Pacific Business People Encouraged To Enter Awards

Media release
12 February 2007

Pacific Business People Encouraged To Enter Awards

The challenge has been issued for New Zealand’s Pacific business community to enter the 2007 MIT Pacific Business Awards and have their hard work and successes recognised.

The theme for the 2007 Pacific Business Awards is: Pacific Impact – Transforming The World.

Pacific Business Trust chief executive Paul Muller says the awards, which are held every second year, showcase and celebrate Pacific business success.

“This year the focus will also be about celebrating the contribution Pacific business people have successfully made to the economy of New Zealand.

“As a population we must recognise the valuable role we are already playing in New Zealand’s economy and the business community needs to better engage with Pacific people. The awards is not just about winning, it is about our future, the future of our families and the world we leave for future generations,” says Mr Muller.

He says past recipients of the awards have represented the whole country, not just one centre. They include Christchurch’s Paul Nelson, 2005 Pacific Business of the Year, Wellington’s Taeaomanino Trust, 2005 Community Enterprise Award and Auckland-based Isabel Evans who won 2005 Pacific Business Leader of the Year.

“Winning the award has been my Mount Everest. It made me reflect on what I had actually achieved on this journey and now I’m ready to take on more challenges in life,” says Paul Nelson.

Taeaomanino Trust founder and chief executive Geradine Clifford says winning the award had a major impact on staff morale.

“I think our team really felt the pressure to prove they deserved this award so they became really proactive in looking at how they might change and improve the way they deliver to clients. Feedback from the awards was also very positive and supportive,” Gerardine says.

Isabel Evans is the Regional Commissioner for Social Development in Auckland and oversees nearly 1000 staff and a total budget of eighty million dollars.

“I believe the awards are hugely important for Pacific People. They do recognise excellence and they do support Pacific people across a wide spectrum,” she says.

The 2007 MIT Pacific Business Awards will be held on Friday 15 June at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau City. Nominations are now open. Interested parties should visit www.pacificbusiness.co.nz

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