2024 Main Award Judges
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Head Judge - Suzanne Snively
Hon Dame Suzanne Snively has been a Judge of the Awards over its 30-year history and Chief Judge for nearly 20 years, bringing her extensive experience as a Director of companies including RA Hannah & Co. when it was a clothing, bag and shoe retailer & manufacturer.
Suzanne is a regular analyst and commentator on New Zealand’s economic position, has chaired Transparency International New Zealand for nearly 9 years, and, among other roles, Suzanne serves as the Director of the Transition Board for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
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Deputy Head Judge - Heather Hutchings
Heather Hutchings has been business coaching for 27 years, with speciality areas in strategy and focus planning, objectives, goal setting and implementation. As Heather puts it, business is what she does and business is all she knows.
Heather started her journey with the Electra Business Awards as an assessor in 2015 and in 2019 Heather became the lead assessor. Heather has been on the BKH board for 6 years and has been very involved with the establishment of the new Business and Innovation awards alongside Antony Young and Chris Barber. Heather took on the position of the Business Awards mentor in 2022.
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Ross Leggett
Ross has an extensive background in marketing, business acquisitions, business development and asset management. He has been involved with the Awards for over two decades. Ross is currently a Porirua City Councillor and chair of its major committee.
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Steph Dyhrberg
Steph is a partner in Dyhrberg Drayton Employment Law and divides her time between Wellington and Kāpiti. She is Deputy Chairman of Mary Potter Hospice and Patron of Kauri Theatre Company. In December 2018, Steph was awarded Wellingtonian of the Year for her contribution to tackling sexual harassment in the workplace.
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Tod Cooper
A former NZ diplomat, Tod Cooper has cemented himself as a commercial leader both in New Zealand and globally, including consulting to some of the world's largest space tech companies. Tod is currently the Director of Procurement for the Department of Corrections, a Board Director for Transparency International New Zealand, and the Australia New Zealand Membership Committee representative for the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, for which he holds Fellow status. Married with three daughters, Tod is an avid sports nut and has developed an expensive interest in racing cars (legally on tracks).
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Murray Bell
Murray is Group Manager, Strategy, Insights & Regulation at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. Murray trained as civil engineer and has held a wide variety of management roles, principally in sustainable energy management, including establishment CEO of a water research agency. He served a term on the Kāpiti Coast District Council and qualified as an independent hearings commissioner.
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Greg McCullough
Gerry McCullough: Aerial Systems Engineer(UK), Information Systems Consultant(UK), Tertiary Lecturer(UK & NZ), Dean, Faculty of Business and Information Technology, Whitireia & WelTec. Gerry is currently putting his technical knowledge into practice as a small business owner.
Intern Judge 2024
George Jarjoura / Declan Mordaunt
2024 Industry Judges
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Julene Hope - Consumer Services
Transformation & change consultant/coach.
Former Co-Chair Kapiti Business Chamber.
Raised in a family business environment, became a practice manager of a dental and then medical business.
Owned and operated businesses in hospitality, and consulting. Coached - medical practices, hairdressing & massage services.
Specialist in leading through times of change.
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Helene Judge - Not for Profit
Helene Judge is the Owner Operator of Kāpiti Business Projects that helps businesses improve their operations and grow with practical and affordable advice, tools, and solutions. Working with Kāpiti Business Projects means you get access to Helene, a business development specialist in Kāpiti along with her team of professional contractors. They help enterprising people drive their business forward with innovative knowledge and business experience throughout the Kāpiti Coast, Wellington Region and Horowhenua.
Helene is based in Paraparaumu and also operates the Electra Business Breakfast, is the Campaign Manager for the annual fundraising event for rangatahi, Kapiti Run for Youth, and is Co-owner of the Kapiti Food Fair which is working towards charitable status. She is a proud member of the Kāpiti community and is a Member of the Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce who helped to establish the Women in Business group that continues to operate successfully today. She is a past Board Member of Kāpiti Retirement Trust, one of Kāpiti's largest employers with a charitable purpose.
