Meet the judges
Brief business background
Head Judge
Allan McFall
Managing Director, McFall Fuels and Direct Fuels
Winner of the Tauranga Business of the year 2006
Winner of the Manufacturing and Distribution award and finalist in the Health and Safety Award
Allan grew up in the Waikato and worked the family contracting business before obtaining a Bachelor of Business Studies majoring in Management, at Massey. After an OE in the USA, Allan worked for Comalco. After six years he returned to the family contracting and fuel distribution business. After significant success it was sold, and he worked for the new owners for two years before returning to the remainder of the family business.
Since that time the McFall Fuel and Direct Fuel business has achieved significant growth, establishing a base in the Bay of Plenty, growing employee numbers to 50 and of course winning the 2006 Business Awards. Married to Karen, 3 Children, Alice 12yrs, Liam 10yrs and Anna 4yrs
Murray Denyer
Partner, Cooney Lees Morgan
Murray Denyer is a partner at Tauranga law firm Cooney Lees Morgan, and a Board member of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce. Murray’s corporate/commercial legal practice serves local, national, and international businesses. He also provides specialist advice to the kiwifruit sector.
From 2003 to 2009 Murray was General Counsel at Zespri Group Limited where he managed that company's global legal affairs, and was also responsible for government relations in the trade policy arena.
Murray’s career began at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, where during eight years in the diplomatic service he served overseas assignments in The Hague and New York, and was part of the Ministry’s international trade law team.
At the local level, Murray is also Vice-Chairman of Priority One, Tauranga's local Economic Development Agency.
Brendan Herring
Creative Director of WAVE Design & Marketing
Brendan is Creative Director of WAVE Design & Marketing and leads WAVE¹s creative team with more than 17 years experience both in New Zealand and in the UK. He completed his tertiary graphic design qualifications in Wellington and a couple of years in the film industry before heading to London. On return Brendan spent a further four years as a designer in Wellington before migrating north to take up his current position and beginning a family. Brendan has led the design team at WAVE for the past nine years and has been a director for the past eight years.
James Beale
Head of Private Wealth
Craig Investment Partners
James is Head of Private Wealth, responsible for the private client advisory network, private wealth research and retail equities dealing. James joined Craigs Investment Partners in 2001 and has experience in both research, as a listed property analyst, and investment banking.
In his role as Head of Equity Capital Markets from 2005 to 2008, James managed many successful IPO's, listings and capital raisings in the New Zealand market.
Prior to joining Craigs Investment Partners, James had six years experience in the funds management industry. James is an NZX Advisor.
Garth Webber
Relationship Manager, Westpac
Garth has extensive business experience through his involvement as relationship manager for Westpac Business Banking. He deals with larger business customers and the role revolves around assessing and providing loan facilities to business for working and capital requirements.
Greg Gillard
Injury Prevention Consultant for ACC
As an ACC Injury Prevention Consultant Greg works with employers from a range of industries to help reduce the cost and burden of workplace accidents. Greg has spent a number of years in the Occupational Safety and Health field focusing on both injury prevention and rehabilitation. One of Greg's main roles with ACC is to audit health and safety within an organisation and to provide advice, tutoring and education to make improvements to their overall systems. Greg has recently completed further tertiary study in OSH through Massey University to compliment qualifications in the education (Teaching) and sport science field already held.
Toni Palmer
Manager, Tabaks Tauranga
Toni is a partner of Tabak Business Sales Tauranga Branch with a team of brokers who specialise in the sale of larger businesses. She works with the REINZ National Business Brokers Committee setting policy and training ( previously Chairman of this committee), the Chairman of the Board of Directors for a large BOP manufacturing company and a Business in the Community Mentor. Toni presents many training courses within her industry training new brokers, she also presents seminars on buying and selling plus adding value to business for the public. She has many years of experience in both business ownership and business appraisals in the local Tauranga area combined with a strong interest and commitment to helping local businesses to succeed.
Amy Thaler
CEO, YMCA
Amy holds an MBA from the United States and is the CEO of the YMCA Tauranga. She has held diverse positions including, but not limited to, Business Consultant, General Manager of Ceremony Operations for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002, and Vice President of Administration for a $10 million enterprise software company and founder of Knead a Massage Inc., a very successful affordable massage studio.
Amy moved to Auckland in 2006 from Park City, Utah and then to Tauranga at the end of 2007. Having lived in very sunny places such as Los Angeles and Park City, she just needed more sunshine in her life. Amy and her 4 year old daughter live Papamoa.
Fiona Smith
TrustPower Service Operations Manager
The journey to my current role has been " interesting" : Forces trained in both the Navy and Army ( where a good clip round the ear fixed everything ) to fully qualified Chef running my own restaurant in Ponsonby Road .Then on to Real Estate - just to see if I could do it .
In my last 12 years at TrustPower I have developed through the opportunity to experience different roles. From cold calling and selling heaters in TrustPowers retail store to answering the phones , debt management and leading the changes in our customers service experience - I've done it all . I'm passionate about our customers and our crew and love the cut and thrust of customer service . Every day is different and as I cant sell "prettier " electricity, our customer experience vision and commitment to One and Done by all 100 staff ,is absolutely key to us retaining the top spot for service.
Steve Read
Director, Young Read Woudberg Limited
As a Director of Chartered Accountancy firm Young Read Woudberg, Steve brings a wealth of experience to this appointment. The firms clients base is large and varied ensuring that Steve has had exposure to many different types and sizes of business.
Steve has been a Tauranga resident for the past 15 years and has held the position of Partner in the firm for 13 of those years. His prior experience included some years with two large Auckland practices and 3 years spent in the commercial sector in London.
From a community involvement perspective, Steve is a past President of Tauranga Sunrise Rotary Club and has served on the committees of Racing Tauranga and the Community Arts Council.
Steve’s family include wife Debbie and two daughters, Georgina (16) and Madison (15). Cycling, Golf and Fishing account for any further spare time.
Kevin Atkinson
CEO, Generation Developments
Winner of 2007 Westpac Business of the Year
Kevin began his working career as a Qualified Valuer then went onto work in the Agricultural sector as firstly a Farm Adviser then Rural Lending Manager. From there Kevin had an interesting career in banking beginning with Trust Bank Bay of Plenty and more importantly Area Manager during the Westpac and Trust Bank merger, one of New Zealand’s biggest corporate mergers. Kevin owns his own Project Management and Property Development Company and currently is CEO of Generation Developments.
Kevin is married with two children.
Liz Muller
GM Corporate Services - Ballance
Jodie Tipping
Cucumber Software
Jeremy Curragh
CEO BOP Rugby Union