Winning the inaugural Rotorua Emerging Young Business Person of the Year will help Mainfreight's Damien Radesic achieve his career aspirations.
Radesic is Mainfreight's accounts manager for the Bay of Plenty region and his goal is to become a company chief executive. He told The Daily Post the scholarship from award sponsor Waikato University would help towards achieving that by helping him gain a masters degree in business administration.
"It's something I have thought about pretty much every year for the last five years, but I was always put off because of the cost."
The scholarship covers half the first year's fees, which Radesic said was a great help at this point in his life when mortgages and other costs made investment in education difficult.
He believes the qualification will help develop his career.
"I'm in senior management with this company now, but I can only go so far without doing something like this. The market is really competitive these days and people need an edge. The MBA will give me that."
Radesic said many Kiwis were coming back to New Zealand and overseas people were applying for jobs here as the economic situation reduced prospects in other countries, which increased the competition for top roles.
Finding time to study is also likely to be a challenge and he admitted he would probably have to cut back on other commitments.
"It's a pretty intensive 18 months and I may have to give a few things away to make it happen. Work has been really good about giving me some time off as well."
Radesic started out as a baker and worked as a chef in Rotorua, Australia and Thailand before joining Mainfreight seven years ago. His participation and leadership in a number of business and community roles earned him the award.
He is vice-president of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce executive and chairman of Life Education Trust, the Santa Parade committee and the Waiariki Institute of Technology Business School advisory group.
"It is an honour to be the inaugural winner. I knew Margriet Theron had nominated me, but I was really surprised to win."
Radesic said feedback on the accolade had been great - he arrived back at work on Monday to learn the boss was shouting morning tea on his behalf and he has even been stopped and congratulated by people in the street.
"A lot of the time, the things you do go unrecognised, so it is nice to receive this and know I have contributed something to Rotorua in the past five years."
His advice to other young people wanting to succeed in business is to "ask questions and question everything" and to make the most of the experience here in the city.
"There are a number of older, retired and successful business people in Rotorua with incredible knowledge and, if you ask, they are very happy to share that."