Businesses going global

Barry Koolen

Barry is originally from the Waikato and was educated at St Johns Collect in Hamilton. These days he is based in London and is the CEO of EMEA: the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, for Crown. He has been part of the Crown team since 1996, holding many leadership and development roles over that time. He has been involved in the company’s ESG strategy and the implementation of technology into the company over the decades. He also supported work on a world leading carbon tracking system for Crown customers.

Barry is on the board of the Te Papa foundation, most recently he helped the foundation raise money for a book on the Maori land wars, which recently was distributed free of charge to every New Zealand school. He is an active part of the New Zealand community in London and has supported many Kiwi individuals and businesses when they have arrived in the UK. Barry is part of the NZ society of London and retains a strong interest in Rugby and the All Blacks. He is also been involved in mentoring programmes for Kiwi as part of his work at Crown.

Michael Grieve

Michael is based in Dubai and is the Chief Brand Officer for global luxury hospitality company Jumeirah Group. During his career Michael has worked with a multitude of leading international brands including BMW Group, adidas, and Nike on brand management for both BMW and MINI, the adidas running and basketball business, and Nike’s Jordan brand. In his previous role as Vice President Brand & Client EMEA at Gucci, Michael led the functions and teams that drive all marketing, communications, and client engagement activities for the Gucci maison across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Michael is a Beachhead advisor for NZTE Europe/UK, a supporter of several New Zealand charities and has mentored other up and coming Kiwi and shared his own business lessons across events and conferences. He is a passionate New Zealander and not afraid to bring his experiences growing up in New Zealand to the leadership tables that he sits on.

Tenby Powell

Tenby’s career spans the private business sector, government entities, Not-For Profit and the Military. He was educated at the University of Waikato (awarded Distinguished Alumnus in 2010) and Harvard Business School and has held senior management positions in Fletcher Challenge and Skellerup Group. In 1999 he formed his private investment company, Hunter Powell Investments Limited.

Tenby is a former Mayor of Tauranga and the founder of the charity organisation Kiwi K.A.R.E, which helps bring essential aid and evacuation services to the people of Ukraine. In 2011, he founded the New Zealand SME Business Network, a charity which gives small Business Owners a voice through the creation of a Network-of-Influence with a secondary objective to provide support to small business owners by those who have a track record in successfully growing SMEs here & abroad. Tenby has held Directorships of Antarctica New Zealand, Acrow Limited, The Icehouse, The Auckland Resource Helicopter Trust and Angel Link. He represents New Zealand internationally serving as a member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and Co-chair of the Digital Innovation Working group.

Rachna Bhasin

Based in Miami Rachna is the Founder of EQ Partners, Sr Advisor Alignment Growth, Co-founder, Board Director for Pacifica Investments,Ryman Hospitality, Shutterstock, PropertyGuru, Audiomack and also an advisor to multiple startups.

Born in India she moved to Wellington as a child. She studied at Victoria University in Wellington before moving to Australia and then Hong Kong. She got her MBA at Harvard and worked for EMI ahead of the launch of the apple ipod, and then went on to forge a career at the forefront of digital music. She worked for a satellite company which created a subscriber based online music model and later acquired Pandora and Soundcloud and was also part of the team who worked on one of the highest event funded startups ever – working with Sir Richard Taylor and Steven Speilberg.

She is also the co-founder of Pacifica Investments, an advisory, consultancy and investment firm focused on identifying and amplifying technologies, brands and entrepreneurs from New Zealand and the Pacific Rim.

From a young age, fashion was in Karen’s blood. Influenced by the strong female role models of her mother and grandmother, she used to spend Sunday’s playing in her mother’s fabric box. 

“My mother and my grandmother always had a very clear point of view around their own aesthetics. They weren’t designers, they weren’t in business in any way, but there was a standard of style and a standard of care towards that style. I came of age in the late ‘80s, and while fashion design wasn’t something that was typically offered to people back then, I knew I wanted a career that was exciting, I never wanted to think, “Oh my god, it’s Monday again.”

That passion and excitement for what she does is something Karen has been weaving into her designs for more than three decades, and it’s not just about constantly creating something totally new, with many of her current designs inspired by her brand’s journey and history. 

