Businesses going global

Darren Straker, Shanghai

How long have you lived offshore? About 30 years I’ve lived in the UK, Germany, France, US, UAE, Oman, Japan,Hong Kong and now China.

What do you love most about Shanghai? It’s a cosmopolitan area vibrant, with plenty to do and historically very interesting. There are good bars, restaurants etc. Workwise, there’s plenty of technology development and it’s possible to generate funding and potential for new projects with access to venture capital and investors.

If someone was coming to visit the area what are two places you would recommend them visiting and why? Any of the museums and/or the art galleries plus walking around the historical areas of Shanghai, the Bund etc. I also have a number of favourite restaurants.

What’s the best thing about being a Kiwi offshore? Higher relative salaries, working in high tech industries at levels not possible in New Zealand. Living in other cultures, developing a global network of contacts both business and socially plus being able to see the world, travel and experience different cultures, languages, perspectives

What do you miss the most about New Zealand? Access to fantastic sports areas – skiing, cycling, mountain biking and sailing. No endless expat bureaucracy for work visas etc plus the 

space and open areas, including beaches and quality of life options.

What do you think will be the big issues or events which will command attention this year? Assisting Chinese civil aviation to get European certification for their new passenger aircraft will be a major game-changer. EU certified aircraft opens huge export potential with the obvious advantages of increased manufacturing and export market potential. The global multi-polarization of trade and industry as exemplified through the BRICS agreements. Markets will open, with changes to a trade balance that is not European or US centric. We will see Russia, Asia, Africa and South America emerging as potential trade and market influences as historical hegemony transitions to a balanced trade zone with emphasis on the APAC region and developing markets and zones. My specific area is aviation, within the aviation research and development sectors, new emerging technologies with venture capital funding as these new technologies move into industrialization with significant Government and offshore funding

available.

Finish this sentence “In 2023 the world needs more…..”Funding in developing APAC countries to lift the standards and increase the levels of manufacturing capability, more cross border tech projects to establish multinational consortiums for the application of new technologies and less barriers to the movement of people around APAC.

Tim Drysdale, Edinburgh, Scotland

How long have you lived offshore? Since 2002

What do you love most about Edinburgh? The mixture of capital city culture, proximity to professional critical mass, and fabulous outdoors right on the doorstep. Not to mention sometimes I see the hills by the city and forget I am not in Christchurch anymore.

If someone was coming to visit the area what are two places you would recommend them visiting and why? The first is my favourite mid-bike-ride cafe (Drift, North Berwick). It’s a couple of repurposed containers with glass walls on a coastal cliff, so it has a lovely view and it’s also a reminder of the great spirit Christchurch showed post-quake with its container mall. You can probably tell from the photo I have a fondness for repurposed containers – the model containers hold remote experiments we developed for our students here at the University of Edinburgh to access from their laptops/phones. The second is the single-track road across the heather moorland by Longformucus – it’s both stark and beautiful and it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, yet only an hour east of town. Plus it has great corners if you are on two wheels.

What’s the best thing about being a Kiwi offshore? The Kiwi culture of ingenuity and hard work lends itself to creative disruption, and our egalitarian approach tends to help dissolve social barriers. That’s a great set of ingredients to bring to the international arena because you can do rewarding work with them, but there is also a lot to learn from other cultures – and together the results are greater than the sum of the parts.

What do you miss the most about New Zealand? The scale of the scenery, BBQ Shapes, kiwi dip, and the ridiculously friendly banter at all times. But most of all, it’s the family connections. My nieces are growing up fast! Fortunately it’s much easier to keep in contact with modern comms.

What do you think will be the big issues or events which will command attention this year? In the Higher Education sector we’re getting to grips with the rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence. I’m almost certain we’re not the only sector responding to this development. It’ll be a great opportunity for many, if handled well.

Finish this sentence “In 2023 the world needs more…..” understanding and empathy for ourselves and others, as we go about our day-to-day lives and contributing to the world around us.

Kat McMillan, Paris, France

How long have you lived offshore? On and off since January 2017, I move all over and work remotely.

What do you love most about Paris? The food! My key reason for travelling and spending my time somewhat nomadically is to discover and enjoy food from all over the world which I document and share through my IG blogs @what_kat_eats and @foodkatmade. Paris has some amazing classic foods (pastries and baguettes will never be the same elsewhere) as well as a plethora of top notch international food spots including the best Ramen and Middle Eastern food I’ve ever tried.

