The Influencers: Marian Johnson
We have around 530,000 small businesses in New Zealand. This represents 97 percent of all commercial ventures, 28 percent of employment, and 25 percent of GDP – proving that the Kiwi entrepreneurial mindset is alive and well. Why then do we have so few start-up versus small business founders? What’s the difference […]
The Influencers: Leeann Watson
Ngā mihi o te tau hou Happy new year! As I write my first Metropol column of 2021, I strongly believe the year ahead is full of possibility. We have come off the back of a tumultuous year, our lives upended by Covid-19 heralding a new normal in the way we live, […]
The Influencers: Lianne Dalziel
This month sees the 10th anniversary of the earthquake that changed our lives and our city forever. We will always honour the memory of the lives who were lost, and we will always ensure the lessons we have learned remain embedded within our city’s way of doing things for the future. Our […]
The Influencers: Marian Johnson
I’m sure all of you – alongside every other person in New Zealand (and the world!) – are looking forward to a long-deserved break from the turmoil of what has been a very difficult year. There’s no guarantee that 2021 will be easier, but the best prescription will be recovery and rest […]
The Influencers: John Bridgman
Because Ōtākaro Limited was born out of the response to a natural disaster, we’ve never lived in a “business as usual” environment. This inherent agility has enabled us to continue to make good progress on Christchurch’s Anchor Projects in a year that ranks right up there with the most unusual the world […]
The Influencers: Peter Townsend
Christchurch is home to some real superstars who are making contributions to their communities, recognised far beyond our city boundaries. Two key players in Te Papa Hauora Health Precinct (TPH) have just received high recognition from their respective institutions. Professor Gail Gillon, a founding member of the TPH Council, has received the […]
The Influencers: Joanna Norris
Partly, Vxt, eClean Envirotech and Medsalv. Four companies that encapsulate Ōtautahi Christchurch’s spirit of exploration – and four companies which feature in our most recent campaign highlighting how this city makes innovative ideas real. Christchurch has long been the birthplace of innovation and technology-based start-up companies, from Tait Electronics in the 1950s […]
The Influencers: Lianne Dalziel
It’s hard to believe 2020 is finally coming to an end. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like a year has passed with the dramatic changes that Covid-19 has forced on us. I’ll be forever grateful to be part of the team of 5 million that acted together to prevent the […]
The Influencers: Leeann Watson
As I write my final Metropol column of the year, the last twelve months seem to have flown by. And what a year it has been – one that none of us could have predicted and one we certainly won’t forget in a hurry. So I’m pleased to be able to end […]
The Influencers: Joanna Norris
As schools and tertiaries wrap up the academic year, students are facing a very different outlook to what they ever could have imagined. In December approximately 7000 school leavers and 10,000 tertiary graduates will complete their studies. So what are we doing to help them? ChristchurchNZ is not just looking at those […]








