Top biz award for former shelf stacker

Jason Witehira's received the Outstanding Maori Business Leaders Award at the Aotearoa New Zealand Maori Business Leaders Awards. Photo/Supplied

A former Rotorua man who started his career stacking supermarket shelves in Rotorua has received a top business leader award.

Jason Witehira's achievements were recognised at the Aotearoa New Zealand Maori Business Leaders Awards 2016, where he received the Outstanding Maori Business Leaders Award.

Another former Rotorua person, Karen Vercoe (Ngati Pikiao, Te Arawa, Ngati Hinekura), won the Dame Mira Szaszy Maori Alumni Award.

Mr Witehira started stacking supermarket shelves at age 16 and now, 32 years on, he owns New World Victoria Park in the Auckland suburb of Freemans Bay, and lends his expertise to the Foodbowl, an open-access processing plant used as a testing ground for new food products.

"Personally, I am very humbled to be categorised alongside other amazing people that have won this award before me.

"Professionally, I am very proud to be acknowledged and intend to continue to add value within the Maori economy where I can."

The awards are run by the University of Auckland Business School, and are widely regarded as the nation's premier Maori business awards.

A steering committee of Maori business and government figures from throughout the country guide selection of the winners.

"These awards are an occasion to recognise the tremendous contribution that leaders - individuals, organisations and their communities - make to a strong and growing economy that is grounded in Maori world views," said Dr Chellie Spiller, associate dean, Maori and Pacific.

The breadth and depth represented by the 2016 winners testify to a mature and burgeoning Maori economy, which has grown from an estimated asset base of $9.4 billion in 2001 to $40 billion in 2015, Dr Spiller said.

Some analysts forecast this figure could top $100 billion in the next few years.

Ms Vercoe is founder and principal of KTV Consulting Ltd, whose tagline is "turning organisation passion into organisation performance".

"To receive an award named after Dame Mira Szaszy is incredibly special, given the mana she held in Maoridom," Ms Vercoe said.

Dame Mira was the first Maori woman to graduate with a degree from the University of Auckland.