INDUSTRY AWARDS
NZSA Chair delivers awards closing address NZSA Chair Brett Wilson delivers the closing address at the New Zealand Security Industry Awards, paying tribute to the women and men who received awards and calling on employers to pay their staff well. What a wonderful evening celebrating the best of our industry. Last time this event was here in Auckland it was attended by around 60 people. Tonight we have 240 people here at an event that sold out 4 weeks ago celebrating the winners who came out of 130 nominations. I want to start by thanking those who made this night happen. Gary, Tacia and Andrea and Napat, I know the last few weeks pulling this together have been hectic, and Grant and Paddy, Tacia and Andreas respective partners, I understand you have willingly volunteered a significant amount of your time (we know that meant you were told by the Mrs), so thank you for your efforts. It’s thanks to your work that this event gets better and better each year. Te Radar, thank you for your professionalism behind the scenes, and the wonderfully entertaining contribution to tonight’s event. And we can’t overlook the functions crew from the Crowne Plaza. The food and service was excellent. I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the work Gary Morrison and his team have done over the last twleve months with the NZSA. When I first joined the board almost four years ago the NZSA was a bit like the Wallabies forward pack at scrum time. No go forward, struggling to breathe and at constant risk of collapsing. Four years later, I believe the NZSA is more like Ardie Savea; that is, in the best form of its life, plenty of yardage being made and very clear on its intent.
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That is due in no small part to the leadership and passion for the industry that Gary has brought to his role. I also want to acknowledge my colleagues on the Board who bring a wide ranging amalgam of industry expertise, professionalism and a unity of vision. The NZSA is well placed to continue moving forward with new structures and initiatives which you will hear all about if you attend the AGM next month. But back to tonight There is an old Maori proverb that goes: He aha te mea nui o te ao He tangata, he tangata, he tangata What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. And tonight has been about our people. Can I ask all here who were nominated, who were finalists and
who were winners to stand up. Can I challenge all the CEOs and mangers here tonight to take a good look at these people because one of our primary roles should be to produce more of people like these. If our focus is on training and mentoring and equipping and paying our staff well (and we should be paying our staff more not because of union or government intervention but because it’s the right thing to do), if we do this and create an industry where people like this are the rule rather than the exception then much of the other stuff we do, such as trying to justify our charges or improve service or increase bottom lines, will look after itself. You people standing are what our industry looks like in the future. I am honoured to call you industry colleagues. I am proud to be part of an industry where our women – as we have seen – rise to the top not because of quotas or PC agenda but because you’re the best at what you do. On behalf of the Board of the NZSA, I congratulate and salute you all.
October/November 2019