“After 35 years we have some amazing archives, and we take a lot of inspiration from those. Often, we’ll look back at a style or an element to a style, like some top-stitching or a little frill, or a collar; when we are designing we always have one eye on the archive.”

Combined with that nod to the brand’s history the other thing that drives the brand is the idea of creating items with purpose. 

“Very few people actually need more clothes so it’s not just about creating racks of garments. I want people to feel like there’s a purpose for that product in their life, but that it’s also going to elevate them, even if it’s an everyday item. Just because you’re walking the dog or putting your kids in the car it doesn’t mean you can’t have some cool sneakers and a great umbrella. You still want to be feeling good and like you’re knocking it out of the park.”

As the brand has evolved so has its focus on sustainability.

“Everything that we make is made to last as a piece of design, but also as a product. Nothing in our design brief is about disposability, the intent is always that it should stay, it should have many, many years in a wardrobe or multiple wardrobes and the design and the quality allows that. Our organic cotton designs are produced by Fair Trade Certified partners and any offcuts go back into thread, we don’t put them in landfill, we aim for zero cotton waste. We choose recycled materials whenever possible and for our denim we partner with Outland Denim who produce denim with less water and who support employment in vulnerable communities.”

Karen Walker doesn’t have huge factories, the brand works with smaller factories and also with friends of the brand on collaborations which are often handmade and hyper-local.

“We have just done some work with Rise Beyond the Reef, a non-profit which empowers rural indigenous women and their families in remote Fijian communities. We have been working for a few years with a family-run factory just out of Portugal that makes this beautiful shirting fabric that’s composed of organic cotton and fibre made from the cuttings of industrial rose bushes grown in Italy. The shirts smell of roses and it’s unbelievable, it feels like heaven when it’s on. We are constantly digging into what factories and partners are available to us. What is their area of expertise? How do we bring that into part of the design process?”

After 35 years on the global stage, Karen is a walking fountain of business knowledge, she’s had her fair share of setbacks and learnt a lot along the way. She says her biggest advice to other Kiwi entrepreneurs is to evolve by constantly questioning the status quo and embrace change as the only constant. 

“Look for change. Hold everything up to the light and examine it from all angles and don’t expect anything to stay the same. Run towards change, don’t grip and hold against it. Because it’s going to happen whether you like it or not so you might as well be looking it in the eye. I think the thing a lot of people miss is that change is a good thing, not something to be resisted, but rather something to seek out.”

“None of the ground on which we’re standing is the same as it was five minutes ago, let alone when I started this business 35 years ago. So the very structure, the very land upon which we’re standing is completely different. Nothing is the same except maybe just good design is still good design.”

Karen Walker says she’s here to stay at least for the foreseeable future and she’s got her eye on a number of exciting projects and several new collaborations.

“We’ve always got new projects going on the go. Everyday we have to step out there and do a dance and delight our audience and excite them, give them a reason to come to us. I remember my grandmother saying to me once when I was 18, ‘What are the colours for the season?’ I’m like, I don’t know, is that how people think? The skill of the designer is to be able to project 24 months forward and get into the customer’s head and go, I think this is what you’re going to want 18 months or 24 months from now.”

With a focus on the future, and an archive of inspiration Karen says the thing she is most proud of is simple.

“I’ve had a successful business for 35 years and I’ve built a brand and community around us – and not many people get to say that.”

What is your role in the Olympics this year?

I am the Chef de Mission, which means that I am the leader of the New Zealand delegation in Paris, and the spokesperson for the team. One of the aspects of the role I like to place a lot of focus on is driving the team culture and providing an environment where our athletes can perform their absolute best on the day of competition.

How many teams and athletes are competing this year?

We’re looking to have about 185-190 athletes in the team, which is slightly less than what we had in the Tokyo Olympics but still a large sized team compared to most of the nations competing this year.

What are your main goals and priorities for the New Zealand team this year?

The main priority is to create an environment where our athletes feel they can achieve their goals and dreams at the Olympic Games.The team behind the New Zealand team itself is extremely important, and everyone has a vital role to play whether that is in security, medical or psychology. We all want to make sure that when the athletes arrive in the village, they feel really special, valued and welcomed. We do our best to get them in the best possible place mentally and physically to achieve maximum performance on the day.

