Passing on lessons of success
Entrepreneur Linda Jenkinson grew up in Hiwinui in Manawatu¯ and has made huge progress on her goal of world domination.
The Massey University graduate was the first New Zealand woman to list a company on the NASDAQ stock exchange with DMSC, a $250 million on-demand courier company she co-founded.
She has built companies valued at more than $700 million and created 8000 jobs around the world, and recently became chairwoman of Unicef New Zealand.
After an extraordinary list of successes, she is back in New Zealand when she is not in Sydney or San Francisco, determined to help 10 to 20 Kiwis build $100m-plus businesses, with a focus on Manawatu¯ .
Jenkinson is one of eight high achievers in Manawatu¯ chosen for Te Aho Ta¯maka, a project honouring the region’s successes.
The Central Economic Development Agency wants to tell their stories to raise the region’s profile and involve them in inspiring and mentoring a new generation of talented people.
The other seven foundation members of Te Aho Ta¯ maka are Ezibuy co-founder Gerrard Gillespie, former Labour MP for Palmerston North and Massey University vice-chancellor Steve Maharey, deputy chief of army Colonel Helen Cooper, former chief financial officer of Adidas Global Robin Stalker, former Palmerston North mayor and chief ombudsman Sir Brian Elwood, New Zealand Anglican bishop Sir David Moxon, and Spark managing director Simon Moutter.
Jenkinson said it was a compliment to be invited, and she has already been at work in Palmerston North helping businesses to ‘‘scale up’’.
She said about 97 per cent New Zealand entrepreneurs seemed to be content with companies making about $1m a year in revenue.
Her goal was to get them putting more zeroes into their business plans.
Jenkinson said her upbringing as ‘‘slave labour’’ on the family farm, and watching her father create several businesses, had helped shape her attitude.
She developed an innate belief she could solve any problem, and has a ‘‘thirst for life’’.
Studying at Massey University, something no-one in her family had done before, gave her the confidence she needed to build companies.
‘‘But the way you learn is not through a textbook. It’s the context that matters.’’
Jenkinson was keen to share the lessons, that beyond New Zealand, building relationships for business takes time. Deals are not sealed with the first handshake.
Agency chief executive Linda Stewart said the project was unlike anything that had been done before in New Zealand.
Starting as an idea to honour the region’s alumni, it was evolving into a more active programme building a global network of leaders connected to Manawatu¯ .
‘‘The reaction and response we have had from these leaders is fantastic. They want to pay tribute to the people, city and region that have helped them get to where they are,’’ Stewart said.
‘‘It is about honouring our past, celebrating our present and inspiring our future.’’
‘‘The reaction and response we have had from these leaders is fantastic.’’ Linda Stewart