Young leaders creating Asian ties
the forefront of developing and maintaining strong links between New Zealand and Asia.
This established network now has more than 400 members across New Zealand and further afield, including in Asia.
Many members of the Leadership Network are of
Asian heritage, but many aren’t.
They represent a range of sectors – during this latest intake, we welcomed entrepreneurs, a rugby player, artists, a dancer, journalists, teachers, lawyers, policy advisers, engineers, and several impressive young people working on public health initiatives.
We build, broaden and deepen their knowledge of Asia through a range of activities and help them build their networks into the region, but also build their leadership skills – with the end goal being that New Zealand’s future leaders are comfortable engaging with Asia.
The Leadership Network members have interesting stories about how they developed an interest in and knowledge of Asia.
For instance, Fine Lavoni Koloamatangi, a research assistant at Massey University, had her interest in Asia sparked by Korean pop music.
For many, learning about Asia was a strategic decision that came after realising they were missing pieces of the puzzle in terms of their career paths.
From a farming background, Cameron Massie decided he needed to know more about China after noticing the nation was a constant reference point during his studies at Lincoln University.
He packed his bags, intending to head away for a few months, but ended up spending several years living in China, working for Chinese companies distributing New Zealand produce. He now works as an adviser for KPMG.
Similarly, food technologist Margie Hunt, who works for Pure Food Co, which produces nutritionally fortified foods, recognised that understanding Asian markets would be important for her work.
Other members of the network are involved in broadening understanding of New Zealand’s Asian dimension. Take, for instance, Allan Xia – a Chinese New Zealander who is the founder of a creative agency but also created and directs the Chromacon New Zealand Indie Arts Festival, supporting collaborations between New Zealand and Asia.
Xia was one of the creators of an interactive narrative game for Auckland Museum, Golden Threads, about the 176-year history of Chinese in New Zealand.
In welcoming the new Leadership Network members during an induction weekend, I was struck by the fact that they were more focused on career pathways and leadership journeys than I was when I was a young person.
They wanted to know how I went from banking into diplomacy, naively assuming I had had some sort of master plan. The reality for young people nowadays is that you can’t just drift along (as I did) if you want to have a good career.
They’ve invested a lot in their education and have to be more strategic than previous generations.
That said, our Leadership Network members aren’t just looking at Asia as a way to secure their livelihoods.
They’re concerned about issues like sustainability, the environment, human rights, diversity and representation – and doing right by communities here in New Zealand.
And crucially, they’re taking steps to create change.
And they’re not one-trick ponies – it’s not unusual to encounter a Leadership Network member who has a full-on day job, runs a social enterprise in their spare time and speaks three languages.
They’re a snapshot of a new generation of leader – and they’re helping change the way New Zealand sees itself in relationship to Asia. And they demonstrate that building strong ties between Asia and New Zealand goes beyond the Wellington bureaucracy and Auckland corporate world. Simon Draper is the executive director of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.