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FAL Alumni

Qunitin Blackburn

FAL alumni profile – Qunitin Blackburn

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Quintin Blackburn

FAL Alumni profile – Quintin Blackburn

Quintin was a member of the 2010-2011 cohort of the Committee for Auckland Future Auckland Leaders Programme and returned a few years later as part of a panel of industry experts helping guide future cohorts with their second year legacy project.

Now with 30 year’s experience, Quintin is a Senior Principal and Technical Fellow in Major Project Delivery. He leads the development of Beca’s Job Director training internationally, with a cohort of over 90 new Job Director’s graduating earlier this year.

Quintin has been involved in the leadership of some of New Zealand’s largest infrastructure projects including; Auckland’s Central Interceptor, Puhoi to Warkworth Motorway and Transmission Gully PPPs, Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI) and Auckland Airport’s main runway replacement and A380 readiness programme.

Highly active in the industry, Quintin has recently published two articles on PPP’s in New Zealand. In May Quintin joined the infrastructure NZ delegation to Europe with 26 other industry leaders looking at how Ireland, the UK and Denmark deliver and manage infrastructure; and since late last year he was a member of its Funding & Finance working group advising government on how to develop New Zealand’s PPP model.

Quintin lives on AKL’s North Shore with his wife and two teenage kids, and is an amateur musician, playing bass guitar in covers bands around the Auckland music scene.

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Future Auckland Leaders Profile: Ian Scott

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Future Auckland Leaders Profile:  Ian Scott

I was lucky to work for the Committee for Auckland in the capacity of Programme Manager. Even luckier, the programmes I ran were a product of the Future Auckland Leaders programme. I was employed by OMEGA – Opportunities for Migrant Employment in Greater Auckland. OMEGA supported job-ready, experienced and capable professionals who had relocated to Auckland and who had been granted the right to work.  The programmes helped them to connect to the labour market.  This was the brainchild of a previous FAL cohort and I ran the mentoring and internship programmes. 

OMEGA started shortly before the GFC, so the timing was less than ideal for people who were new to the market and who were competing for jobs with established talent. Immigration was at an historic high and the number of job opportunities was declining rapidly as the financial crisis worsened.  The Auckland business community really stepped up and we matched over 350 people to corporate mentors and placed 15 plus people into paid internships.  These programmes helped new migrants who were unemployed and underemployed (typically in low-wage economy jobs such as taxi drivers, cleaners and labourers) into roles more aligned to their professional skills and capabilities.  I am very proud to have been involved with OMEGA, and of the dedicated team who worked so hard to support these new Kiwis and to enable them to bring their skills, knowledge and expertise to our City. 

Today, I am the General Manager of Client Solutions for Randstad, the world’s largest recruitment and HR services company. I lead our commercial engagements, our operational compliance and support and, as a member of our EDI&B committee, I lead the Māori and Pasifika engagement pillar. My experience of FAL, and my continued exposure to the work of the Committee for Auckland, supports me greatly in my role as a business and civic leader. The intellectual property contained within the Committee members, FAL alumni and the wider networks are incomparable and are critical to the future growth and health of our largest city, Tāmaki Makaurau. I feel privileged to be a part of the Committee whanau and remain fully supportive of the organisation’s goals.

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FAL Alumni Connect

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FAL Alumni Connect

For many years the Committee ran the Future Auckland Leaders programme. A two-year part-time professional study programme delivering a highly regarded leadership development curriculum providing participants with deep exposure to and understanding of the complex Auckland ecosystem. We recently held a ‘FAL Alumni Connect’ event, where alumni of the FAL programme came together for a morning of reconnection, collaboration, and celebration.

The morning kicked off with breakfast and networking. It was a fantastic opportunity for alumni to mingle, catch up with old friends, and engage in meaningful conversations, setting the tone for an inspiring morning.

Our formal program commenced, featuring a talk by Committee board member Frances Valintine CNZM, an internationally renowned educator and technologist dedicated to reshaping traditional education for the evolving needs of future generations. Frances’ insights were relevant to the Committee for Auckland’s focus in the critically important areas of education and innovation.

Our formal program commenced with a captivating talk by Committee board member Frances Valintine CNZM—an esteemed educator and technologist renowned for her dedication to revolutionizing traditional education to meet the evolving needs of future generations.

Throughout the event, there were insightful discussions on shaping the education and innovation landscape for Auckland, with valuable input from both our alumni and Frances. Frances shared a statistic that underscored the impact of the FAL programme: over the years, it has provided hundreds of participants with a deep exposure to and understanding of the complex Auckland ecosystem, empowering them to become effective leaders in their respective fields.

