Apurv Shukla
Honesty, Integrity and Accountability are the tenants on which a successful business is built. An enterprise that is a profitable venture will care for its employees and shareholders and also comes good on its corporate social responsibilities.
These themes were addressed by the Warehouse Group Founder-Chairman and Team New Zealand Chairman Sir Stephen Tindall at the Eighth Indian Newslink Sir Anand Satyanand Lecture held on July 9, 2018 at Pullman Hotel, Auckland.
‘Contributing to a Stronger New Zealand,’ was the theme of the Lecture, which created an opportunity to ascertain how the corporate sector braces itself for a changing world economic order. A world in which traditional economic and geographical alliances are fast moving. Amidst this change the one constant has to be an organisation’s commitment to a self-regulating business model, which helps a company be socially accountable.
Welcoming guests, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff spoke about the Canadian pair due to visit Auckland (see related report in this Section).
Ethnic Communities and Building and Construction Minister Jenny Salesa was the Master of Ceremonies at which former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand outlined the objectives of the Lecture.
Sir Stephen, who was the Guest Speaker outlined how he set up one of New Zealand’s biggest Retail Brands, The Warehouse in 1982.
Since its inception, the Company put its employees at the centre of all its undertakings. The motto was to treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
Sensitive to Family Violence
He shared with the audience how the organisation was particularly sensitive to the issue of family violence. It set up help lines and deployed employees to deal with this challenging problem that disrupts the very essence of family life.
Today, the Group has operations in India, China and Bangladesh.
The working conditions and business practices which the Group endorses are now being successfully replicated in different cultures and milieu.
The Tindall Foundation
Sir Stephen also talked about the Tindall Foundation.
Set up in 1995, this foundation supports charitable organisations, helps increase the scope of their activities and acts as felicitator that can better link people and organisations. Every year, about 700 companies and initiatives are given assistance by the Tindall Foundation.
Sir Stephen spoke passionately about K1W1. This Investment Company is a platform which he created to help young Kiwi entrepreneurs and start-ups.
It seeks to create eco-friendly sustainable businesses for the new age knowledge economy of tomorrow, he said.
Some Reflections
It was an engaging, and thought provoking evening.
In the course of his reflections on the main speech, former MP Dr Rajen Prasad announced that the Lecture was the last event in the Sir Anand Satyanand series.
He said that that the annual event had run its course in an excellent way.
It had achieved its goal of being a platform where issues affecting New Zealand’s socio-polity and economy are discussed threadbare and experts in the area shed light on them. As the audience were told, it is time for a reboot, and an equally engaging and intellectually stimulating exercise will be unveiled soon.
Photo:
- Sir Stephen Tindall speaking at our Annual Lecture
- Sharing the Top Table were Sir Stephen Tindall, Lady Susan Satyanand, Phil Goff, Indian High Commissioner Sanjiv Kohli and Prakashni Khan