What role do you think sport plays in raising New Zealand’s profile on the world stage?

I think it’s huge. We punch well above our weight in many sports – the All Blacks have led the way as flag bearers with lifting the profile of the country. How well we have been performing recently in other major global sporting events like the Summer Games, Winter Games, Commonwealth Games – you’ve only got to look at the World Indoor Athletics Championships recently where the commentators were talking about how well New Zealand has done. I think because of our stature, our population size and how far away we are from the big powerhouse areas of sport being in Europe, Asia and North America, we just do so well and it is a real testament to us as a nation and our passion for sport. It is one of our trademarks.

What do you believe sets Kiwi athletes apart on the international stage?

We have a really rich tradition in sport – the Olympics Games in particular, and as athletes you tend to look at the heroes in sport that have gone before us and want to emulate them. It’s the culture of wanting to do so well for our country that gives us extra strength to perform really well. I also think it’s the way we support sport and athletes in New Zealand, whether that’s from parents, coaches, regional clubs, right through to High Performance Sport New Zealand. It’s woven through our culture to support athletes and to help get them to where they want to be.

How can our Kiwi community get involved and support New Zealand’s team?

If you are a Kiwi in Paris, you can cheer on the New Zealand Team with friends and family at New Zealand House which is located at the Marriott Champs-Élysées, 70 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris from 24 July – 11 August (open daily 11am until late).

Learn more about the 2024 New Zealand Olympics team and how you can support them here:

-How to navigate the world of relocations – what should you bring, and how should you get it here, plus important things to consider when choosing your new home?
-Tax and financial considerations to make when moving your money, buying or selling property or reassessing your offshore investments.
-Hear personal experiences from a recent Kiwi returner who will talk about settling in, the importance of community, and the advice they wish someone had given them.

Listen here.

Meet our panellists:

Bridget Romanes – Founder, Mobile Relocations
Bridget provides expert support for both the logistical and emotional facets of moving to New Zealand, including shipping, finding a property as well as settling into a new community.

Shaneen Tie – Tax Partner, BDO
Shaneen is a self-professed “tax nerd” (specialist tax advisor) with more than 20 years of experience working in New Zealand and the United Kingdom – She will share the latest information for those looking to relocate their finances.

Scott Maud – Returned Kiwi
Scott has returned to New Zealand from offshore postings twice in his life – once alone, and a second time with a family. From the practicalities of packing up and moving, to the realities of settling back into local life – Scott will share his first hand experiences and insights on returning home.

What’s the background behind Unstoppable Branding Agency? 

I was working for GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals running the Western division, when I  witnessed a woman putting her six-week old baby in childcare. I had just gotten married and hadn’t had a child yet. but my whole body shifted because this woman dropped her baby off and was 15 minutes late to work. This boss basically threw her on the cross and told her that if she was ever late again, she would lose her job. I sat there and thought “is this who I’m going to become?” I went back to my husband and explained that I did not want to put a child in daycare. Around this time the Internet was really starting to pick up and I thought what if I built a company which ran exclusively online? I quit my job and bought my own franchise from a company which was selling personal development products via the web. I became the first person in the company to make a million dollars.

Several years later I was pregnant and I thought we had made enough money to invest so that I could raise my daughter and let the company run itself. Unfortunately we invested in a development which turned out to be fraudulent and we lost everything. I was pregnant and my daughter was born 33 days early because I was so stressed. The only way out was to sell up everything. We were left with about $12,000 USD and decided to take our daughter, leave the corporate life and travel while working online, I launched Unstoppable Branding Agency and now 16 years later we have lived in 57 different countries, I have been able to raise my daughter the way I wanted and most importantly I have helped others grow their brands and especially support women to create a business where they can generate and income and also be present to raise their children.

What’s your advice for start ups or new businesses looking to make a name for themselves?