If someone was coming to visit the area what are two places you would recommend

them visiting and why? The Marais because it is uber central but not touristy and filled with unique eateries, boutique shops, quaint streets and colourful buildings. The 11th arrondissement because of its endless eateries, wine caves, gardens and seriously good boulangeries. It’s a fantastic mix of young families, elderly that have lived here most their lives and young people. You will also spot the red michelin stamp of approval often here. It’s the perfect area to meander and feel safe without the (sometimes) parisian annoyance you get in more touristic areas.

What’s the best thing about being a Kiwi offshore? People everywhere love kiwis – you don’t really see the impact of this until you travel offshore. This alone opens you up to more experiences, meeting new people and making connections because Kiwis as a whole are seen as good, kind, fun, down to earth and hard working.

What do you miss the most about New Zealand? Green spaces that are not curated. Being able to drive to some nature or a space without people very easily.

What do you think will be the big issues or events which will command attention this year? The cost of living – it’s global and maybe we will see a shift in how people live based on this both at home and overseas. Thanks to the silver lining of covid where remote work has become more accepted, this could mean that we see more people living ‘off the grid’ or choosing to sell up and spend chunks of time living and working remotely in countries where the base cost of living is lower.

Finish this sentence “In 2023 the world needs more…..” Kindness and connection.

James Turnbull, Slany, (a small town 30 minutes outside Prague in the Czech Republic)

How long have you lived offshore? I moved to the Czech Republic in 2003.

What do you love most about the Czech Republic? The Czech Republic is a great place to visit, but it’s also a great place to live. People here are friendly and happy and there is so much to see and do. Czechs have a wicked sense of humour much like our own and they love their wine and beer. As the economy transitions from the post-communist phase there are also all kinds of great business opportunities – although to be fair, that transition is pretty much complete. We are right in the centre of Europe. From my front door I can be in a different country in just over an hour. Berlin and Vienna are a day trip.

If someone was coming to visit the area, what are two places you would recommend them to visit and why? Everyone who comes to Czech visits the ‘standard attractions’: Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square. But there is far more to see than that. I would encourage everyone to try to stay a couple of days extra and get outside Prague to visit places like Cesky Krumlov or Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).

What’s the best thing about being a Kiwi offshore? People here know and like New Zealand. A surprisingly large number of the younger generation have been there – on holiday or fruit picking. Those that have not been, want to go. Local Kiwi are something of a novelty item there are only a few hundred of us in the entire country – so it is never that difficult to start conversations.

What do you miss the most about New Zealand? The sea! We are 7 hours’ drive away from the nearest beach, and if you want actual waves, then that jumps to 15 hours. Almost worse, because there is no sea, there is also not much sensibly priced fresh seafood. So an annual trip to the ocean to ‘get my fix’ becomes absolutely essential. In New Zealand I lived close to Muriwai beach, but of course you don’t really appreciate the value of something until you don’t have it anymore. Oh, and lamb. Lamb is not really a thing here. Pork, chicken, beef; that’s it!

What do you think will be the significant issues or events which will command attention this year? From where I sit as I write this the distance to the Ukraine is roughly the same as the distance from Auckland to Wellington. Because of that there is only one big issue – the war. It is having an immense impact on life here in every way. People here have genuinely welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees with open arms. It was just 54 years ago that Russia last invaded the Czech Republic. Czech membership of NATO changes everything, but people here take what’s happening on the other side of the fence very personally.

Finish this sentence “In 2023; the world needs more…..” Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

North America

The important role that Kiwi aerospace companies have to play in the wider global industry was front and centre in California this month with a visit from Minister of National Defence Judith Collins. Minister Collins met with Senior Advisor to Californian Governor Gavin Newsom, Dee Dee Myers, and Kea World Class New Zealander and Rocket Lab CEO Peter at Rocket Lab’s Long Beach facility. The visit aimed to explore business opportunities with the state, speak at the Space Symposium, and promote New Zealand’s growing role in the aerospace industry. Minister Collins also visited Colorado to meet with Governor Jared Polis and discuss ongoing negotiations to reduce barriers to investments in technology, aerospace, and artificial intelligence industries. With over 30 Kiwi companies already present in Denver, the agreement has the potential to significantly deepen economic ties and create more opportunities for businesses looking to break into the US market.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters was also in the US this month, meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, D.C. Both sides emphasised cooperation on pressing global issues – climate change, geopolitical competition, and the war in Ukraine. Additionally, discussions highlighted ongoing collaboration with regional partners like Australia and support for Pacific Island nations. These high-level meetings come at a time of increasing global complexity. The emphasis on regular dialogue and collaboration in defence, intelligence, and technology suggests a strong commitment from both the US and New Zealand to navigate these challenges together.

