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28 January 2015 Leadership recognised in Lincoln University honours
Outstanding leadership is the prevailing quality being recognised with the granting of two honorary doctorates and two medals at Lincoln University’s graduation ceremony on April 24.
Ngāi Tahu leader Tā Mark Solomon will become an Honorary Doctor of Natural Resources while prominent businesswoman Sue Suckling will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Science.
Tā Mark has spent 16 years at the helm of the iwi, steering it through to greater prosperity and wellbeing after its settlement with the crown in 1998.
Ms Suckling has an extensive resume in corporate governance and has chaired a number of organisations, most of them underpinned by scientific and technological innovation.
John Acland’s contribution to business and public service will be marked with the presentation of the Bledisloe Medal.
As well as being heavily involved in the farming community in entrepreneurial leadership roles he has also been chairman of the Historic Places Trust and the Land Access Commission. Dr John Morris, the director of the Institute of Food and Grocery Management in Australia will receive the Lincoln International Alumni Medal. Dr Morris resides in Australia and has been an international advisor in retail and food marketing, and on the chain from producer to consumer for companies around the globe, and has had a significant impact on all facets of the industry. Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor Dr Andrew West says the quartet are impressive recipients who have all made significant contributions over an extended period of time.
Tā Mark has led his iwi into a strong position socially, culturally and economically while still maintaining an environmental sensibility, while Ms Suckling had been at the forefront of corporate governance for a quarter of a century, particularly in the scientific sector.
Throughout his public service Mr Acland has shown an ability to bring together groups with differing interests, while Dr Morris has shared his knowledge and experience of over 50 years involvement in his field with many others to ensure they can achieve success, he says.
Tā Mark Solomon, Honorary Doctor of Natural Resources: In 2013 Tā Mark was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and business. Of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Kurī descent, his major role is that of Kaiwhakahaere (chairman) of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Since settlement, Ngāi Tahu has allocated over $18 million to environmental initiatives, many of which Tā Mark has taken a personal interest in. He chairs the Iwi Leaders Group on Conservation and he is also a member of the Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group. Tā Mark has represented his Papatipu Rūnanga, Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura, since 1995 and is a member of the Kaikōura coastal guardian group Te Korowai o Te Tai o Marokura and a trustee with Te Ohu Kai Moana, the Māori Fisheries Trust. He is an advocate for ensuring careful use of natural resources to ensure each generation is catered for and is a trustee for Pure Advantage, the organisation developing a business case for Green Growth. He is a director of Te Tapuae o Rehua - a partnership between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and the major tertiary organisations of the South Island, which includes Lincoln University. He also works with the Canterbury Mayors and the Earthquake Recovery Minister to spearhead the earthquake recovery process.
Sue Suckling, OBE, Honorary Doctor of Science: Sue Suckling was the recipient of the first New Zealand Business Woman of the Year award in 1985, and was awarded an OBE for her contribution to New Zealand business in 1996. In April 2010 the Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand elected her a Companion of the Royal Society, a title which recognises outstanding leadership in science, and contributions to the promotion and advancement of science and technology in New Zealand. She is chair of the Callaghan Innovation Board, ECL Group, Barker Fruit Processors, Jacobsen Pacific, and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and a director of NZX listed companies Sky City Entertainment Group and Restaurant Brands. She is also Managing Director of Acemark Consulting Group and a member of the Takeovers Panel. She has been chair of NIWA and AgriQuality NZ, director and deputy chair of GNS, and a founding director of Antarctica NZ, as well as one of the two independent Directors on the New Zealand Dairy Board. In the latter role she chaired one of the dairy industry projects that prompted the formation of Fonterra. More recently Ms Suckling has undertaken performance improvement reviews of some of our key government organisations such as Treasury, Department of Conservation, NZ Trade and Enterprise, and Statistics NZ.
John Acland, CNZM, Bledisloe Medal: John Acland has combined a high achieving business career with a strong commitment to public service. He farmed Mt Peel from 1960 until 1990. Over this period he was also involved with entrepreneurial leadership in the agriculture sector in a variety of roles. His public service has included a long connection with Lincoln University where he has served as a member and chairman of the Lincoln University Farmers Conference Committee and as a farm visit host to students for over 20 years. He has chaired Meat and Wool South Canterbury and the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company (CFM) and was a director of the Primary Producers Co-op Society (PPCS). Recognising the potential of MÄori farming to the economy he led the revival of the Ahuwhenua Trophy, originally given by Lord Bledisloe in 1933 to highlight excellence in Māori farming, and chaired the judging panel. He was a member of the Historic Places Trust from 2004 and chairman from 2008 to 2010. Mr Acland was the inaugural chairman of the Walking Access Commission, a role in which he championed close links between the rural and urban environments, and is a very passionate proponent for strengthening New Zealand’s access to culture and heritage.
Dr John Morris, Lincoln International Alumni Medal: Dr John Morris is director of the Institute of Food and Grocery Management in Australia. He has worked as a senior executive with Safeway Stores in California, and has consulted with many leading retail, grocery and fresh food companies around the world. Dr Morris has been an international adviser to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and conducted FMI operations and customer research in many countries. He was part of the Cornell University Food Executive Program in the United States for 28 years and has been a Visiting Professor of Food Industry Management at a number of international universities. He was the director of Executive Programs at Monash University as well as the director of the Rabobank Executive Development Program for Primary Producers. The latter, initiated and run by Dr Morris, has developed a new generation of future leaders for the New Zealand and Australian food industry. He has had a significant beneficial impact on all facets of the food production industry from primary production, processing and manufacturing, to retailing and international marketing. Dr Morris is a proud Lincoln alumnus and has always maintained a very close association with Lincoln University, with significant input into marketing courses and seminars over many years.