An exponent in business who climbed the ranks of supermarket giant Foodstuffs to direct Ngāpuhi Asset Holdings, Jason Witehira has won Outstanding Māori Business Leader at the Aotearoa Māori Business Leader Awards.
It is business as usual for the Victoria Park New World owner who has been crowned this year's Outstanding Māori Business Leader.
“To be acknowledged in the same category as people (like) Dame Kiri, Sir Ralph Norris, Ian Taylor, they’ve won it in the past, so very proud of being acknowledged like that. But I also feel a lot of responsibility for our people”, says Jason Witehira from Ngai Tawake ki Te Wao Ku and Ngapuhi.
Witehira is at the pinnacle of his career in the Supermarket Industry. He says the next step in his career is to give back to his people and iwi of Ngāpuhi.
Witehira says, “Some of the exciting things that I see for Ngāpuhi is when we do settle, is to utilise and take stock of what some of the other iwi have done, and how they've grown their kete and done really well out of it. So it's exciting times ahead.”
In August last year, Witehira took up a position as the director of his iwi's commercial arm, Ngāpuhi Asset Holdings Company Limited. He's also the Chairman of the New World North Island Supermarket Owner's group and he's a member of Nuku ki Te Puku, a Māori economy programme which fosters ideas for Māori businesses.
“Not to know that I was even nominated for it (the award) is one thing, but to actually stand here and see the people who got up before me, and listen to their kōrero is all inspiring on its own. So to receive this award is something I am still coming to terms with”, says Witehira.
Karen Vercoe, Jamie Tuuta, Miriana Stephens and Ngai Tahu Holdings also received awards for their contributions to the advancement of Māori enterprise in New Zealand and around the world.