Venkat Raman
Auckland, November 25, 2024
Eleven outstanding New Zealanders including an institution were honoured at the Silver Jubilee celebrations of Indian Newslink at Pullman Hotel, Auckland CBD on November 25, 2024.
Among them were corporate chiefs, two officials, a business mentor and a community organisation.
Former Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand, Air New Zealand Chair Dame Therese Walsh, AIA Chair Dame Theresa Gattung, ANZ Bank Chief Executive Antonia Watson, Barfoot & Thompson Managing Director Peter Thompson, Former Police Commissioner and Current Secretary and Chief Executive Social Investment Agency Andrew Coster, Indian Immunologicals Limited Director Dr Anand Kumar, AB International Managing Director Ashok Bhatia the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand, popular businessman and community leader Prithi Pal Singh and E-Mental Health Global Leader Professor Anil Thapliyal.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins presented them with specially-crafted trophies.
Among the highlights of the evening was the release of ‘The Odyssey of a Journalist’ by the late NVR Swami by Mr Luxon and Mr Hipkins. A separate report appears elsewhere in this issue.
Special Commemoration Awards
This is a solemn and sublime segment and our way of marking the Silver Jubilee of Indian Newslink. Over the past 25 years, through 542 issues, carrying thousands of news stories, open-eds and features accounting for millions of words, this publication has been inspired by men and women who have made our country proud, standing as examples of excellence, outstanding leadership and exceptional qualities of integrity, honesty and entrepreneurship. Some of them were present at the 15th Annual Indian Newslink Business Awards held on November 25, 2024, at Pullman Hotel, Auckland CBD.
Among those recognised were Sir Anand Satyanand, Former Governor-General of New Zealand
(Indian Newslink Commemoration Award); Dame Therese Walsh, Chair of Air New Zealand (NVR Swami Commemoration Award); Dame Theresa Gattung, Chair of AIA (Wenceslaus Anthony Commemoration Award); Antonia Watson, Chief Executive, ANZ (Ravin Lal Commemoration Award); Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson (Indian Newslink Commemoration Award); Andrew Coster, Former Police Commissioner of New Zealand (Indian Newslink Commemoration Award); Dr Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited, Hyderabad, India (Dr Robert Lateef Khan (Senior) Commemoration Award); Ashok Bhatia, Managing Director, AB International (Raman (Ray) Ranchhod Award); The Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand (Indian Newslink Commemoration Award); Priti Pal Singh (Indian Newslink Commemoration Award); Professor Anil Thapliyal (Indian Newslink Commemoration Award).
Indian Newslink Commemoration Award: This Award has been established for inspiring leadership and high values of Integrity and Honesty and is presented this year to Sir Anand Satyanand, Former Governor-General of New Zealand.
Throughout his career beginning as a lawyer and progressed through as a District Court Judge, Parliamentary Ombudsman and then as the 19th Governor-General of New Zealand from 2006 to 2011. He later served two, two-year terms as the Chair of the Commonwealth Foundation. He has been associated with several governmental and non-governmental organisations including the Confidential Forum for Former In-Patients of Psychiatric Hospitals, the Banking Ombudsman scheme and the Pecuniary Interests Register and Scheme for Members of Parliament. He was also the inaugural Deputy Chair of the Asia 2000 Foundation (now Asia New Zealand Foundation). Indian Newslink instituted the Indian Newslink Anand Satyanand Lecture Series from 2011 to 2018 (rebranded as Indian News Lecture in 2019). He is currently the Chancellor of the University of Waikato.
NVR Swami Commemoration Award: This Award has been established to recognise a person for Excellence in Governance and esteemed qualities of Leadership with Distinction and the Inaugural Award is presented to Dame Therese Walsh, Chair of Air New Zealand.
