New chief executive glad to be home
For many young Southlanders, a sense that the grass is greener elsewhere drives them to live and work outside of the province.
For others though, such as incoming Invercargill Licensing Trust chief executive Chris Ramsay, there is a realisation that nowhere has greener grass than Southland.
‘‘People go out of the province and think ’wow, we’ve got it pretty good back home’.’’
Ramsay will take over from outgoing chief executive Greg Mulvey in January, 2018.
He spent 18 years living in Dunedin with wife Praneeta but the arrival of children prompted the young family to return to Invercargill. ‘‘Being an Invercargill boy makes life easier from the perspective of being passionate about the south also.’’
He has been with the ILT since 2014, joining as the sales and marketing manager, with one of his major challenges being building and growing the ILT’s online presence. ‘‘We’ve got a lot of positive things to sing about around Southland, whilst also trying not to blow our own trumpet too much.’’
His passion for helping the community shines through when he talks about the projects the ILT has helped fund, while being careful to defer the lion’s share of praise to the fundees. One example was Koha Kai, a recent winner at the Westpac Southland Business Awards.
‘‘They did all the work but knowing we have got in behind them and helped support them in a small way is very rewarding.
Looking forward to his new role, he expected the newly announced hotel on Don St to be his primary focus, making sure it is completed on time and on budget.
‘‘On time and on budget, I need to get those two sentences tattooed on the inside of my eyelids.’’
Beyond the hotel, he has made growth his main priority, with the ability to increase the amount the ILT returns to the community a potential benchmark of his success. With Invercargill one of the few places in New Zealand to retain a licensing trust, he thinks the ILT’s example is ‘‘jealously looked upon by our closest neighbours in particular.’’
‘‘If alcohol was put into supermarkets, it’s only lining the pockets of shareholders. What we are doing is enriching the lives of 50,000 people.’’
Outside the trust, Ramsay spends his time with his wife and three children, with his busy work life making family time very precious to him.
Remaining active and enjoying some of Invercargill’s ‘‘great walks’’ was popular, with one other activity a family favourite.
‘‘I spend a lot of time on the trampoline outside of work.’’