We were privileged to convene this event at Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s Whai Māia, offering stunning views overlooking beautiful Okahu Bay—a fitting backdrop for our inspiring discussions and connections.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our alumni who attended ‘FAL Alumni Connect’. Your presence and engagement made this event truly special, reinforcing the strength and unity of our Future Auckland Leaders alumni community.

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Future Auckland Leaders Profile: Mark Fraser

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Mark Fraser’s Future Auckland Leaders experience

I was part of the second cohort of the Future Auckland Leaders Programme, from 2006 – 2007, back when I was a Development Manager at McConnell Property.  The programme was a fascinating insight into the city and the mechanics of it; how it worked, what made it tick, the challenges and issues it faced.  In parallel to this course content was a focus on leadership, what is it, how do you approach it as a goal and how does it contribute to the success of the city?

One of my biggest takeaways from the programme was the realisation that leadership is a discipline, not a position or title.  And that it’s something you can prepare for, train for and aim towards.  Starting with the Future Auckland Leaders programme, I set out to develop leadership as a specific skill set, in addition to the technical property competencies of any given role and, as my career progressed, my focus on leadership as an outcome increased.  In my current role as General Manager of Urban Development and Delivery at Kāinga Ora, I lead a team tasked with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the supply, quality and affordability of homes, and the resilience and liveability of our communities.  I bring with me the insights and learnings from the Future Auckland Leaders Programme and the understanding of the contribution I can make to Tāmaki Makaurau, both for the people and the place that is this beautiful city I’m lucky enough to call home.

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Future Auckland Alumni profile – Frith Walker

Frith Walker’s Future Auckland Leaders experience

Way back in 2010 I was happily ensconced in a career in theatre – helping to make plays and dance pieces and musicals that I knew were serving the cultural and civic life of this city I call home. Back then I was super proud of what we were making – and I thought I had a wide view.

Then a call came – I had been recommended to follow in the footsteps of my very dear friend and clever colleague Shane Bosher and join the Committee for Auckland Future Auckland Leaders programme. “Who, me?” I thought. “Ha! I’m not a leader”. But I had deep faith in those that were so generously recommending me and so, as my private and professional lives fell apart around me I stepped into a new opportunity and a whole new set of perspectives.

The programme was challenging (I am never fully comfortable about revealing just how much I snore so thank you to my cohort for your patience during our noho marae), exhilarating and beyond informative. I heard from speakers that remain inspirations to this day and met people that remain close friends and influencers in my life.

To be given a backstage pass to our city – to learn how its infrastructure works and how some of its most influential leaders have found their way – left me with an overwhelming sense of opportunity and drive. To help make a city that can, to quote my dear grandfather by way of my dear uncle, take the weight – the weight of all the people – that haven’t been born yet.

Cities are magnetic places that attract people to do business, celebrate, protest, have fun and so much more – bump spaces where civic life is forged and put to the test. They are made by multiplicities of communities that bring culture, commitment, and passion to their places.

As Tāmaki Makaurau’s regeneration agency, Eke Panuku has a vital role to play in making places where people feel a strong relationship with their communities and a commitment to make things better. As part of the Placemaking at Eke Panuku I now have the very great privilege of helping with the creation of successful public space networks, supporting the programming and activation of Auckland’s public spaces, (and as my bio says) “enthusiastically supporting the difference a healthy public realm can make in terms of creating liveable cities for all”.

To put it very bluntly, I would not be in this role without the Future Auckland Leaders Programme. Partly because of the connections and learnings it afforded me, but also because of the passion it stirred up in me, I now work with an incredible team who are genuinely committed to working for this city in a way that enables all its peoples to enjoy resilient, equitable, well designed and well-planned places. To misquote Winston Churchill (from the front cover of my FALP project report back in 2011) “We shape our public spaces, thereafter they shape us”. Or as another essential hoa mahi says “place makes us”.

I remain forever indebted to CfA for making space for an enthusiastic theatre maker and helping her find her way to becoming an enthusiastic placemaker. I promise to keep working to make it count.

Thank you for reading, Dear reader.

Ngā mihi maioha.

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Sanchia Jacob’s Future Auckland Leaders experience

Sanchia Jacob’s Future Auckland Leaders experience

Sanchia Jacob’s Future Auckland Leaders experience

Kia ora e ngā hoamahi,

It is a privilege to reflect on the journey I’ve had as part of the 2012-2014 Future Auckland Leaders programme.

