How best governance can fast-track growth

I have a diverse and successful track record in building businesses and driving their growth. This is something I draw on daily in my current role as chief executive of Creative HQ, the Wellington region’s business incubator which helps New Zealand start-ups navigate a path to success.

During the early to late 1990s, I worked for a number of multi-national broadband telecommunications companies experiencing colossal growth, including NASDAQ listed NTL (now Virgin Media) where I was head of pricing. During my first 18 months with NTL, it grew from 60 employees to over 10,000. It was an exciting, fast-moving, swift-learning environment and saw first-hand the opportunities you get in big markets and the stretch marks you get with that kind of growth.

Back in New Zealand, my roles have included leading my statistician brother’s small data mining services business Datamine which, we build into an award-winning (Deloitte Fast50), multi-million dollar business and helping to launch and steer towards its eventual MBO a spin-off products company, Marketview. More recently, a general management function with Meridian Energy, gave me the freedom to dream and scheme and pitch to the Meridian board for investment in new innovations and spin-out ventures.

This in turn resulted in my taking responsibility for business development and growth at one of these spin-outs, Arc Innovations, successfully driving the introduction of innovative products in a slow moving industry that are now being adopted across the New Zealand energy sector.

I’d have to say that even the most difficult experiences are invaluable in my current role. These have become tangible examples for the entrepreneurs that come through the Creative HQ incubator.