Waikato Management School

05/06/2026

💡 What does it take to turn a great business idea into a viable start-up? 📊🚀

This week some of The University of Waikato's Master of Business and Management (MBM) students showcased their entrepreneurial talent in a "Shark Tank"-style competition - pitching everything from edible cutlery and cocktail mixers to an educational language game for children.

Four teams went head-to-head in the finals of the Integrative Learning Project (EXMBM533-26A), a capstone paper that challenges MBM students to apply everything they have learned to develop a new business venture from scratch.

Over 12 weeks, teams investigated their concept in depth before pitching it to a panel of mock investors. Their presentations covered everything from customers and competitors to marketing strategy, financial projections and growth plans.

All teams also received mentoring from Sue Loder, a business growth advisor at Soda Inc. Hamilton, helping them refine their ideas and better understand the questions that investors would ask.

This year's winning team was Anytime Year Co., whose innovative planner is designed for people who want the flexibility to start planning their life at any time of year.

🎉 Congratulations to winning team members Andrea Deocampo (Philippines), Ivan B. George (India), Ruilin Song (China), Kimberly Pinheiro (India), and Lulu Jiang (China). 🏆

"Most planners are designed to start in January, so if you miss that window, the momentum is gone," says Andrea. "Our planner breaks that cycle entirely. With no fixed start date, there's no pressure, no guilt. Pick it up whenever you're ready and start exactly where you are. It's designed to be a motivational tool that helps people stay focused on their goals.”

For teammate Ivan George, the project highlighted the importance of teamwork. "You have to delegate tasks, make the most of everyone's skills, and hold each other accountable. We had a really good bond as a team," he says.

Students say the project helped them develop entrepreneurial skills, build confidence in public speaking, make new friends, and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to launch a successful business.

Well done to the three other finalist teams, who all did an amazing job: Terra Bites, Zestory, and Spin & Speak. 👏

Huge thanks to our judging panel: Sue Loder (Soda Inc.), MBM alumna Joanne Gonsalves, Jason Matangi (Waikato Management School), and Scott Gemmill (Waikato Management School). 🙏

Special thanks also to MBM qualification convenor Jeremy Suisted and teaching fellow Dr Shireen Chua for supporting students throughout the project. 🌟

02/06/2026

01/06/2026

Congratulations to Dr Mary Low, Associate Professor in Accounting at Waikato Management School, who has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours for her outstanding services to accountancy education. 👑🎓👏

For more than 35 years, Mary has made a significant and lasting impact through her teaching, research, leadership and service to the accounting profession.

An internationally respected scholar, her research on corporate social reporting and integrated reporting has helped shape accounting practice and policy in New Zealand. 🌏🌿

Her work has been published in leading journals, including The British Accounting Review and Meditari Accountancy Research, and cited more than 2,250 times, placing her among New Zealand’s top 10 accounting academics.

Known for her passion, boundless energy, and extraordinary generosity in supporting students to succeed, Mary’s impact extends far beyond research.

She was instrumental in establishing the Master of Professional Accounting degree at The University of Waikato, and has inspired and mentored hundreds of students throughout her career.

She has also built strong connections between schools, industry and higher education by organising outreach initiatives, teacher training and exam revision days, and Waikato Management School’s annual Future of Accounting event.
👉 For details see www.waikato.ac.nz/foa

A Fellow of both Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and CPA Australia, Mary has also held senior leadership roles within Waikato Management School, including former Acting Head of the School of Accounting, Finance and Economics.

Reflecting on this achievement, Mary says: “This honour reflects the power of education to change lives, and the privilege of helping students build confidence with financial knowledge and their careers and future."

"The ability to read, understand and use financial statements is fundamental to personal financial wellbeing and business sustainability and survival."

We are incredibly proud of Mary and this well-deserved recognition of her remarkable contributions. Well done, ka mau te wehi! 💓👏

👇 See more at:
https://lnkd.in/e4iXGevW

20/05/2026

🎉 Tomorrow’s the day! Get ready for the University of Waikato Open Day — happening Friday 22 May, from 9am–2pm on our Hamilton campus.

Thinking about future careers and what you might want to study after high school? Open Day is your chance to explore the Hamilton campus, picture yourself at Waikato, and check out your degree options - such as Business, FinTech, and Communication!🤩

To celebrate, we’re excited to launch our brand-new Bachelor of Business hero video, featuring five current BBus students - Amelia, Matt, Sana, Ainsley, and Xadrian. 🙌

https://youtu.be/zbENPGOlZXI?si=rHz-IyKXaRUNg0Hs

Come see what studying business at Waikato is really like — from hands-on learning and internships to campus life and future career opportunities.

🚀 Learn more about Waikato's Bachelor of Business degree: www.waikato.ac.nz/bbus

📍 Hamilton Open Day: Friday 22 May | 9am–2pm
📍 Tauranga Open Day: Wednesday 1 July | 10am–1pm

👉 Go in the draw to win a VR headset 🎮 at www.waikato.ac.nz/open-day

Supercharge your future career with the Bachelor of Business (BBus)...

19/05/2026

In February, we delivered the New Zealand Economics Forum on campus, an event dubbed ‘Davos in jandals’.

On Thursday 11 June, it’s officially ‘Davos in gumboots’ as we take the Forum on the road to Fieldays!
We’re bringing that same calibre of sharp debate and high-profile voices to Mystery Creek, with two focused sessions moderated by Luke Malpass, Political Editor at The Post.