Finally, New Zealand’s Public Service Commission announced the appointment of Bede Corry as the new Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). His proactive representation of New Zealand in the U.S. market has been a valuable asset in the region. We wish him all the very best on his new journey.

Gary Fortune, Kea North America Regional Director

UK and Europe

The UK is still presenting challenges for Kiwi businesses with high inflation dampening consumer spending. This month Britain’s inflation rate slowed by less than expected, adding to signs that a first interest rate cut by the Bank of England could be further off than previously thought. Some analysts say there is a risk that Britain will follow the trend in the US and see inflation stall. A slowdown in food prices was the main contributor to the decrease with prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 4% over the 12 months to March, their weakest rise since November 2021. However, an increase in fuel prices slowed the fall in the headline rate. International oil prices climbed last month amid growing tensions in the Middle East.

More and more brands are using Tik Tok to showcase products and services to audiences but this month the social media platform has landed itself in hot water over the launch of a version of its app that pays users for viewing videos. The European Commission has asked TikTok for details of the risk assessment it carried out before launching the feature in France and Spain and says its concerns relate to the impact on children, mental health and addiction. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, users can only earn rewards on videos suggested by their algorithmic feeds and not videos which they search for specifically. While social media presents an engaging way for brands to connect with their audiences, a version which pays users may cause some brands to rethink their strategy or at least question if this is the way they want to engage communities.

Sara Fogarty, Kea UK/Europe Regional Director

China

China’s tier one cities have always represented the ultimate growth spaces for premium brands looking to capture their share of one of the world’s biggest markets. These cities represent huge wealth and allow brands to command higher prices for their products. However, in the current climate, living in China’s tier one cities is becoming less attractive and increasing numbers of Chinese youth are moving out to lower tier cities, attracted by a lower cost of living, increasingly sophisticated consumer infrastructure and relative improvements in job prospects.

As these consumers return to lower tier cities, they bring with them the sophisticated habits from living in the metropolises. For example, Lululemon, a brand usually aligned with tier 1 and 2 audiences, is increasingly attracting consumers based outside the main centres. In their highest-selling Douyin livestream in January, 5 of the top-10 cities in the audience were lower-tier cities without any physical Lululemon stores. Kiwi brands looking to enter the Chinese market should consider whether lower tier cities could present much-less tapped opportunities for growth than saturated higher tier cities especially if this supports them to get a foothold in the Chinese market.

Rebecca Bao, China Regional Director

New Zealand

This month the Government announced immediate changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV), in an effort to help protect migrants from exploitation and address unsustainable net migration. The changes to the work visa scheme will include introducing an English language requirement for migrants applying for low-skilled jobs. A number of construction roles will also no longer be added to the green-light list due to less demand, and the franchisee accreditation category will be disestablished. Businesses looking to gain more details around the changes can visit the AEWV website.

The latest biannual BDO Business Wellbeing Index was also released this month, while many businesses are facing a number of challenges right now, the index showed that business leaders were typically more optimistic about their future business performance than their current outlook, with 60 percent more positive when looking six months ahead, compared with just 53 percent in the shorter-term. While economic conditions were a large concern, business leaders were also grappling with new technologies and artificial intelligence. Just 46 percent felt positive about the adoption of new technologies, which was one of the lowest-scoring business performance attributes and suggested leaders may still be getting their heads around how to effectively leverage AI in their organisations. However, 55 percent expected to feel more positive about technology in six months time.

And finally some good news is on the horizon for business owners with annual inflation easing to its lowest level in nearly three years. Stats NZ figures released this month show consumer prices rose 0.6 percent in the three months that ended March, taking the annual rate down to 4.0 percent, the lowest since June 2021.

