Programme Manager for Matariki

Business Hub now has a ‘doctor’ in house

Hawke’s Bay-born Dr Alister King has returned to the region to take up a role as Programme Manager for Matariki – Hawke’s Bay Regional Economic Development Strategy (HBREDS).

Based at the Hawke’s Bay Business Hub in Napier, Dr King’s decades of varied work experience and tertiary study have equipped him well for the newly-established position which oversees implementation of Matariki’s action plan. The Matariki action plan is the culmination of over two years of consultation with a large number of regional stakeholder groups including Iwi, Councils, central Government, business leaders and the local community.

Dr King originally trained as an accountant and has over 25 years work experience, primarily within New Zealand food exporting companies working within a number of unique marketing and sales departments. In recent years the majority of Dr King’s time was spent completing a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA), which focused on organisational strategy within the New Zealand food export sector. He has also previously completed an MBA, a Bachelor of Agriculture and a Diploma in Accounting.

Despite his extensive qualifications, Dr King says he is not an academic.

“My daily motivation stems from a desire to see increasing levels of economic growth, with robust linkages to sustainable social and environmental outcomes for the Hawke’s Bay region.”

“Hawke’s Bay has a number of natural comparative advantages over other New Zealand regions, which if positively promoted, will allow Hawke’s Bay and New Zealand to take on the world.”

Dr King was raised on a family farm near Waimarama Beach but has now settled in Havelock North with his wife Helen, a primary school teacher.

“It is very special to be able to come home to the Hawke’s Bay region after an absence of more than 12 years, to be with close family and friends and to be part of such a vibrant region, with such huge potential. It is no secret that this region relies heavily on the export value of the quality food products it produces. Our challenge, as a region, is to ensure we manage this value growth sustainably, while also ensuring all members of our community and whanau are able to participate in this growth in a meaningful and personally fulfilling way.”

20 July 2017

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