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Mac Courtney from New World Brookfield has won top recognition in Foodstuff’s North Island annual Excellence Awards.
The Excellence Awards is a long-standing event on the Foodstuffs calendar that recognises the top graduates of Foodstuffs’ internal training programmes, as well as the winners of individual categories such as the Women in Retail Award and Checker of the Year.
Courtney won the Best Individual Award as part of the Leadership in Action programme at the awards, which were held at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland on February 25.
This year’s event was Foodstuffs’ largest yet, with 69 finalists competing for the top prize across 21 categories.
Among the winners were Wendy Self, a Pak’nSave Hāwera employee who took home the Baker of the Year Award; Victoria Tupou, a Pak’nSave Pukekohe check-out operator who was awarded the Checker of the Year trophy; and Nicola Hallett – a Pak’nSave Whanganui team member who received the prestigious Women in Retail award and was awarded first place for their part in the Store Mastery Programme.
Foodstuffs North Island chief executive officer Chris Quin said the awards were a great example of how the 100 per cent locally owned and operated co-operative acknowledged the dedicated work put in by its teams each year.
“This event is always a highlight for me as I get to see the skills and talent of our teams get recognised, as well as acknowledge the effort of our people.
“Our people are our business, and their success is our success, so to celebrate the brilliant work they do across all aspects of the business, from our merchandisers through to our butchers, is extremely special for everyone involved.”
Ballance Agri-Nutrients is funding a comprehensive relief package to provide on-the-ground support in response to the devastation caused to rural communities by recent weather events throughout New Zealand.
Mark Wynne, chief executive of Ballance - which has its headquarters in Tauranga - said from cyclones and weather bombs in the North Island to droughts in the South Island, rural communities have had a tough start to 2023.
Wynne said its Super Air teams immediately responded after the bad weather and checked on farmers and growers, dropping off supplies.
“In some cases, the Super Air pilot was the first person they had seen or heard from in days.
“We will continue to serve the communities that are cut off, with a focus on food and animal health products, for as long as needed.”
Recovery from extreme weather events took time and had an impact on families, livestock, businesses and personal wellbeing, he said.
“That is why we have established a comprehensive weather relief response that includes a $1 million donation to the Rural Support Trust.”
Ballance would work with the Rural Support Trust, a national organisation run by a team of 350 people.
The trust had the reach and services to help with the recovery journey, walking alongside people in need and providing mental health and practical support as they went through the clean-up and rebuilding phases.
Ballance had also provided shareholders with the opportunity to support the trust through a ‘pay it forward’ donation.
Ballance shareholders could pledge a portion or all of their July rebate payment. This pledge would go directly to the Rural Support Trust.
Wynne said as an organisation, it felt compelled to help rural communities recover from the impact the devastating weather events had on land, animals and people.
“There is no doubt pastures and crops have been damaged through slips, flooding and drought, and that’s where we can help, with re-grassing, re-planting and re-building.
“We will work with customers to make sure the right products are available for each specific farm or orchard’s soil health needs.”
Rural Support Trust chairman Neil Bateup said the generous donation from Ballance would go a long way toward easing the pressure on rural communities.
“It will be at least a year, if not longer, before farmers and growers fully recover from the impacts of the cyclone, flooding and droughts. The North and South Islands have experienced very different weather events, both very challenging from a wellbeing and business perspective.”
Rural Support Trust had set up a Givealittle page and was encouraging people to donate money, not goods, to help farmers and growers.
Awatere Douglas has been named the manager of one of Rotorua’s biggest hotels.
The 27-year-old secured his first job at the Sudima Lake Rotorua hotel nine years ago washing dishes, and now he is the hotel manager.
A pōwhiri is to be held at the Rotorua hotel on March 9 to welcome Douglas into his new role.
Hind Management was starting the year with a series of promotions of internal talent.
The specialist hotel management company behind the award-winning Sudima Hotels brand, as well as a number of restaurants, bars and spas, employs more than 575 staff across its portfolio.
Rajas Patil had been the hotel manager at Sudima Lakes Rotorua for the past two years and had now been named hotel manager Kaiwhakahaere Matua of Sudima Christchurch Airport.
Stepping into Patil’s shoes is Awatere Douglas, who has been appointed hotel manager at Sudima Lake Rotorua after serving as Patil’s deputy in the operations manager role.