Dame Therese Walsh is also the Chair of ASB Bank, Chair of Chapter Zero NZ and a Director of Antarctica New Zealand and OnBeing Bold. She was previously Chair of TVNZ, Pro-Chancellor of Victoria University Wellington, a Director of NZX, Contact Energy, NZ Cricket and Save the Children, Trustee of the Wellington Regional Stadium, Head of New Zealand for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Chief Operating Officer for Rugby New Zealand 2011, CFO at the New Zealand Rugby Union, part of the team that won the RWC hosting rights and was earlier an auditor at KPMG.
Wenceslaus Anthony Commemoration Award: This Award is presented for exceptional corporate leadership with dignity and honour and is presented to Dame Theresa Gattung, Chair of AIA.
Perhaps best known for her role as CEO of Telecom New Zealand (now Spark), she was the first female CEO of an NZX-listed company. Since leaving Telecom, she divides her time between professional governance, entrepreneurial projects, and philanthropic work.
As Co-Founder of My Food Bag, alongside Cecilia Robinson and Nadia Lim, she helped take the start-up to a nationwide company with a turnover of over $130 million.
She is currently Chair of AIA New Zealand, Chair of Tend, Chair Global Women, Chair, of Telco Technology Services and a member of the National Advisory Board on the Employment of Women. Most recently she is the Founder of Compatico, a premium, personalised and private matchmaking service designed for those aged 40 and above.
In 2021 she funded the Theresa Gattung Chair of Women in Entrepreneurship within the University of Auckland Business School and also launched the Gattung Foundation whose main charitable purposes are to support the relief of poverty, the education and advancement of women, Māori and Pasifika to reduce inequality and the care, support and protection of animals.
In the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours, she was awarded Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to women, governance and philanthropy.
Ravin Lal Commemoration Award: This Award is presented in memory of the Founder of Indian Newslink to a professional who accepts business challenges and succeeds with dignity and honour. This year, this Award is presented to Antonia Watson, Chief Executive, ANZ.
Antonia Watson has been the Chief Executive Officer of ANZ Bank New Zealand and a member of the ANZ Banking Group Executive Committee since 2019. She has previously been Managing Director for ANZ Bank New Zealand Retail & Business Banking and its Chief Financial Officer. A graduate of Otago University, Ms Watson has also worked for Morgan Stanley in Budapest, Sydney and London, and KPMG New Zealand.
Indian Newslink Commemoration Award: This Award is presented to a businessperson who runs a successful enterprise with a sense of social responsibility and builds a culture of trust and partnership with colleagues and staff. This Award goes to Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson.
For more than 100 years, Barfoot & Thompson has steadfastly remained a family-owned company, setting standards for the industry and entrepreneurship. Over the decades, the company has continued to grow, despite fluctuating market cycles, economic downturns, war times, changes in government regulations and more. Throughout its history, the Barfoot and Thompson families have maintained their integrity to make the company a success story and an iconic New Zealand brand. Mr Thompson joined the company in 1981, was appointed Director in 1997 and made Managing Director in 2005. He is credited for his vision, embracing technology, diversity in hiring, modern attitudes and innovations in the industry to become a company recognised on the international stage as the best in the world.
Indian Newslink Commemoration Award: This Award is presented to an individual who has excelled in public service, influencing the lives and careers of a large number of people with a strong impact on communities and society. This Award is presented to Andrew Coster, Former Police Commissioner of New Zealand.
A former lawyer who served in New Zealand Police in various capacities for 27 years, Mr Andrew Coster was perhaps one of the few to face serious challenges in an eventful career. Taking oath as the Police Commissioner just as the Covid pandemic struck the country, he had to cope with safety issues concerning prolonged lockdown periods, the murder of a Police Officer in 2023 (the first in 14 years), the 23-day standoff in Parliament in 2022, the rising retail crime and the gang war. Mr Coster managed each of these crises professionally, navigating his team of officials through strategic direction and safety. He has since taken charge as Secretary and Chief Executive of the newly-formed Social Investment Agency. The post is the reaffirmation of the government’s confidence in him.
