awards 2021
• Company-X software quality assurance tester Jes Elliott won the Reseller News Women in ICT (Information and Communication Technology) 2021 Rising Star Award.
• The Independent Software Vendor Award at the Reseller News Innovation Awards 2020 for state-of-the-art software that turns text into human-like audio files at a fraction of the cost of booking a voice artist, recording studio and sound engineer.
• The Independent Software Vendor Award at the Reseller News Innovation Awards 2019 for a hands-free auditing application developed for AsureQuality.
• The Service Excellence and Global Operator awards at the Westpac Waikato Business Awards in 2018.
• The Services Exporter of the Year category at the Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards 2017.
• The Homegrown Innovators Independent Software Vendors Award at the Reseller News ICT Industry Awards 2017.

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