Kellie Addison, Global Director Stakeholder Affairs

Alex Reedijk (UK): Alex is the General Director at Scottish Opera, the Vice Chair, Citizens Theatre, and Chair of The Beacon Arts Centre Greenock. Alex joined the Scottish Opera as General Director in February 2006, following four years at the helm of The NBR New Zealand Opera. Prior to that he was Executive Director of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts. He’s worked with opera companies and festivals across the world and was responsible for the New Zealand performance of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which made its first highly successful visit to Wellington in 2000. During Alex’s 15 years at Scottish Opera the company has flourished, bringing opera performances to over 45 communities across Scotland every year. He has led the company to create an array of new initiatives for young people, and for people living with Dementia, including the world’s first Dementia Friendly opera performances in 2016. Alex has also worked closely in partnership with Music Director Stuart Stratford to sustain and develop a very strong commitment to both 20th century opera and new commissions. In November 2011, Alex was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Outside of the Opera, Alex is generous in providing guidance and support for many within the creative industries. He is always open and enthusiastic to connect and support Kiwi looking to learn, develop their careers offshore. 

Joanne Mceachen (NZ):Joanne started her career as a teacher and principal before joining the Ministry of Education in 2008. With the MoE she managed multiple whole-system initiatives and began down the path of systemic reform centred on equitable outcomes and authentic assessment. After moving to the United States in 2012, Joanne founded ‘The Learner First’ to take a systemic approach to the integration of academic and social and emotional learning and then co-founded the global initiative New Pedagogies for Deep Learning. (NPDL) More recently she has helped design the Contributive Learning framework to help school communities design purposeful learning experiences, measure the outcomes that matter, and guide every student to academic success and well-being. In 2020 Joanne moved home to New Zealand and founded the Kia Kotahi Ako trust to address educational, climate, and other important challenges facing Papatūānuku (our planet). Joanne is a celebrated author, speaker, and change leader, Joanne’s insights are illuminated by continued, hands-on experience partnering with diverse countries, school communities, and students around the world.

Melanie Brown (UK): Melanie launched Specialist Cellars (formerly The New Zealand Cellar) in 2014 building an online platform and an exclusive New Zealand wine shop and bar in Brixton. She is the driving force connecting New Zealand wineries and consumers in the UK, regularly  hosting a diverse range of tasting events, bringing to life the people and stories behind the wines. Specialist Cellars has been particularly instrumental in transforming perceptions of New Zealand wine in the UK and has gained critical acclaim as the most extensive offering of premium New Zealand wine outside Aotearoa. Melanie began her hospitality career as a chef with Peter Gordon at The Providores in London in 2005 and transitioned quickly to her wine studies. Her deep knowledge of wines and their origins coupled with her expert palate means she is a sought after judge for many wine competitions. Before the pandemic hit, Melanie opened her first restaurant ‘The Laundry’ in Brixton, and after navigating several challenging years through Covid The Laundry has become a neighbourhood hot spot. Melanie has been instrumental in helping Kiwi F&B businesses explore and enter the UK market and also offers up her restaurant as a space for the community to come together. She has held several Kiwi Christmas dinners at The Laundry in combination with Kea.  

Nathan Hight (NZ): Nathan has spent 20 years in the safety industry and has been a global leader within drowning prevention, applying risk management frameworks and developing global strategies in collaboration with other nations to reduce the global drowning toll. Nathan has led operations in Australasia, South America, Asia, Middle East and Europe. He is the former General Manager of Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Surf Life Saving Australia. The latter included leadership of significant safety culture reform in an iconic Australian organisation with 50,000 workers exposed to unpredictable, high risk working environments every day. Nathan was the former Chairman of ACC Drowning Prevention Strategy, Environmental Advisory Committee which was responsible for developing a risk based approach to drowning prevention in NZ. Nathan is also the Co-Founder of Safe365, a B2B SaaS platform that supports thousands of businesses around the world with understanding and improving work health, safety & well-being outcomes. Nathan advises executives and Boards of some of the most well-known brands on the planet, in some of the most complex work environments to ensure companies have strong, aware and enabled leadership, people are safe and business outcomes are maximised.  

Paul Gough (UK): Paul is the Managing Partner at STAR Capital in London. He has over 20 years experience in covering a wide range of merger, acquisition, divestment and finance projects across several countries, leading and shaping the investment landscape, especially on transport and energy-related investment activity. Paul currently serves on many boards as an Independent Non-Executive Director, including Infratil NZ. He is a Member at the Institute of Finance Professionals New Zealand.  He has a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) in Finance & Quantitative Analysis from the University of Otago, New Zealand and is a member of the New Zealand Society of Investment Analysts. Paul is incredibly supportive of many of the NZ community based organisations here in the UK and to and to offshore Kiwi, including Kea NZ, Te Papa Foundation, NZ UK Link Foundation and YES! Youth Experience in Sport.  His support and dedication to help create opportunities for fellow kiwi as well as supporting those in-market is unparalleled. 

