Finalists named for 2014 AUT Business School Excellence in Business Support Awards

13 Jun, 2014
 
Finalists named for 2014 AUT Business School Excellence in Business Support Awards
The 2014 AUT Business School Excellence in Business Support Award finalists have been announced.

Finalists for the 2014 AUT Business School Excellence in Business Support Awards (EBSA) have been announced today.

The annual AUT EBSA event has been the only national performance for New Zealand business support organisations since its conception nine years ago.

“For any business, the standard of support it gets behind the scenes from business support organisations has a great bearing on whether it succeeds or fails,” says AUT University Dean of Business and Law, Professor Geoff Perry.

“By acknowledging excellence in business support we aim to highlight the important role of business support, celebrate excellence, and raise the standard of business support across the board.”

The importance of strong leadership in business support cannot be underestimated and is demonstrated in the quality of the two individual finalists in the Leadership category this year, Stephen Jacobi and Franceska Banga.

Stephen Jacobi provides consultancy services in international trade, government relations and economic development, drawing on a deep knowledge of New Zealand’s trade negotiating effort and an extensive network of contacts within and outside New Zealand.  Jacobi’s recent successes have included helping to restore New Zealand’s trade relationship with the United States and preparing and supporting New Zealand FTA negotiations with Japan (through the Trans Pacific Partnership) and Korea.

Chief Executive of the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund Franceska Banga is well known for her leadership of the policy and framework for New Zealand’s venture capital sector since 2000.  She is also highly regarded in the international venture capital community.  Under Banga’s guidance the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund has invested around $145 million into 167 New Zealand companies since 2002, and to date those companies have earned $1.5 billion in revenues and $1.2 billion in export dollars.

Finalists for each of the 11 categories have until 11 July to submit their final applications, which will then be evaluated by a team of academics from the AUT Business School’s Management Department.

Evaluation of applications is overseen by the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation.

In evaluating applications the judges will focus on:  leadership and planning, customer and market focus, provision of business support, evaluation and improvement, and results.

Winners of the 11 category awards and the Supreme Award will be named at a gala dinner on 2 October.

2014 finalists for the AUT Business School Excellence in Business Support Awards

Image Print Business < $5M T/O Management Services

*    Catapult
*    Life Care Consultants
*    HRtoolkit

Idealog Business < $5M T/O Sales & Marketing

*    The Research Agency
*    Terabyte Interactive
*    Sublime Activation

Idealog Business < $5M T/O Technology

*    The Web Company
*    MOVIO
*    Terabyte Interactive

New Zealand Work Research Institute Business $5-$20M T/O

*    Anthony Harper
*    Potentia Limited

Auckland Centre for Financial Research Business $20 -$100M T/O

*    Transaction Services Group
*    AJ Park
*    Orbit Corporate Travel Auckland
*    Minter Ellison Rudd Watts

Fuji Xerox Large Business $100M + T/O

*    Converga
*    Bank of New Zealand
*    ASB Bank

New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation Not for Profit

*    Sustainable Business Network (SBN)
*    The Marketing Association
*    CAANZ

Drake New Zealand Government

*    The New Zealand Companies Office
*    Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED)
*    Audit New Zealand

Drake New Zealand Government - Partnerships

*    Kiwi Innovation Network
*    Ministry of Education - Vocational Pathways
*    The Food Bowl

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Export Support

*    DHL Express (New Zealand) Ltd
*    Ports of Auckland
*    AJ Park
*    Beef + Lamb New Zealand
*    AmCham

Fuji Xerox Leadership

*    Stephen Jacobi (Jacobi Consulting Ltd)
*    Franceska Banga (New Zealand Venture Investment Fund)

For more information:
www.aut.ac.nz/business/ebsa