Jessie Wong of Yu Mei, Mark McGuinness of Willis Bond, and Brooke Roberts of Sharesies are part of Tory Whanau's new Mayoral Business Group.
Jessie Wong of Yu Mei, Mark McGuinness of Willis Bond, and Brooke Roberts of Sharesies are part of Tory Whanau's new Mayoral Business Group.
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has established a new business group of high-flyers to advise her directly as the capital braces for disruptive but transformational change.
The Mayoral Business Group includes leaders from the retail, hospitality, tech, property development and creative sectors.
The group of 10 will provide feedbackon upcoming council projects and have the opportunity to put new ideas on the table to address the city’s challenges, Whanau said.
“The city is also facing external challenges like the rising cost of living and public sector cuts that require new ways of thinking and working from council and the business sector alike.
“It’s important to me that our local businesses have an active role in shaping and delivering the transformation of our city.
Whanau said the group’s first meeting was extremely constructive and members would meet monthly.
Roberts told the Herald Pōneke was the logical choice for Sharesies from day one.
“It has always been a place with creativity at its heart and is home to some of Aotearoa’s best entrepreneurial talent. Companies like Xero and TradeMe helped create an ecosystem for startups with a ‘pay it forward’ mentality when it came to mentoring and investment and that mentality exists to this day.
“Sharesies is so proud to be a part of that flourishing of that ecosystem and to take our products and vision to the global stage from the place we love calling home.”
Sharesies is a Wellington success story with a vision to give someone with $5 and someone with $5 million the same investment opportunities.
There are now more than 600,000 investors using Sharesies in Aotearoa and Australia.
Mark McGuinness - Willis Bond
Mark McGuinness founded property development and investment company Willis Bond in 1988. He grew up in the Wellington suburb of Khandallah, went to St Patrick’s College and was later on the school’s board.
Willis Bond has now well and truly expanded beyond its original Wellington roots. It became a “$1 billion-plus force in Auckland” in 2019 and now has offices there, in Tauranga and the capital.
Willis Bond chairman Mark McGuinness. Photo / Dean Purcell
Wong has dedicated Yu Mei stores in Central Wellington on Victoria St and in Auckland’s Newmarket.
Her bags are predominantly made from New Zealand deer nappa which is a by-product of the venison industry that would otherwise go to landfill.
Yu Mei founder Jessie Wong in one of her stores.
Wong has found ways to give back to the place she grew up in including a campaign called “Bags for All”. Sponsorship was secured for 100 Yu Mei handbags at cost to then be donated and sold at the City Mission’s Taranaki St charity store.
Te Rau Kupenga is a principal consultant at Te Amokura - a firm which includes te ao Māori advice on policy, engagement, strategy, leadership, research and evaluation.
He previously practised law in Auckland and Wellington, specialising in litigation. Kupenga has held senior roles in government ministries including deputy chief executive roles at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
Kupenga told the Herald he saw the role of the Mayoral Business Group as supporting the mayor, council and partners to create the conditions for Wellington to thrive.
“Our pakeke (elders) often say, ‘ko te iwi kaore ona moemoea, he iwi ngaro’ - ‘a people without vision are lost’. So, an important part of the group will be to share in a vision for Wellington and to collectively strive to realise that vision together.
“We all have a role here, not just the council.”
Kupenga acknowledged that like other cities across the country, Wellington had its challenges.
“Which is why it is so important for us all to have a role in achieving a vision for Wellington, where everyone thrives. We have the best minds and talent in the world when it comes to business, innovation, the machinery of government, film production, law, engineering, media… the list is endless.
“The trick is to access and utilise these brilliant minds and talent to meet these challenges through connecting.”
Vanessa Stacey is the New Zealand Fringe Festival director, a Wellington-based Māori artist, producer, and writer with more than 20 years of experience in creative arts and education.
She has worked in the creative sector in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.
Stacey was previously the co-ordinator and director of Whitireia’s screen acting course and short film director of film at National Youth Drama School for eight years.
Melissa McGhie - Rolle Property
Melissa McGhie joined Rolle Consultancy & Management in 2010 and became a director in 2020.
She looks after several office buildings in Wellington’s CBD and manages the property management side of the business.
In 2017 she became a director of Mary Potter Hospice Apartments board and is also on the Wellington Property Council Executive Committee.
Lisa Lee - August Eatery
Lisa Lee launched August Eatery, alongside her business partner Tanase Antipas, just before the Covid-19 Delta lockdown in 2021.
However, despite the challenging circumstances, the establishment has since garnered substantial acclaim and recognition, the Restaurant Association of New Zealand has reported.
Libby Dearnley - Welly Collective
Libby Dearnley curates the Welly Collective - a collection of more than 140 New Zealand small businesses.
Dearnley supported the development because she said it would bring people back to that area of town and give other businesses the confidence to set up shop.
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
