WHO WILL IT BE IN 2010...

About Young Executive of the Year

Step Forward, Be Recognised!

The Young Executive of the Year Award was established by NZIM and Management Magazine to recognise stand out individuals who are prepared to go beyond perceived limitations, to embrace emerging practices, and search out new opportunities, while demonstrating excellence in leadership and management practice.

Who Should Enter?

Nominate yourself or someone else - we are seeking young leaders, innovators, team builders and high achievers, to step forward and be recognised for the positive impact they have on the growth, productivity, and morale of their employing enterprise.

Chief Executives and other organisation leaders should be identifying and nominating you best and brightest you leaders for this award!

All nominees are entered into first round Regional Awards - Southern, Central and Northern. The winners of these awards are announced at NZIM functions in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. The three regional winners then become finalists for the NZIM/Eagle Technology Young Executive of the Year Award.

The overall winner will then be announced at the prestigeous Deloitte/Management Magazine Top 200 Awards dinner in Auckland held at the Sky City Casino in late November. 

The winner receives a granite and gold-plated bronze trophy and Executive Management training with NZIM to the value of $5000. The winner of the 2009 YEYA also received, compliments of Singapore Airlines, return Economy Class airfares from New Zealand to London.  

2010 will mark the 16th year that the Young Executive of the Year Award is up for grabs for the next future leaders of business and industry. When the New Zealand Institute of Management and NZ Management Magazine established this award our business community may have changed however the objective for this award still remains -  To recognise stand-out individuals who are prepared to go above and beyond percieved limitations and strive for personal and organisational excellence. 

AND THE CURRENT WINNER IS.... 

David Larsen, Sales & Marketing Manager of Rayglass Boats was honoured alongside New Zealand's leading business individuals and organisations at the Deloitte/Management Magazine Top 200 Awards in Auckland on 26 November 2009.

David was also the NZIM Northern Regional Winner so we are extra proud of him. We would however wish to acknowledge the two other extremely qualified finalists - Tracey Berry, General Manager Wealth at KiwiBank (NZIM Central) and Dan Coward, Area Manager, Christchurch Metro Group at NZ Fire Service (NZIM Southern).

So why David?

It’s often during times of adversity that natural leaders come to the fore – and David Larsen’s influence on his employer, RayGlass, was clearly evident in a recovery strategy he developed and implemented after a disastrous fire destroyed the company’s lamination plant in 2008.

Within 24 hours, his sales team were back on deck and doing business and the 31-year-old acted quickly to shift staff efforts – either into the clean up and rebuild or through a maintenance programme instituted for existing customers. “It kept things ticking over and meant we didn’t have to lay off any staff,” says Larsen.

Having started his career as a boat builder – making his mark as Top Trades and Apprentice of the Year – Larsen soon proved he was very able to take the helm in business. In 2003 he was made leader of the service department before moving into a sales and marketing role. These days he heads this crucial part of the business and his initiative, drive and results in both the domestic and export markets have helped the company successfully ride out rough economic weather.

Larsen who is due to complete his MBA next year notes that while a trade isn’t necessarily the traditional path into management, the ability to sell boats rests on an intimate knowledge of the product. “You really need to have a very very good understanding not only of the product you’re dealing with and selling but also competitors’ products as everything is built a little differently.”

He’s credited with establishing an exceptional service orientation to clients. The fact that the Boating Industry Association benchmarks processes on RayGlass’ production line confirms Larsen’s attention to detail and his focus on a positive working environment. He has also worked hard to achieve a collaborative culture throughout all seven departments and the senior management team at RayGlass. With his depth and breadth of experience across the business, he has been well-placed to develop a cross-functional approach to strategy and decision-making.

As Larsen says, the old-style of hierarchical management is not his thing – he describes his style of management as “dynamic”. “We run a dynamic model – we all make decisions together, collectively. I will present any big decisions or changes of strategy to the board but everyone is involved. For me to get the most out of all my staff, it’s really important we make decisions together as a team – that way we’re all involved and everyone is happy. We all want to be here.”

Earlier this year Larsen beat off some stiff competition from six other candidates to become the first person in the marine industry to earn the northern region NZIM/Eagle Technology Executive of the Year title. He had, said judge Kevin Gaunt (CEO, NZIM Northern), impressed in a number of ways.

“He has proved to be innovative and successful and has coped extremely well in adverse situations. Perhaps more importantly, he adopts a very strategic viewpoint – he clearly thinks a long way into the future and has great planning ability.”

As to his own reaction to the recognition, Larsen is delighted – both for himself and his industry. “I’m really stoked. This is a first for the marine industry and it’s really good for RayGlass.”

The Judges Comments:

David Larsen’s trade apprenticeship route to a senior management position at Auckland’s RayGlass Boats has provided him with an intimate knowledge of the product he is now charged with selling, to New Zealand and the world.

At just 31, David has an astute understanding of his industry, customers’ needs and his own ability to deliver on his strategic objectives. He is a natural leader with a passion to succeed. He plans, executes and takes the team with him. He is confident, sincere and self aware and thinks about the needs of his co-workers and his customers. David has also shown an ability to manage and think strategically in times of difficulty. He thinks into the future and keeps focused by planning.

He is an impressive young leader who knows where he wants to go and is bound to succeed.