When it comes to marketing a lot of companies will go straight to what I do – service or product, but they forget about the human factor. You can save probably more than 70% of your marketing dollars if you instead focus on you and how your business makes people feel. It doesn’t matter what size your business is, If you’re a coach or consultant, or if you make surfboards – everyone has a story and your story is what really matters.

What does building a personal brand look like?

A lot of people think a brand is a logo, I couldn;t care less about your logo, you’re not McDonalds or Lululemon. Your brand is about image, message, strategy then of course PR. it’s about making sure the message is clear – and that you’re not making the customer use too much mental bandwidth to figure out the problem that your product or service can solve. Most companies fall into the trap of being too wordy and not direct enough. We work with brands to answer a simple question “What is it I am doing for the company and what is my desired result of that? So for example our company’s tagline is “turning best kept secrets into world renowned brands, PR and media.”  The client wants a world renown brand and we do that with PR and media. It’s just simple. Don’t get too wordy, don’t get crazy. Reframe and then tell your consumer or client exactly what they’re going to get. 

How can founders take advantage of PR & Media to help build a brand strategy?

Brand strategy is all about how and who you want to get in front of – so PR and Media are directly connected. If you’re running ads or meeting people and then they search you later and can’t find you in google then you have a problem. This is where PR and Media comes in, that’s where credibility comes from. For those just starting out, it doesn’t need to cost a lot to get some PR & Media, it can be as simple as going to your local media outlet and literally saying “look, I have a new product, or company, this is what I’m doing, I’m local – would you be willing to tell my story?” That’s free – that’s a pitch.

Get your message tight and don’t change it! Often we get bored as a business owner, so we get creative but our creativity blows our message because then it’s different and we lost people. Nail it everytime, that’s what you have to do. You want to know your message so well that you are really bored of it. That’s why I focus on the quick formula, when I talk to people I say “I own a brand and PR firm, we turn the best kept secrets in the world into brand PR and media.” people are like “yup, I know exactly what you do.

What’s the difference between a company brand and personal brand, or are they one and the same?

Well, they can be one in the same, just like Richard Branson’s on the front end of Virgin, same with Gary V, same thing with me. However, company brands are quite different. They can be straight up product and service based. But the moment you add values and a heartbeat, it now becomes someone’s idea. I personally feel you can’t have a business brand without a personal brand because every time I go to a website of a service or product, I look at the “About Us” Every single time. I’m like, tell me your story! Sarah Blakely was selling Spanx, but the moment she actually started getting on stage and telling her personal story to people, it became a real woman’s problem and her brand took off. 

What are the benefits of having a really strong personal brand? 

You have a heartbeat and you can take that personal story anywhere. You may lose your company, but you never lose your name. You can become a thought leader, a speaker, you can do so many different things because of the experiences you’ve learnt. My branding agency can be sold, I can’t sell Rhona Swan, that brand will always be mine. 

Most people start with I have a product, how do I sell my product? they’re trying to make money first. But you can’t make money unless you have value, unless you already prove to people that you can solve their problem, and that you have a heartbeat and you care. Because the world has shifted now. We’re in a new paradigm. The old style of sell, sell, sell marketing is gone, Everyone can see that from a mile away. In the beginning digital marketing came in and blasted everyone – but now the ones that actually have authenticity and true value, they’re coming back, and they’re coming back hot!

What would be your advice to people looking to build a personal brand?

It doesn’t have to be hard and it doesn’t have to take a long time, you just need to figure out what are your values and what is your story of why you’re doing what you’re doing. Then you have to live it! You can’t have a company and not be the personal brand living it. Social media makes it so easy for us to do that now. Then you have to become a marketer. If your personal brand is connected to your service, or product or company, you’re the marketer, that’s how we did it. If you believe in something, you just have to get in front of people. Some companies or owners get too far into the day to day running of the business, they are just working trying to sell, but if they actually thought, “who do I need to do that work so I can be there on the front end?” That would be the best and biggest investment for new companies. How do I get someone to do this, so that I can talk about it? And that can start from day one. You just have to reallocate your funds in a different way and understand that this will pay off. 

This content was created on board a stewardship journey to Antarticia led by Insider Expeditions. The journey brought together global business leaders to share thoughts and insights around a range of topics including climate change, leadership and creating a better world through business.