In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 56, our guest is the founder and CEO of Resonate Health, James Whittaker.

James started life in the UK and began his career in one of that country’s most iconic companies, British Airways. The story of how he became an entrepreneur on the other side of the world is both entertaining and inspiring.

He came to New Zealand with his young family as tourists, and they returned a year later with the intention of settling and staying.

He continued his corporate career in New Zealand, working with Private Equity to turnaround the fortunes of a company specialising in hearing aids.

But he thought of a better way, and after a couple of false starts, Resonate Health NZ was born.

Resonate brings a totally new approach to the business of hearing loss, and with an ageing population, the possibilities seem endless. From a startup in 2022 to 31 hearing studios today, the business is on a mammoth growth curve.

At its centre is world class technology and a driven entrepreneur determined to build the world’s best health care company.

In the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast, James Whittaker talks to Bruce Cotterill about a vision that sets his business apart, the extremes he goes to in order to attract talent, and the importance of building trust with his customers.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 55, our guest is the former National Party Minister, Speaker of the House and Ambassador to London, Sir Lockwood Smith.

Sir Lockwood Smith is one of those people you feel you know before meeting him. He first stepped into the public gaze as a television presenter of science programmes aimed at school age children. What started as a university holiday job delivered some early name recognition, helping him to win a seat in the old first part the post political system.

He grew up on the family farm that he still runs today. He learned the ropes early and developed the skills necessary to run the farm before leaving school. A Bachelors and Masters degree (with honours) in Agricultural Science put the theory alongside the practical skills he’d already developed.

At first, he followed what most of us would observe as an academic career, lecturing at Massey University and wining a scholarship to attend the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, at the University of Adelaide, where he studied for his PhD in ruminant metabolism. He tells of studying Opera, as a sideline, while he was there.

While in Adelaide he took up rowing, winning five state championships and leading the Adelaide University Boat Club as it’s captain.

Back in New Zealand, politics was calling and he was elected to parliament as the MP for Kaipara in 1984. He became one of our longest serving MP’s, staying for 29 years, the last five of which were spent as a most respected “Speaker of the House”.

On the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast with Bruce Cotterill, Sir Lockwood speaks of the highs and lows of life in politics. There have been many achievements and the occasional disappointment, and he is refreshingly open in his discussion, including the behind the scenes conflict surrounding leadership appointments.

And he reflects on his time as Speaker of the House and his disappointment at today’s parliamentary behaviour.

He also covers off his five-year stint as our High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ghana & Nigeria, and Ambassador to Ireland and the various roles he conducted on behalf of the UK government after his post was completed.

Today, he’s back on the farm that he has operated throughout a busy life, breeding Belgian Blue bulls, a breed that he has continued to develop and enhance over his entire life. He’s a happy and contented man with a wonderful story to tell. And he tells it very well.

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In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 54, our guest is the CEO of realestate.co.nz, Sarah Wood.

As the real estate market starts to show some long awaited green shoots, it’s timely to have a discussion about the real estate market. As the leader of New Zealand’s only dedicated real estate portal company, Sarah Wood is uniquely positioned to share her insights into the changes in the market.

Her early life was as one of 6 children in a farming family. That’s where she learned the value of hard work and the need to earn her own money.

She completed a diploma in advertising and a university degree in marketing, all while learning the ropes in retail business before heading for the media sector with the Company then known as Wilson & Horton. Thereafter, the FMCG world came calling and she led a range of projects across some of the major brands at Goodman Fielder.

As her husband’s medical career started to take off, she then found herself in the USA for seven years and she talks of a different way of life and new business opportunities. There she met an influential woman and she discusses the impact that relationship had on her.

But the return to New Zealand was inevitable and after a stint back with her old employer, by then named APN, she found her first CEO role in the real estate advertising business.

During the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast with Bruce Cotterill, Sarah shares her insights on building teams, developing a can do culture and getting things done. And she talks about her love of working with highly successful real estate agents and their clients, and the current state of the real estate market, with record numbers of listings and increased buyer activity.

This is a leadership story that is still developing. Sarah Wood is a CEO of the future, someone who understands how to make technology, people and customers come together to create outstanding experiences.

It’s well worth a listen.

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