The Role of Programme Mentors
Senior Executives with successful careers have offered their time to support the group as 'Programme Mentors'. They will guide and support the bi-monthly meetings as you bring your most pressing current concerns and issues to the table. Along with your peers, they will be a solid sounding board who can listen, share their experiences, probe, challenge, clarify and generate insights for you, without judgement.
The selected Programme Mentors are motivated by
contributing to the development of high-potential
performers in the Waikato business community and
seeing successful outcomes for you in life and in
business. They will support you to find your own path.
Our Mentors
Peter Smyth (Customer Manager & Strategic Advisor to Aviation Programme at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise)
I'm committing to this programme because Waikato companies are world beaters, and being part of their success inspires me. Our ability to innovate, lead, and take on the best has been proven. While it takes personal drive, determination, and agility to prosper internationally, leaders need more than innovative products and services. To achieve great things, leaders also need a clear vision, a great business model, and confidence. Being a CEO can be very lonely, and peer support through a positive forum of committed leaders really excites me. I want to grow New Zealand's economic prosperity one company at a time.
Colin Groves (Chairman, Deosan)
"This programme is all about nurturing and developing the next generation of kiwi CEOs- this means learning from the current crop and taking the next steps up for the future -- this deals with "the greater good" and helping others based upon our experiences".
Colin is a rugby business man, a Cornish / Kiwi, who has spent the past 23 years primarily as Director of M&A at Tetra Laval, one of the world's largest private companies and maker of the renowned Tetra Pak packaging solutions and DeLaval milk processing machinery. He has also held roles at Informix Software, and US healthcare multinational Johnson & Johnson. A chartered accountant and former English schools & colts rugby international, Mr Groves is currently Chair of mobile app development company MEA Mobile; New Zealand's largest refiner and blender of high quality Omega-2 and Omega-3 fish oils NZX-Listed SeaDragon; the Agri Group of Companies, which includes dairy consumables business, Deosan; as well as Oriens Capital and Waikato Rugby. He also sits on the Boards of Sprout Agri-Tech, VetSouth and the Cornish Pirates Rugby.
John Anderson (Executive Chairman, DEC International )
John supports and drives others to succeed. It is about accountability, overcoming challenges, and setting and meeting goals that makes people and their business successful. Talking straight, about the hard stuff, is what matters.While John personally prefers to fly below the radar, his experience and roles are extensive. He is the Executive Chairman - DEC International NZ Ltd. which manufactures an animal pharmaceutical device (CIDR) used in the breeding of cattle, sheep and goats. Under the DEC portfolio also sits Millennium Plastics, a technical injection Moulding company, and InterAg R&D company, developing a product that uses thermography, and CO2 respiration measurement to alert the early detection of illness in Dairy Cows.
Additionally, John is the Director/Shareholder of Shift72 Ltd, a software company focused on digital entertainment technology; Director of Enterprise Angels - Investment in early stage companies (member EA Fund Investment Committee); Director/Shareholder of Maibella Ltd an Investment company mainly focused on residential development.
Previously Director/Shareholder of Waikato Milking Systems, which achieved significant growth through creating innovative technology, and opening distribution channels in numerous Export Markets.
