Rhona MacKenzie to represent NZ business interests in Melbourne
Co-Founder of Auckland-based FMCG brand incubator Red Shoots, Rhona Mackenzie, has been selected to attend the first all-women’s business delegation to Australia for the Mana Wāhine Mission in Melbourne, Australia: (13-16 August).
As a distinguished female business leader, Rhona is one of 26 inspirational women that have been selected to form the delegation representing Aotearoa New Zealand businesses’ interests in Australia.
The whakataukī for the Mission is “Hāpaitia te ara tika, pūmau ai te rangatiratanga, mō ngā uri whakatipu” (“Foster the pathway of knowledge to strength, independence and growth for future generations”), while creating a culture of learning and working together for the greater good.
The inaugural all-wāhine Mission aims to boost New Zealand’s export growth and deliver commercial outcomes, while helping to raise the profile of New Zealand’s exports in Australia, while helping to add commercial value to businesses.
Given that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relationship (CER), the Mission will provide an opportunity to celebrate that relationship.
The programme will offer business-to-business networking, with delegates gaining advice from inspirational businesswomen on how to successfully conduct business in Australia.
During the three-day mission, delegates will hear from a wealth of business leaders from ANZ, Country Road, Xero, Kantar, KeepCup, Cox Inall Ridgeway, Ngali, ACMI, and Melbourne Business School, amongst others.
Delegates will also join Australian Aboriginal women in business to network with their contemporaries (co-hosted by Aboriginal Economic Development) and will hear from Kiwi leaders of Australia-based businesses, what lessons they’ve learned, and the key differences in doing business in the two markets, while getting advice on how to make Australia work for them.
Delegates will have the opportunity to connect with and learn about the mission leaders ahead of the arrival of Hon Barbara Edmonds, the Minister for Economic Development and Pacific Peoples, who will be joining the delegates for a networking dinner that celebrates the indigenous menu and ingredients from Torres Island chef Nornie Bero, while giving businesses a chance to connect with and learn from one another.
During their time on the mission, delegates will also engage with the NZTE team of wāhine and gain a better understanding of the assistance that NZTE provides companies as they grow their businesses in Australia.
Rhona MacKenzie, Co-Founder of Red Shoots said:
“I’m honoured to have been selected to join other inspirational businesswomen for this mission. As a Kiwi business owner, it is wonderful to be granted the opportunity to learn from other businesswomen, while getting essential advice on how to successfully navigate the Australian market. We’ve already started making inroads in Australia, with recent key partnerships with renowned Australian retailers Woolworths and Coles, and we look forward to continuing our growth trajectory in this exciting market.”