Douglas was one of the first recipients of a scholarship from Sudima Hotels’ Ngāti Whakaue Scholarship Programme and remains the national cultural adviser to the group.
Patil said moving to Christchurch was an exciting prospect.
“I am pleased that Sudima Lake Rotorua will be in the capable and confident hands of Awatere, who is a rising star of the group, knows the hotel inside and out, and has fully earned this opportunity.”
Douglas started his hotel career with Sudima Hotels and said he was excited to step up into this new role at Sudima Lake Rotorua.
“I have benefitted from the mentorship of Rajas and the opportunities presented in the wider group, and now it is my turn to foster some of the newer talent at the hotel as visitors return to Rotorua.”
Also in Rotorua, trained emotional culture coach Dania McRae is to take up a new role as operations manager of Sudima Lake Rotorua.
Hind Management chief people officer Phillipa Gimmillaro said they were proud to have Douglas, Patil, and McRae as part of the group.
“Rajas has shown steadfast leadership and brings expertise from our group and international hotel brands. Awatere has grown his career with Sudima Hotels and has made remarkable achievements to date, including in his invaluable role as our national cultural adviser.
“Dania has been an integral member of the talent and culture team for almost one year, with her role naturally leaning into the operations of the hotel.”
How New Zealand can take advantage of the opportunities to transition to a circular bioeconomy was explored at the Scion Bioeconomy Symposium in Wellington last month.
The event, hosted by Scion, was held as part of events to commemorate the Rotorua-based company’s 75th anniversary.
Scion hosted the event at the Wharewaka Function Centre to provide networking opportunities and spark conversations about the circular bioeconomy as momentum builds nationally and globally to find ways to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce the dependence many countries have on fossil fuels.
Business commentator Rod Oram facilitated the symposium’s discussion involving five expert panellists: the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser Dame Juliet Gerrard; Oji Fibre Solutions chief executive and Scion board member Dr Jon Ryder; Whenua Oho chief executive Te Kapunga Dewes; He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission chairman Dr Rod Carr; Fit for a Better World chief transformation officer at MPI Jenny Cameron; and Scion general manager for forests to bio-based products Dr Florian Graichen.
In exploring how New Zealand can accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy, the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser Dame Juliet Gerrard said making the economy more circular could become a ‘tier one’ national research priority.
“There are obvious opportunities already in forestry and agriculture, but circular principles could be applied to any sector and industry in New Zealand.”
The success of a youth Global Ambassador programme, including 21 youth from across Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty, has resulted in its continuation for a second year and a new cohort of ambassadors for 2023.
Launched in October 2021, the Global Ambassadors programme is a collaboration between Education Tauranga, Enigmatic Global and Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Welcoming Communities programme.
Initially funded by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao, the programme’s purpose was to form a diverse group of youth, including domestic students, international students and New Zealand immigrants.
The group’s mission was to create a positive impact within both their local and global communities, while also serving as role models for diversity, inclusion, and co-operation.
One year on, the first cohort of Global Ambassadors – comprising students of several diverse cultural backgrounds – had contributed more than 1440 volunteering hours across 30 different interactions with local and national projects, focus groups and events.
All activity was underpinned by at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with the Ambassadors engaging with over 20 local businesses and organisations.
These included two projects with the Tauranga City Council, contributions to a Multi-Ethnic Forum and hosting a group of youth leaders of Somali heritage in co-operation with E Tū Whānau.
Programme facilitator Kurt Cordice of Enigmatic Global said the pilot had been co-created with the ambassadors to become a platform that allows them to bring new and diverse perspectives to issues of importance in the Bay of Plenty.
“The programme has offered a foundation of support and access to opportunities that allow the ambassadors to contribute their unique voice, perspectives, ideas and knowledge to important conversations where they are often missing.
“We expected that their input would be valued. But we did not expect how the ambassadors would be so in-demand after only one year.
“That success is a legacy the first cohort of Global Ambassadors [Primes] will be passing on to the next cohort [Global Ambassador 2.0s],” Cordice said.
In November 2022, the Global Ambassadors were recognised locally as finalists of the Western Bay Community Award for Diversity and Inclusion.
Ambassador Jasrose Mallhi, a recent graduate from Te Puke High School, was named as a finalist for the Youth Spirit Award.
In July 2022, the group was also recognised nationally as semifinalists in the Impact Awards.
The jury's marathon deliberations ran for two weeks.