My biggest influence: Geoff Vazey

Geoff Vazey

Ports of Auckland chief executive Geoff Vazey reflects on a childhood in Onehunga when asked about the greatest influence on his career.

Leaders of large businesses - the port is the biggest in the country - have to achieve almost everything through others, so they have to be able to get on with people.

Vazey thinks he learned to do that as a boy in Onehunga. It was a place where "some people had money and some not much".

Some kids had two parents and some had one and there was a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

"Kids broke through all those differences and just got on with having a good time as best they could with what they had."

Vazey said diversity was not a weakness, it was a strength. And titles and status were not an issue.

"That experience gave me a respect for people and, while I didn't understand it until some time later, an ability to get on with folk from all walks of life."