SESSION ONE | 10:00AM
Feeding the World in a Fractured Landscape will explore how geopolitical shifts and global trade dynamics are reshaping New Zealand’s role as a food producer in an increasingly volatile world.
We’re pleased to bring together:
• Simon Parham (Waitomo)
• Cameron Bagrie (Bagrie Economics)
• Matt Bolger (Fonterra)

SESSION TWO | 11:00AM
Dollars & Dirt: The Economic Outlook from the Farm Gate will cut through the noise to focus on the financial realities facing farmers in the 2026/27 season.
Speakers to be announced shortly.

If you’re heading to Fieldays, we’d love you to join us at Tent Talks (site D79).
Full details and registration below. 🚜📈

14/05/2026

🩷 Today we’re wearing pink to stand up against bullying 🩷
Our Waikato Management School staff are proud to support Pink Shirt Day, showing our commitment to kindness and creating a safe, respectful community for everyone.

13/04/2026

🌟 We are pleased to share details of an upcoming Fulbright New Zealand Information Session being held on campus on 28 April.

This session is a fantastic opportunity for New Zealand citizens—including postgraduate students, PhD candidates, and academic staff—to learn about fully funded Fulbright scholarships and research awards that support study, research, and teaching at leading universities in the United States.

📍 Event details:
Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Time: 2.00–3.30 pm
NEW LOCATION: The Pā, Council room, Level 1 - Room 1.51

📢 Representatives from Fulbright New Zealand, along with Campus Advisors, will present on:

- Fulbright NZ Graduate Awards (Master’s, PhD, and Visiting Student Researcher pathways)
- Fulbright Scholar Awards for academics and professionals
- Fulbright Specialist Awards
There will also be time for questions and discussion.

For more information about Fulbright NZ, visit their webpage: https://fulbright.org.nz/

09/04/2026

Congratulations to all our Leadership Academy rowers! 🚣‍♀️🏆
A huge well done to all of our Leadership Academy students who participated and achieved at the recent Maadi Cup, New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Championships in Twizel. Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance are truly inspiring, and we are so proud of everything you have accomplished! 💪👏

📸 Pictured: Charlie Fitzgerald and Imogen Hille from Samuel Marsden School, Wellington, who won a silver medal in the Girls U17 coxless pair. 🥈
Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

30/03/2026

🌟 A proud moment for the Waikato MBA! 🌟

We’re excited to share that the University of Waikato MBA has been ranked Tier One in the 2026 CEO Magazine Global MBA Rankings. 🏆🌏

Offered at both campuses in Hamilton and Tauranga, this international recognition reflects what makes our MBA special - its focus on developing confident leaders, building strategic capability, and delivering real-world impact.

CEO Magazine assessed 340 MBA programmes across 24 countries, looking at everything from teaching quality and learning environment, to flexibility, class size, diversity, and career outcomes.

A huge thank you to our amazing lecturers, students, and alumni. Your commitment to learning and leadership is what makes this achievement possible.

As we celebrate this milestone, we're continuing to evolve the Waikato MBA to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

This means expanding our focus on social impact and sustainable business, integrating practice-based AI tools, and strengthening our global connections to prepare leaders who can drive meaningful change in their organisations.

👉 Learn more about the Waikato MBA: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/study/qualifications/master-of-business-administration

🌏 View the rankings: https://ceo-mag.com/mba-rankings/

Pictured below from left to right: Leon Fourie , Associate Dean Regional Engagement & Development; Tamie Shewry, MBA Director; and Candra Pullon, MBA & Executive Education Operations & Delivery Manager.

Pictured from left to right: Leon Fourie, Associate Dean Regional Engagement & Development; Tamie Shewry, MBA Director; and Candra Pullon, MBA & Executive Education Operations & Delivery Manager

09/02/2026

✨ SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS CLOSE THIS WEEK! ⏳

Are you a female student in the final year of a Bachelor of Business or BMS(Hons) degree at Waikato? The Craigs Investment Partners Women in Business Scholarship is worth $7,500 — and it could be your launchpad into business and finance.

You’ll receive:
🌟 One-to-one mentoring with a senior female leader at Craigs Investment Partners (Tauranga)
🌟 Potential summer work placement
🌟 A serious boost to your CV (and confidence)

Craigs is looking for a standout student with a strong academic record, a passion for business and finance, an interest in investing, and a genuine drive to uplift other women.

Last year’s scholarship recipient, Sasha Ghadirian, said she was excited to gain real-world industry insights from a female senior leader at Craigs.

“This mentorship will play a crucial role in my future development, deepen my understanding of the financial industry, and enhance my skills in areas essential for my career. I also hope to help my family and community improve their financial literacy, while empowering more women to pursue a career in business.”

Craigs’ Head of People and Performance, Angie Smith, said: “Sasha’s passion and commitment to empowering women in business gives us confidence that by supporting her development, she will in turn advocate for other women, growing the impact of the initiative."

⏰ Don’t miss out — applications close Sunday, 15 February 2026.

👉 Apply now:
https://www.waikato.ac.nz/study/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/craigs-investment-partners-women-in-business-scholarship/

Photo (L to R): Craigs Investment Partners’ Tauranga branch General Manager Hayley Nelson, 2025 scholarship winner Sasha Ghadirian, Craigs CEO Simon Tong, and Craigs Head of People and Performance Angie Smith.