James Jones
Strategy, Finance and Business Operations Professional with 15 years experience with technology companies. Strengths include corporate strategy, finance, and analytics. Harvard MBA.
Toni Larsen
Toni is a photographer based in the Manawatu (although she’s sometimes found elsewhere) who’s business is mainly focused on weddings, portrait and editorial work. Toni is a graduate of UCOL where she gained a Bachelor of Visual Imaging as an adult student after leaving a corporate career behind. She’s won some awards and been featured in magazines, but what she mostly cares about is the experience her clients have when they work with her.
Toni also works with UCOL 3rd year Bachelor of Creative Media students to connect them with local charities and non-profit organisations giving them valuable creative industry experience prior to graduation.
Selwyn Yorke
Selwyn established a career in scientific research, which quickly evolved into the pre-clinical and clinical development, business development and commercialisation of biotech and natural products in both local and international markets. A couple of years ago, Selwyn set up a consultancy to provide business development support for start-up tech companies, Kiwinet and MBIE R&D programs. He is an active Angel Investor and on the MIG Fund 2 Investment Committee. He is on the Board of two start-up companies and is involved in three environment-focussed Societies and Trusts.
Tyson Schmidt
Tyson is Ngati Porou and Te Aitanga a Hauiti. His background includes Ministers’ Offices, The Treasury, Building & Housing, UCOL’s senior management, and the Office of the Auditor-General. Tyson takes a design approach to strategy and change, matching this with his policy, economic and financial analysis skills to generate insights.
Peter Askey
Peter’s background is in contracted services with over 15 years' in senior management to general manager level, holding a number of directorships. He’s highly experienced in working in competitive markets, understanding the dynamics of creating the necessary business culture and managing resources to achieve both customer value and profitable outcomes.
James Watts
James’ mission is simple, help to connect people, and make this city we call home, a better place to live.
Since founding Inspire Net in 1998, he’s lived and breathed Inspire, dug holes on hill-tops, maintained our server room, talked to customers during the day and night and supported a whole bunch of different organisations in our community.
When he’s not inspiring the team at work, or spending time with his wife and two boys, he’s off speaking at community meetings about technology options to connect our remote rural areas to the world.
We’re not sure he sleeps.
Brian Henderson
Brian has leadership and finance experience from his role as an agribusiness regional manager at the BNZ. Specialising in assisting clients to take their business from point a to point b, the key to this is determining what factors are critical to that success. Leadership and helping people grow into the next stage of their lives is another passion. Brian is developing governance experience through 4 years as a board member of a health sector NGO has provided great insights to challenges and pitfalls of governance.
Dr. Gavin Clarke
Imagine a world where the spirit of entrepreneurship is embedded into all disciplines and professions.
My mission is to support and grow those at the nexus of research, innovation and education. I bring a broad career experience across industry research, university leadership and spinout companies.
Jason Driscole
Jason is a Chartered Accountant and Director of Morrison Creed, where your business is our goal. Jason enjoys working with new technology, particularly where it can assist clients to achieve their business and personal goals. Jason grew up on a dairy farm in the Manawatu and outside of the office is a dad, avid sports fan and lover of irony.
Hamish O'Brien
Hamish is a Director and General Manager of Colspec Construction Ltd. A qualified Quantity Surveyor by profession, Hamish worked his way through the ranks at Colspec over his 14 years with the company. Whilst the construction sector is a challenging industry with its many facets, the ever changing environment, and conundrums faced, ensures the role Hamish has within the company, is never mundane.
Hamish’s main responsibilities within the business include day-to-day management, Human Resource management, project procurement, work programming and cost management. Hamish has been instrumental in challenging the current thought patterns of many commercial construction companies, by working with Colspec’s clients and consultants, to look for a more sustainable business model. Having honed his leadership skills by working with, and listening to, other respected members of the construction industry, Hamish has worked to build a unique business model that has brought about new successes for the Colspec Group in recent years.
Steve Davey
Steve is a Partner with ABC Business Sales and specialises in selling businesses. A former Business Banker, Steve is passionate about all things business and has worked with start ups through to large corporates during his career. Steve’s focus these days is helping business owners ready their business for sale and then facilitating sales within the market. His skills range from financial analysis to sales and marketing with particular emphasis on social media marketing. Steve is a market leader in his field and has won numerous awards.