Dr Robert Lateef Khan (Senior) Commemoration Award: This Award is presented to an individual or an institution for research and innovation leading to improved health and/or environment. This Award is also presented to an individual for achieving excellence in a professional pursuit. This year, it goes to
Dr Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited, Hyderabad, India.
Dr Anand Kumar is an eminent Scientist who has led India in achieving self-sufficiency in human and animal vaccines, thereby accruing substantial savings for the country. He led a team in a collaborative effort with Griffith University, Australia and developed a novel codon deoptimised live attenuated vaccine for Covid-19. During the emergency created by the pandemic, he helped produce 30 million doses in a record time. His vision and leadership were instrumental in establishing Pristine Biologicals New Zealand Limited in Dargaville to help India secure a key raw material used in vaccine manufacturing.
Raman (Ray) Ranchhod Award: This Award is given in memory of a prominent New Zealander of Indian origin who established a successful business and fostered the bond between India and New Zealand. This year is sponsored by Indian Newslink and is presented to Ashok Bhatia, Managing Director, AB International.
Ashok Bhatia established AB International Limited in 2001, initially to import a range of fast-moving consumer edibles. Since then, under his leadership, the company has grown to become the preeminent international food distributor of choice for several leading International Brands from India, USA, UAE and South East Asia. The company manages more than 1600 SKUs across 26 major categories.
Indian Newslink Commemoration Award: This Award is presented to an individual or an organisation actively promoting businesses or advocating their cause. This Award is sponsored by Indian Newslink. The Winner this year is The Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand
Formed in 1978, the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand has been a strong link between businesses and communities. During the Covid-19 lockdown period, the Society provided more than 300,000 food parcels and essential supplies to people in need. In the past few years, Society has become an advocate for friendly immigration policies, encouraging Immigration New Zealand to be responsive to the cultural and social values of the Asian communities. The Society works with the government and opposition parties on areas such as Parent and Grandparent visas, Work and Income, exploitation of migrant workers and victim support.
Indian Newslink Commemoration Award: This Award is presented to an individual who is at the forefront of mentoring budding entrepreneurs and inspiring them to succeed. This Award, sponsored by Indian Newslink, is presented to Mr Priti Pal Singh.
Mr Priti Pal Singh is hailed as a successful businessman and a property developer, employing hundreds of New Zealanders. Known for integrity and honesty, he has been a mentor for people keen to make their mark in the construction industry. As well as encouraging them to adopt proper business strategies and follow financial discipline, he is involved in community and social welfare projects and programmes.
Indian Newslink Commemoration Award: This Award is presented to a person who has shown innovation and leadership in bringing positive changes in the lives of people. Indian Newslink has sponsored this Award presented this year to Professor Anil Thapliyal.
Anil Thapliyal pioneered the design, development and implementation of eMental Health initiatives around the world. His reputation is built on the ground-breaking work for New Zealand, Canada, Europe, USA and Australia in strategy, policy and implementation of scalable eMental Health solutions such as the National Depression Initiative in New Zealand. He has repeatedly demonstrated his leadership in primary and secondary care in developing integrated systems across the care continuum ranging from promotion, prevention, and treatment interventions to social support. After having co-designed several digital mental health initiatives with mental health service users, he is guided by his firm conviction that “we must focus on the service user, their families and carers. If it does not work for them, it does not work.” In recognition of his expertise, Auckland University Technology appointed him as an Adjunct Professor at its Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences.
Our Judges
Our Judges, who belong to an independent, external panel, have been the epitomes of integrity and honesty and have, over the past 15 years, enriched the value of the Indian Newslink Business Awards. None of the judges has even visited the offices of Indian Newslink so that they can remain truly independent of the brand-holder. As Indian Newslink celebrated its 25th Anniversary and marked the 15th Edition of its Business Awards, we had the honour of presenting our Judges with a small token of our respect from Mr Luxon and Mr Hipkins. They were Chip Dawson (Chairman of the Panel), Nevil Gibson, Sandra Sweetman, Sue Ironside, Paul Gestro, Clinton Swan and Fiona Rotherham.
