Judges

Paul FiField

Paul has been Westpac Area Manager, Business Banking for the Manawatu and Taranaki regions since March 2007. Having judged the Taranaki business awards in 2007, 2008 and 2009, he is no stranger to the judging process and finds it a real privilege to be able to learn about people's businesses, find out what's working for them and what consideration has been given to alternative methods, understand why they're successful and, ultimately, discover what it is that sets them apart from their competition.

Rodney Wong

Rodney has been a chief executive or professional director of both national and international business for nearly 20 years. A multiple past winner of the Manawatu Business Awards, his business interests have spanned food companies, such as Yoplait at International Fine Foods, to precision irrigation with WMC Technology. He looks for businesses that demonstrate a clear strategic value proposition that is understood across the organisation, with the capability for global growth. He looks for companies that are "courageous", with an embedded organisational culture of integrity and ethics, where making the hard decisions is accepted and understood by all stakeholders. Rodney says judging the 2011 entrants will be challenging, as success for some companies may just mean staying in business for another year.