University of Otago Business School

02/06/2026

👏🏽 Ngā mihi nui to all alumni and staff from the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours. We’re particularly chuffed to see the following Commerce alumni honoured:

✨ Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
Scott O’Donnell (BCom), of Invercargill, for services to business.

✨ Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
Kendall Flutey (BCom; DipGrad (Endorsed); MEntr), of Christchurch, for services to business and financial literacy.
Trevor Spittle (BCom), of Christchurch, for services to athletics.

✨ King’s Service Medal:
Noel Walker (BCom), of Te Anau, for services to Scouts and the community.

Read the full list of Otago recipients below 👇🏽

The University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka is proudly celebrating more than 20 alumni and staff recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.

27/05/2026

On the eve of Budget Day, we thought we’d better check in with Dr Murat Üngör, one of our most active and devoted economists, to see how he limbers up for the big event 💪

“My Budget Day preparation? ‘Trouble Every Day’ by Tindersticks feels like an appropriate soundtrack for someone who, like me, seems to come to the office seven days a week. As usual, coffee first and analysis second.” ☕🔎

So, no trusty brain-fortifying Budget Day breakfast first? “It’s usually coffee and something quick, as the real feast is the Budget itself. I normally get my hands on the Budget documents as soon as they are publicly released and begin what economists politely call ‘careful analysis’ and what others might more bluntly call ‘disappearing into calculations and papers’." 🧮😵‍💫

Does he relish it? “Absolutely. Budget Day is part detective work, part policy analysis. I also like to compare it with the Australian Budget. This matters because, as young Kiwis leave for Australia in droves, a close comparison of the two countries’ budgets helps us gain a richer perspective on our own government’s fiscal management.” ❤️

25/05/2026

✨ It was a buzzy few days for the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka in Queenstown last week. After a panel discussion on what AI means for New Zealand (as part of Techweek NZ) the Otago Business School kicked off its inaugural AI Leadership Residency at QRC Queenstown.

Feedback from attendees has been superb and confirmed our hunch that senior managers are eager to upskill in AI governance. Here’s a sampler:

Alisa Ravji (Fonterra): “AI is as much about people and change management as it is about data and technology. When organisations overinvest in tools without strengthening supporting processes and capabilities, meaningful AI value rarely materialises.”

Luke Taylor (SSS – Cybersecurity Specialists): “Getting the chance to discuss what's actually happening inside our businesses, under Chatham House Rule, was invaluable. For NZ business leaders, it may well be one of their defining innovation decisions.”

Phil Elcombe (Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children): “For me, this busy space now feels clearer, less confronting, and full of opportunity.”

👉With the September course already full, we’re looking to add more to the schedule. Register your interest here 👇🏽
https://www.otago.ac.nz/business/ai-residency

24/05/2026

🥇Our Elena Piere (a PhD candidate working across Human Nutrition, Food Science and Management) just can’t stay out of the limelight with her good research mahi. Her ‘Waste less, care more: Reducing food waste in aged residential care’ project won the Research Excellence Award at the WasteMINZ Awards on Tuesday night. Ka rawe!

🥗 As part of the project, 14 aged care facilities co-designed and tested a food waste reduction toolkit over six months. Simple changes saw a 24 per cent reduction in kai waste, keeping more than 13 tonnes out of landfill.

🌱 “Imagine what that number could be if every aged care provider in NZ started using the toolkit to reduce their food waste!” Elena says.

🤝 “Our project demonstrates what’s possible when collaboration occurs at scale, with researchers, industry and government coming together to tackle a problem."

🫶"It's also a testament to all the incredible staff we worked with – kitchen and caregiving staff, village and sustainability managers, and our industry partner the Retirement Village Association.”

🍒 “I am really excited that the aged care sector now has a practical, evidence-based toolkit to help reduce food waste that they can take, adapt and embed into their standard operations.”

🎉 Kia mau te wehi – we're thrilled to see Elena making a positive difference.

📸 Photo L-R: Associate Professor Paula O’Kane (Department of Management), Elena Piere, Dr Sara Styles (Department of Human Nutrition) and Professor Sheila Skeaff (Department of Human Nutrition).

👏 You can read more about the project here: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/waste-less,-care-more-toolkit-launches

Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago Department of Management, University of Otago

19/05/2026

✨ Take a bow Brianna Loan, Thomas Wesley-Smith, Matthew Wade, and Philippa Coutts. These four were recently celebrated by the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) for their financially savvy ways.

