‘Choose to Challenge’ fitting theme for International Women’s Day

Kea and New Zealand Business Women’s Network join forces to create an inspirational global event with exceptional, world-leading Kiwis.

The way we work, travel and connect may have changed dramatically in the past year, but it has also created an opportunity for the global Kiwi community to show their strength and ingenuity to pivot and thrive as businesses and individuals. 

This International Women’s Day ‘Choose to Challenge’ Kea New Zealand and the New Zealand Business Women’s Network will be bringing three of New Zealand’s exceptional achievers to a global audience, to not only discuss creating a more inclusive world, but talk about the challenges and unexpected opportunities COVID-19 has created. 

We’ll be talking to fashion designer Emilia Wickstead, chef and television presenter Monica Galetti and London Bridge Hospital CEO Janene Madden, about what has paved their journey to global success in fashion and retail, hospitality and healthcare. They’ll reflect on how New Zealand has paved their journey to global success in their respective industries. They’ll reflect on how they’ve risen to the challenges COVID-19 has had on their business and lives, and how they will continue to #ChooseToChallenge and create change.

This event is just one of many that has seen our global Kiwi community come together to support each other since lockdown last March. With thousands of New Zealanders living in the UK and many more living all over the world, networks such as Kea and the New Business Women’s Network have been even more important, in helping our community to thrive.

About our panel:

Auckland-born Emilia Wickstead is an award winning leading name on the international fashion circuit and is a regular dresser of stars on the red carpet. Her clients include the Duchess of Cambridge and Samantha Cameron.

Born in Samoa and raised in Wellington, Monica Galetti is best known as a judge on Masterchef Professionals, and has had an illustrious career as the first female senior sous chef at Michel Roux Jnr’s two Michelin star restaurant, Le Gavroche before opening her own restaurant Mere in Fitzrovia.

Originally from Canterbury, Janene Madden is Chief Executive Officer of The London Bridge Hospital. Over the past year, she’s been at the hospital daily while it provides surgical care for patients, seeing first-hand the effect the pandemic is having on people’s lives now and in the future.

Our MC Emma Keeling has been a journalist for over 20 years. She worked for news and current affairs on TV3 and TVNZ before she was selected to become the Europe Correspondent for One News in 2015. After two years of covering terror attacks and Brexit, Emma is now a science reporter for the Razor show on the CGTN network.

Find out more about the event here. 

Notes 

For several years Kea New Zealand and the New Zealand Business Women’s Network have hosted an International Women’s Day event at New Zealand House in London each March. 

Due to lockdown restrictions still being in place in London this year, the event has gone online, creating the opportunity for Kiwis all over the world to attend. Since lockdown restriction started last March, the New Zealand Business Women’s Network has brought the Kiwi community together in London, the UK, and further afield. Hosting events is at the heart of the NZBWN, but taking them online has been more successful than we imagined. We went from hosting 30 events in 2019 to over 100 in 2020. 

Kea has been proud to see throughout the past year our vibrant and diverse community of offshore kiwis and businesses continually innovating, evolving and through our kiwi fighting spirit continue to push forward and thrive. Our Kea community has come together across the globe to support each other, inspire and motivate, making connections more important than ever before.

About NZBWN

The NZBWN is built on a network of over 2,000 members and volunteers who are committed to learning, connecting and inspiring. Whether that be through small or large events, mentoring, workshops or training, the magic of our network is that we bring together likeminded Kiwi women giving them a taste of home, while on the opposite side of the world. While the majority of our members are in the UK, we have a growing New Zealand group.

About Kea New Zealand

New Zealand has the second largest offshore community per capita in the OECD.  Kea was founded in 2001 to connect and engage our global people, for the benefit of Aotearoa.

Almost two decades on, Kea nurtures a vibrant and diverse community who share a strong passion for New Zealand and the success of its people and businesses. Our mission to connect New Zealanders has never been more important.

Join Kea to have full access to Kea tools and services, including the Kea Connect service, job portal and event portal. Find out more and register for free on the Kea website or contact Kea directly at [email protected].  

About International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women

110 year anniversary – with the first IWD event held exactly 110 years ago in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination

IWD 2021 campaign theme: #ChooseToChallenge. A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequity. We can choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.

Media contacts 

NZBWN London 
Bronwyn Huband 
[email protected]
Ph +44 7789747954 

Kea New Zealand 
Ele Quigan 
Global Director Communication and Community 
[email protected] 
Ph +64 27 773 7779