I knew from day one that this programme was going to challenge me in new and exciting ways when our cohort met for the first noho marae at Ōrākei. It was a great leveller to have to stand in front of the wharenui remove our shoes, share our stories and sleep side by side with a bunch of strangers who were now inextricably linked.

The programme was powerful in that at its centre is the beautiful city of Auckland. It was the most unique experience to see Tāmaki Makaurau through fresh eyes, diving deep into the many layers of the city we all lived in, served and loved.

Not only did many of us create life-long friendships and important professional networks, we also had unparalleled access to chief executives, senior leaders and public figures across the city. These opportunities were always candid, open and sometimes raw. From them I gained insight, and from them I grew.

At the time I participated in the programme I was Manager International Relations at Auckland Council, and during it, I became Head of Global Partnerships and Strategy. Those roles were exciting roles for me, but comfortable because they followed my earlier career as a New Zealand diplomat. During my time with FAL I started to develop a deep interest in the real mechanics of how the city I represented worked.  For the first time in my career I started to look inward. An opportunity came up to disrupt my comfort level completely and I took a role as Executive Officer Operations at Auckland Council – it was like diving into the bowels of that organisation.

In 2018 an opportunity arose for me to take up the reigns as Chief Executive at Central Otago District Council, representing another part of New Zealand that I love and where I hail from.  And this year I also became the President of Taituarā – Local Government Professionals Aotearoa. I am loving the challenge of being at the centre of conversations that will shape the future of communities in Aotearoa.

No matter how far South I might go, I will always be an enormous advocate for Auckland.

Noho ora mai,

Sanchia

Tom Irvine

Tom Irvine’s Future Auckland Leaders experience

Tom Irvine’s Future Auckland Leaders experience

Tom Irvine’s Future Auckland Leaders experience

Kia ora koutou! Ngāti Whātua te Iwi, ko Tom Irvine taku ingoa,

I completed the Future Auckland Leaders programme between 20212- 2014 with a diverse cohort of approximately 40 wonderful people.

From the initial noho Marae at Orakei, I knew that it was going to be life changing for me. The people, experiences, and programme content stirred a drive for me to give back to both my close community and through broader Civic engagement.

Highlights of the FAL included the shared aspirations of colleagues Whānau and new friends, the tailored leadership training, management briefings and open access to CEO’s and other senior leaders across Tamaki including Iwi, council, not-for-profit, corporate, and infrastructure giants.

The team legacy projects we worked on together and presentations to the “Dragons Den” ensured we gained an even deeper appreciation of some of the needs of both Tangata and Whenua (People & Place) across Tamaki Makaurau. Also highlighed the difference we can make all make as individuals with a common purpose.

During the years that followed my graduation, I was drawn to and enjoyed a focus on community and civic engagement. Staying involved with CFA through our Alumni Steering Committee. Then in 2018, I was appointed to the CFA board and this important legacy, connections, friendships, provided new learning and leadership opportunities.   

Through the change in focus that CFA engendered, my career path took a very positive change in direction. I am very proud of my recent work as Chief Operating Officer at Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Whai Maia, contributing to our Whānau aspirations across Social, Cultural and Environmental kaupapa. My current role as Deputy Director Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki provides me the opportunity for ongoing Civic engagement, focussing on people and place.

Mauri ora!

Tom Irvine

Kenneth Leong(1)

Kenneth Leong Future Auckland Leaders experience

Kenneth Leong Future Auckland Leaders experience

Kenneth Leong Future Auckland Leaders experience

I completed the Future Auckland Leaders programme in 2008. It was a real eye-opener. I learnt things about Auckland that I didn’t previously know or appreciate.

Some highlights include the overnight stays at Orakei Marae, the tailored leadership training, management briefings/discussions at Auckland Airport, Ports of Auckland, Watercare and City Mission amongst others. I gained a much deeper appreciation of tangata whenua, and the cultural similarities between Maori and my own background as a Malaysian Chinese New Zealander. I also learnt about how various organisations do their bit to make our city such an amazing place to live, work and play.
The fact that I still remember these experiences vividly 13 years on goes to show the impact this programme had on my life. Most of all, I met some truly awesome people on the programme, who are passionate, driven, yet humble leaders who make such an amazing contribution to Auckland. The projects we worked on together helped us gain an even deeper appreciation for the difference we can make as individuals coming together with a common purpose.

I applaud the work of the Committee for Auckland. The 2 years I spent on this programme was lifechanging, and I still benefit from the insights and learnings gained today.

Kenneth Leong