In the early 1960’s New Zealand’s export wine industry was still in its infancy and far from the globally renowned market that it is today. There were far fewer vineyards and far less technology but plenty of global thinking. Not just satisfied with making fortified wine or sherry, which were the most popular options at the time, a group of New Zealand’s original growers came together to discuss whether they could distil New Zealand grapes and create a Kiwi brandy which would rival the French cognacs. 

This group of seven men included Josip Babich who became known as one of the grandfathers of the New Zealand wine industry, Nikola Delegat the founder of Delegat wines and Nikola Nobilo one of the pioneers of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. After being granted one of several licences given out by the Government at the time, each of the seven growers contributed grapes which had been grown in areas of high clay content, a trait which is recognised as a key component for quality brandy. This group became known as ‘The Seven Men of the 7Cellars’ and would meet regularly to review progress, evaluate samples and contribute their own expertise and experience. Their aim was to create brandy that would be recognised as world class.

The brandy was in fact deemed world class in terms of taste and quality with the Government of the day sending samples to France and receiving positive feedback, however the commercial viability of distilling brandy in New Zealand was ultimately not successful, and most of the growers who had been granted licences used turned the experimental brandy back into other things such as fortified wine. However the Seven Men decided to hold onto their batch and it was put into brand new French Limousin oak barrels, the same barrels that are used in Cognac, where it sat for the next forty years. 

Today New Zealand’s wine industry is a 2 billion dollar global market and the Seven Men of 7Cellars are no longer with us. However their legacy and innovation lives on. In the late nineties the brandy was blended and left to sit for another three years and then in 2002 it was bottled by the current curator, Nick Nobilo, the son of Nikola who was a teenager at the time of the experiment. 

“I was straight out of school, but I knew I wanted to be involved in the wine industry. This was a big project for my father and I was very keen to see what the outcome was going to be for all of the seven. For me it was also a learning curve, it really showed me that the future of the industry lay in innovation and experimentation.”

After accounting for the ‘angels share’ the amount of liquid which is lost as the brandy ages, Nick was left with 502 bottles of this one off Kiwi brandy – one of which has been donated to Te Papa museum. He also commissioned a Kiwi bronze sculptor to create a base for the bottles to sit on. Each bottle has its own authentication certificate and Nick is in the process of setting up a registry so individual bottles can be accounted for long after he has gone. 

“For me it’s really about preserving the legacy of the Seven Men. This group was ahead of their time when it came to innovation and global thinking. In a way this brandy is a time capsule of New Zealand’s winemaking legacy. It shows the innovation and the dedication of those pioneers to create something that was equivalent to the best in the world. These bottles are a connection to that history.”

After sixty years Nick says it’s time to share that connection and legacy with Kiwi all around the world, and has decided to offer the bottles up to those looking to invest. 

“This brandy is unique, it’s arguably some of the rarest brandy in the world and it’s been judged in the top 5% of brandy internationally in terms of flavour and complexity. This is not a brandy you drink, it’s a brandy you invest in because there are a limited number of bottles and it will continue to increase in value. These bottles can be purchased by anyone but ultimately we would love them to go to Kiwi around the world who want to own a part of this unique history and who will really value that connection back to New Zealand and want to pass it on through the generations.”

Nick says he believes the Seven Men of 7Cellars would be thrilled to share their legacy with Kiwi around the world and would be amazed by how  much New Zealand’s wine industry as a whole has changed and evolved. 

“These men were instrumental in the early evolution of our wine industry and their work has been carried on by the generations that followed them. I think if they could see the way the wine industry has turned into a major export market for New Zealand they would be really proud. This group of men were a fantastic example of how Kiwi can come together to share global skills and knowledge and think big and I know they would be thrilled that their legacy will live on through this brandy.”

The opportunity to invest in this piece of Kiwi history is being offered exclusively to our World Class and Kea global community, the brandy has not yet been marketed to the public, although a number of bottles have been purchased by those associated with the project. You can discover more about the brandy and invest by visiting the 7Cellars website

The article has been created as part of a content partnership between Kea and 7Cellars.