Taupo woman finalist in Women of Influence Awards

FINALIST: Women of Influence Award finalist Andrea Blair. Photo/Supplied

A Taupo businesswoman has joined a list of celebrated household names and leading women in business named in the finals of this year's Women of Influence Awards.

Business development manager at GNS Science in Taupo, Andrea Blair, has been nominated in two of the 10 categories - global and diversity.

The line up of around 70 finalists included broadcaster Ali Mau, founder of fashion brand World, Denise L'Estrange Corbet, life insurance industry leader Naomi Ballantyne and Maramena Roderick, head of news and current affairs for Māori Television.

The 42-year-old has spent years championing women working in the geothermal industry worldwide, and says the opportunity to spread the message about a cause close to her heart with a wider audience has helped overcome any feelings of trepidation about her competition.

Her favourite saying - 'first ask for the keys to the castle, and if they don't give you the keys, storm the castle' - has guided her career path.

Ms Blair's CV is impressive.

The former Tauhara College student completed an undergraduate degree in forestry science and worked in the industry before taking on general manager of Kiwi Experience and chief executive of Great Lake Skydive in Taupo. She is on the board of Ringa Matau Ltd, the commercial arm of the Tauhara North No.2 Trust, chair of Energy for the Bay of Connections, on the board of Enterprise Great Lake Taupo and a director of the International Geothermal Association.

Her current role as business development manager for GNS Science, driving international collaboration with other companies, led to her appointment in 2013 as global chair of international group WING (Women in Geothermal).

Under her leadership the group has flourished, with membership increasing from 80 to 1000 over 18 countries. Her target is to develop WING as the largest geothermal association in the world with the aim of getting membership to 1500 by 2020.

There's also a documentary using a US$100,000 grant from the Icelandic Government being produced by WING in collaboration with the United Nations University in Iceland. The documentary, due for completion in December, features interviews with women from Kenya, Iceland and New Zealand in their home and working environments.

Subject matter included pay rises, promotions, job flexibility and increased responsibilities.

Ms Blair has also been responsible for setting up the inaugural Deloitte Women in Energy Award recognising successful women in the industry. The awards are announced next month.

She said her work was driven by a desire to help women see their own value in the workplace and a belief that everyone had a moral obligation to act on injustice. Despite her outward success she admitted to a continual struggle with the "I'm not good enough - imposter syndrome".

She sees her own fears and struggles in the women she meets through WING.

"Seeing numerous brilliant, hard working women doubting themselves and their worth is infuriating. Supporting and mentoring them helps strengthen belief in myself."

She said discovering self worth was the key.

"Because only I can make myself feel valued. That's not up to others; it's up to me."

Ms Blair said she was humbled and flattered at being named a finalist in the Women of Influence Awards and although it was a little daunting, the message she wanted to convey was much more important than any personal doubts.

"We all need to put aside our ego and fear and be courageous, because our own personal feelings are less important than fighting for the women standing behind us who need us to be brave."

The winners are announced on September 7 at an awards dinner at SkyCity in Auckland.