2025 WAIKATO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS AWARDS
Celebrating Waikato business brilliance
T
he finalists for the 2025 Waikato Business Awards, supported by Fosters, have been announced. Anticipation is now building for the Gala Dinner on Friday, 21 November. On the night, winners across eleven business categories will be revealed, along with the distinguished titles of Emerging Leader, CEO of the Year, and the Supreme Business of the Year. What sets the Waikato Business Awards apart is the integrity of its judging process. Each entry is assessed by a panel of respected business leaders, meaning recognition comes directly from peers who understand the challenges, complexities, and triumphs of running a business. This makes every accolade not only an honour, but a genuine mark of excellence. Entering the Awards requires dedication and reflection, but the process itself is immensely rewarding. Many entrants return year after year, valuing the judges’ constructive feedback as a powerful tool for growth and improvement. While only one business can claim the trophy in each category, every entrant who receives a judges’ visit gains valuable insights from experienced leaders committed to fostering business excellence across the region. Countless past winners have shared that success did not come the first time they entered, but after applying the judges’ feedback and returning stronger in subsequent years, which is a true testament to the developmental power of the process. The judging panel is led by Dr Heather Connelly, former senior
academic at the Waikato Management School and former Director of its MBA programme. She is supported by a team of more than 30 highly regarded Waikato business leaders, collectively bringing decades of commercial expertise. Together, they undertake the formidable task of assessing between 70 and 85 entries each year, carefully reviewing written submissions and conducting in-depth on-site interviews to gain a genuine understanding of each business beyond the page.
Past winners include: CEO of the Year is a litany of Waikato leadership and includes Jon Calder from Tompkins Wake in 2018, Chris Joblin from Tainui Group Holdings in 2021, Lisbeth Jacobs of Gallagher Animal Management in 2023 and last year Pam Roa of Longveld Group. Emerging Leader of the Year is always a hotly contested category, and winners include the likes of Renae Smart from Civtec who is now on the Board of Waikato Regional Airport, Jenni Falconer from Emergency Consult, and Kingsley Fink from Tristram Marine. Supreme winners include Fosters back in 2017, Waitomo Group last year, Invivo Wines in 2023 and the mighty Profile Group in 2022. The value for companies entering include: Development for you and your business begins at entry Entering creates an opportunity to focus on your business in a structured
way and identify core strengths and competitive advantages as well as areas that may benefit from more focus in the future. Improve All entrants receive independent assessment and feedback from experienced judges; providing the business with independent advice to grow, develop and improve for business in general and for entering in future awards. Goal Setting Judges’ feedback supports internal goal setting for even further development for the business, its owners and employees. Network Participation in the awards provides networking opportunities with other business leaders and professionals, who are all striving for excellence. Recognition of Success Award winners receive public recognition of business success being acknowledged as the best in the
Waikato in your industry by your peers, the business community, media and potential employees. Recruitment Being an award finalist and/or winner provides credibility to attract key talent to your business. Appreciation The award process provides a platform that acknowledges the contributions made by your employees, suppliers, clients and others to your organisation’s success. Publicity Award participation provides another dimension for showcasing your services and products to a wider audience and enhances your reputation in your customer’s eyes. Alumni All finalists and winners will join past Waikato Business Award alumni and will gain recognition from the business community – promoting their achievements and assisting in growing the Waikato’s business success story.
Waikato Chamber of Commerce Team: from left, Don Good, Rebecca Wylie, Rebecca Aston, Rob Finlayson, Caz Wood, Jenny McGregor, Kiani Tuhua. Photo: Stephen Barker