Receiving their awards at the 2026 Otago CA ANZ Celebration Ceremony, they were deemed the top-performing accountancy students from Otago’s Department of Accountancy and Finance 🥇

Associate Professor Dinithi Ranasinghe says, “They have demonstrated outstanding dedication, perseverance, and academic excellence, and we are incredibly proud to see their achievements recognised by CA ANZ. This success reflects not only hard work, but also a strong learning culture and commitment to excellence.” 🤩

18/05/2026

When Noah Grace heard that he was the 2026 recipient of the NZ Super Fund Sustainable Finance Scholarship – which comes with a bank-balance-enhancing $8,000 – he was thrilled ☺️

“The scholarship news was definitely exciting to receive!” he says. “As a student, a generous scholarship makes a huge difference and takes a lot of financial pressure away, so I’m extremely grateful.” 🫶🏽

Established by the University of Otago in partnership with the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, the annual award goes to an exemplary undergraduate student enrolled in either FINC320 Sustainable Investing or the Sustainable Finance minor.

With plenty of shiny grades under his belt, Noah was a shoo-in for the award. Asked if he’s always had a strong studious streak, he says, “I think I’ve always had a good work ethic, but university has definitely strengthened it further. Once I found subjects that I was genuinely interested in, particularly finance, studying became much more rewarding.”

“After finishing my degree, I’d love to work in the finance sector, ideally within an area connected to sustainability or responsible investing. I’m really interested in the balance between strong financial performance and creating long-term positive impact.”

Dr Sebastian Gehricke (Department of Accountancy and Finance) says, “Noah’s passion for the theory and practice of sustainable finance and his academic achievements truly set him apart. It’s rewarding to see students like Noah prepared to contribute to the transition toward aligning financial goals with long-term environmental and social outcomes.” ✨

18/05/2026

🐌 When new graduate James Heimuli moved from Auckland to Dunedin, he was planning on embracing a slower pace of life. This is what slow looked like: he arrived in Ōtepoti with his partner (who was taking on a lecturing role at the University of Otago), four children, two cats and one dog, and proceeded to balance full-time work with a Master of Business Administration. He also became involved with Startup Dunedin through one of its entrepreneur incubator programmes and has spent the last two years developing MidStream, a project focused on understanding the experiences of families navigating disability support systems 🙌🏽

“A big part of getting through it was having a strong network around me”, James says. “My family, work colleagues, classmates, and staff all played a big role in helping balance study, work, and family life.” ⚖️

Read more about James and his full-steam slowness below 👇🏽

Graduate James Heimuli's road to Otago reads like an adventure story.

15/05/2026

When Pham Van Hau came to New Zealand from Vietnam for postgraduate study, he didn’t bank on becoming so smitten by his new environment 😍

“I expected to just come here, study, and leave”, says Pham. “But the support system at Otago is so warm that it’s hard not to feel like you belong. I didn't just find colleagues; I found a PhD community that felt like family.” 🫶🏽

“I love the people and the culture here in New Zealand – it definitely has a very special place in my heart now.” ❤️

Pham is graduating today with a PhD in Marketing – something he’s already put to good use in his new gig as a lecturer at Unitec in Auckland 🤩

Go well Pham! And do bring that unstoppable energy of yours back to Ōtepoti as often as you can ✨

Read about Pham below 👇🏽

Pham Van Hau knows that when his name is called out during today’s graduation ceremony, some audience members may find themselves beset by images of breastmilk and testicles.

15/05/2026

Ngā mihi nui to Otago case competition whizzes Caleb Kiss, Anika Kelly, Bracken Norris, and Nicole Lardera. Their collective smarts saw them nudge ahead of other university teams to win first place in the second round of the business case competition nationals recently held in Wellington🥇

Pictured here with one of their coaches, Associate Professor Sergio Biggemann from the Department of Marketing, these four will continue polishing their skills ahead of the competition’s third round in Ōtepoti this August ✨

Asked what she most enjoys about case competitions, Anika says, “I love how they push me to use critical, strategic, and creative thinking skills in ways that are very different to those I use in my university courses. After getting to know the case, my teammates and I bounce ideas off each other and challenge one another’s assumptions to make sure we are aligned on the solution, which creates a really buzzing team dynamic.” 🐝

“With each practice and competition case I learn so much about real-world business operations, finance, and marketing, which makes me so excited about the possibilities for my own future career!” 🤩

12/05/2026

Hanna Varrs (Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Management) first joined Critic Te Ārohi (the Otago University Students’ Association magazine) because she thought it might look good on her CV ✨

That was back in her third year at Otago. She soon cemented herself in the team, moving from Contributor to Staff Writer to News Editor to Features Editor. She was also crowned Best Feature Writer at last year’s Aotearoa Student Press Awards 🥇

Now in her fifth and final year of study, she’s the magazine’s Co-Editor with Gryffin Blockley. Which is to say, the Varrs CV is not looking too shabby on it 🤩

Read more about Hanna and Critic Te Ārohi below 👇🏽

2026 has been a rollercoaster for the team at Critic Te Ārohi – and it’s only May.