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Bronwyn Lord - Retail
With over two decades of business management experience, including 13 years managing over 100 employees as a McDonald’s franchisee, and 18 years implementing the KiwiHost training programmes, Nevis Training owner Bronwyn Lord has helped hundreds of organisations in New Zealand and across the globe enrich and reshape their cultures.
Through collaboration with businesses dedicated to fostering and maintaining positive, engaging customer experiences, Nevis Training delivers unparalleled customer service, superior customer experiences, and cultivates self-assured, dynamic leaders.
One of Bronwyn’s key strengths is an innate talent for deciphering the intricacies of a company’s challenges and addressing them. She engages in transparent conversations with business owners and key staff members to identify the strengths and areas of improvement and uses these insights to formulate meticulously customised training solutions. As a result, the training delivered targets every problem area and leverages every existing strength to create profound change.
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Bryan Gundersen - Professional Business Services
Bryan Is a legal and business consultant. He retired as an independent commercial barrister of the High Court in June 2022 having been, until 31 March 2013, a Partner in the Wellington office of the New Zealand national law firm, now known as Dentons Kensington Swan. He served as Managing Partner of the Commercial Advisory division, Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Director, of the law firm and specialised in Corporate and Commercial Law and Competition/Regulatory Law.
Bryan is the immediate past Chairman of the Kapiti Youth Employment Foundation (commonly called Work Ready Kapiti). He was a member of the executive board of trustees of the Enterprise New Zealand Trust (2004-16). He was Director of Wellington Rugby Football Union (1998-2004) and served as Chairman of the Audit & Financial Subcommittee and Commercial Subcommittee; a member of the Advisory Board, VIP Transport, Internal Affairs Department (1992-96); and, Advisory Board, QEC Enterprises, Internal Affairs Department (1990-96). Bryan was also a member of the New Zealand Council of the Institute of Directors (2008-2010) and Chairman of the Wellington Branch Committee of the Institute of Directors (2006-2010).
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Geoff Lewis - Manufacturing
Geoff Lewis is a Horowhenua-based horticulturist and pastoral farmer. He and his family own a fresh asparagus and berry fruit business and he has extensive experience with growing, processing and exporting. He also owns, with his family, a dairy farming and beef business.
He has had many governance roles at a community and national level chairing various companies and industry organisations.
He is passionate about the Horowhenua, businesses and employment being his key interests.
He believes strongly in business needing to meet the principles of the triple bottom line, good business management, good employment principles and creating environmentally sustainable growth.
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Brian Elliot - Construction
Brian Elliott is a founding Principal of Designgroup Stapleton Elliott and is the founding Chairman of Designgroup New Zealand. He has served the New Zealand Institute of Architects in a number of capacities and was National President from 1997 to 1999.
Brian holds a Bachelor of Architecture with Honours from Auckland University, is a Life fellow and Past President of the NZIA and holds an NZIA Award of Honour.
With over 35 years of experience working for clients throughout New Zealand and Australia, Brian is a recognised expert in the Architectural industry. Brian’s vast experience in the delivery of major architectural projects draws testimony to his achievements.
His portfolio of work covers new-build, redevelopment and remediation work for Education, Commercial, Healthcare, Community, Government and Residential clients.
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Sarah Meikle - Hospitality
Sarah is the Chief Executive of the Wellington Culinary Events Trust (WCET) and Director of Food + Drink New Zealand. The WCET owns and delivers some of New Zealand’s largest food and beverage events including Visa Wellington On a Plate, Beervana, the Road to Beervana and Highball. These events and festivals were all created with the principal objective of "promoting Wellington city and region as the premium New Zealand food and beverage destination" focused on attracting out-of-town visitors and developing further opportunities to support culinary activities 365 days per year.
Sarah has had extensive experience in both the food and tourism sectors over the last 20+ years. She has extensive connections in the food sector in New Zealand – chefs, producers and commentators, as well as a growing network internationally.