Wayne Norrie, Napier co-founder of Revera won the Flying Kiwi tech award at the 2021 Hi-Tech Awards. Photo / Warren Buckland
Wayne Norrie, Napier co-founder of Revera won the Flying Kiwi tech award at the 2021 Hi-Tech Awards. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hawke's Bay born and raised Wayne Norrie has been recognised with the prestigious Tait Communications Flying Kiwi Award and inducted into the NZ Hi-Tech Hall of Fame.
Norrie received the recognition on Friday night at the awards' gala dinner at Spark Arena in Auckland.
"It's the pinnacle event at theend of tech week."
He said the New Zealand tech industry was bigger and more important than most people realised.
"It's our third biggest exporter". generating more than $6.3 billion in export revenue in the 2015-16 financial year, "and it is our fastest growing sector. It is very significant for NZ". he said.
"We have around 20,000 companies creating more than 120,000 jobs so it is making a difference for us all.
"So to be inducted into the NZ Hi-Tech Hall of Fame at an incredible event with 1300 attendees is an absolute honour. It's very humbling to be considered in the same company as those who have gone before me.
"And it was very special to have my father be able to attend, along with my family."
Norrie said the New Zealand tech sector was vibrant and world-renowned.
"Many international companies look to our innovation and creativity, which is why we frequently see acquisitions to take NZ technology ideas global.
"See Seequent for US$1.4 billion and Vend for US$850 million as very recent examples.
"We produce outstanding people and companies. To date, only 22 Flying Kiwi Awards have been issued, and to be inducted into the NZ Hi-Tech Hall of Fame is very special."
Norrie is Hawke's Bay born and raised, and is back in the region after a few decades.
He studied at St John's College, Hastings, where he learned "punched cards" and developed his love for technology.
"I then travelled the world working in the sector. It took me 40 years to get back to Hawke's Bay, where I now assist local businesses, along with other directorships outside Hawke's Bay.
"But Hawke's Bay is the best place in the world to live, so it is a privilege to be back."
Norrie has been involved in the tech sector for more than 40 years, and he started by gaining a Bachelor of Science degree with a Computer Science major, where he also founded his first company developing a quoting system for aluminium fabricators.
Wayne Norrie has championed the NZ tech industry for the last 40 years. Photo / Warren Buckland
His early career saw him found another company in London to help NZ Technology professionals into the local tech sector.
During his time in London, he also worked for GE in London in a lead role to deliver the world's first global computerised container tracking system.
Coming back to this part of the world, Norrie went on to work for Databank in NZ - playing an important role that led to the delivery of the first working ATM and Eftpos systems here in NZ.
He then went on to work at Accenture and assisted with delivery of the IRD First system before jumping the ditch to spend three successful years at the Accenture Melbourne office
He then returned to NZ to take up a senior role at Hitachi Data Systems which culminated in Norrie and his business partner Roger Cockayne undertaking a management buyout of the operation and Revera was born.
Norrie has chaired the NZTE Beachhead programme and assisted NZTE spearhead a programme into Better by Governance, where he assisted many companies to understand, design and implement high-quality governance to their benefit.
Over the years he has mentored many CEOs and helped many business leaders fulfil their true potential.
He has also been awarded Chartered Fellow of IOD (Institute of Directors), awarded Fellow of NZIM (Institute of Management) and is a Member of World Class New Zealander network.
He is still active as vice-chairman of the board of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
