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| Speeches > | |
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Thank you. Hello from a snowy, wintry New York City. Thank you KEA, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, and the Wellington City Council. It was the All Blacks who drew me to New Zealand. So thank you B J Lochore, Earle Kirton, Chris Laidlaw and Waka Nathan. All heroes to me. And being a part owner of the AB's - as all New Zealanders are - is one of the best things that ever happened to me. So thank you New Zealand. I've started 500 presentations in 40 countries with the All Blacks haka. And doesn't that set the tone for a message from the edge. |
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New Zealand as the world's edge is an idea Brian Sweeney and I've worked on for a decade. Two things are clear. The first is that our location on the globe gives us a mystical, even biological power. Our work has been to identify, extract and activate this dna, then the New Zealand edge. The second idea is that we are a nation of five million people, not four. Now living in New Zealand and everywhere else that matters…oh and in Australia too. To my friend Stephen Tindall, founder of KEA with David Teece and George Barker, congratulations on a brilliant initiative. Your networking of New Zealanders around the world is creating great value. We need KEA to grow and grow. |
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I've worked with Saatchi & Saatchi for 30 years now - 20 as a client, and 10 as global CEO. Our founding belief is that "nothing is impossible". Once you believe that, life becomes simpler. Many New Zealanders work with me in Saatchi & Saatchi. I show New Zealand work everywhere I go. It's original, creative, emotional, and it works. I also want to recognize the University of Waikato Management School. Mike Pratt, Clive Gilson and I have coached some of the world's top companies in the art and practice of peak performance. From Toyota to Procter & Gamble. Waikato has made a global impact. |
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It can sometimes be tough being a New Zealander; we can be rough on each other. We often ignore what is most valuable right under our nose. This is why every New Zealander living overseas should support a home project. Mine is TYLA, the Turn Your Life Around Trust, a transformation program for young people at risk in urban Auckland. It's all part of preparing for the global game of winning the world from the edge. |
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All of them share my passion for New Zealand and the Silver Fern. Thanks again for recognizing that passion. Kia kaha. |
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