Seequent reigns supreme at export awards

An innovative software company that shows the world how to understand what lies beneath the land and the oceans has won the Supreme Award at the 2018 New Zealand International Business Awards.

Seequent, based in Christchurch, is a global leader in the development of visual data science software. They have advanced 3D graphic solutions which enable people to create rich stories and uncover valuable insights from geological data, and ultimately make better decisions about the earth, environment and energy challenges.

The company has staff in 15 locations and serves customers in more than 90 countries worldwide. Seequent also has strong academic partnerships with the Universities of Canterbury and Auckland.

The judges were impressed with how well Seequent portrayed the emerging story of New Zealand on the global stage – advanced technology focussed on making the world better, operating in a high-value niche and executed with precision, tenacity and ambition. Seequent demonstrates how you can grow a global business from New Zealand and have a positive impact on some of the world’s biggest problems.

Earlier in the night Seequent won the ANZ Best Medium Business Award before being chosen from all section winners for the overall title.

Thirty-one of New Zealand’s leading export companies made it through to the finals of the awards. They came from around New Zealand and represented an array of sectors, demonstrating the nation’s business diversity and innovation. The winners were chosen by an independent panel of 16 judges with extensive experience in growing businesses internationally.

The awards were presented at a black-tie dinner in Auckland on Thursday, 8 November.

For the first time at these awards, recognition was given to Inspiring Women Leaders. Seven outstanding businesswomen were nominated for this award, and the judges could not separate two of the nominees. The joint winners were:

Sarah Kennedy: a CEO for more than 20 years across a number of companies, and now leading Calocurb Ltd in the health and wellness sector. With a career that has included roles like Vice President International Farming for Fonterra in China to Managing Director of Healtheries/Vitico NZ Ltd and her current role, Sarah has lived and breathed the benefits of value-add. In doing so she has helped each company achieve impressive results on the global stage.

Aliesha Staples: the founder of StaplesVR and a high-profile New Zealand producer and pioneer of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and new technologies. Impacting how we imagine, design and create, AR and VR are already changing the way we experience our lives. Leading the charge for New Zealand is Aliesha Staples. Her company has an impressive roster of both local and international clients, producing virtual and augmented experiences for the likes of Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, the ABC, Disney and TVNZ.

The New Zealand International Business Awards are run by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and supported by Strategic Partner, ANZ New Zealand Limited. They celebrate the success of New Zealand businesses on the world stage and recognise excellence and innovative practice.
Over the past 50-plus years, many of New Zealand’s most iconic companies have been celebrated at the awards.
Details of all finalists can be found at www.nziba.co.nz

Photo: Left, Graham Grant, right Jeremy O’Brien, from Seequent

The winners:

The Supreme Award – Seequent 
He kai kei aku ringa for Māori Excellence in Export – Port Nicholson Fisheries LP 
Inspiring Team Leadership – Douglas Pharmaceuticals Ltd 
Inspiring Women Leaders – Sarah Kennedy, Aliesha Staples
ANZ Best Emerging Business: Auckland BioSciences 
Highly commended: Method (Wellington)
ANZ Best Medium Business: Seequent 
Highly commended: PikPok (Wellington)
ANZ Best Large Business: Skyline Luge International 
Excellence in Innovation: Serko 
Excellence in Design: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare 
Inspiring Preference for New Zealand: New Zealand King Salmon