WESTPAC BUSINESS SMARTS
The Waikato Chamber of Commerce together with Westpac are proud to deliver the Westpac Business Smarts speaker series.
These events provide regular opportunities for Waikato businesses to gain access to expert knowledge from a variety of speakers across different industries and specialisations, and insight on a wide range of thought leadership topics.
2026 WESTPAC BUSINESS SMARTS EVENTS
23 September - Building Business Value, Succession and Choice
Exiting a business is one of the most significant decisions an owner will make, yet many leave succession and exit planning until it's too late to achieve the best possible outcome.
Brought to you in partnership with Westpac New Zealand, this event will explore how business owners can take a strategic approach to exit planning well before they are ready to step away. The session will examine the key elements of a successful business exit from strategic, people, and financial perspectives.
We are delighted to be joined by guest speaker Jenny Stilwell, an Australian-based strategy consultant and advisor, who will draw on insights from her new book Value First, Exit Later: Strategies to build a valuable business, so you can scale, stay involved, or sell - on your terms. Jenny will share practical strategies for building business value, creating transferable businesses, and increasing the options available when the time comes to exit. Having led organisations as a CEO and built and grown her own successful businesses, Jenny understands firsthand the challenges facing business owners and leaders.
To continue the discussion, Jenny will take part in a panel Q&A session facilitated by Brigitta Warren, Director of RecruitNet alongside panellists:
PJ Cairns, Executive Director - Head of Loan Product at Westpac New Zealand
Quinton de Bruin, Investment Advisor at Craigs Investment Partners; and
Peter Pooran, Chair of the Board of Directors at Stainless Design Ltd
Together, they will provide valuable insights to help business owners prepare for the future and maximise the opportunities available when the time comes to transition.
29 May - Beyond the Budget: Business Insights Over Breakfast
The morning after the 2026 Budget announcement we were joined by two highly respected leaders for a practical, business-focused post-Budget breakfast, designed to cut through the noise and get straight to what matters for New Zealand businesses.
Reuben Tucker, Managing Director of Westpac, explored the implications for banking, companies, and the wider commercial landscape.
Mark Lister, Investment Director at Craigs Investment Partners, unpacked what the Budget means for investment markets and investor confidence.
Together, they broke down the key announcements, highlighted risks and opportunities, and shared insights to help the audience make confident decisions in the year ahead.
Brought to you in partnership with Craigs Investment Partners and Westpac New Zealand.
5 March - Understanding Your Business Obligations: Commerce Commission Insights
The Commerce Commission plays an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s markets are competitive, consumers and businesses are informed and empowered, and their interests protected, and sectors with little or no competition are appropriately regulated.
Brought to you in partnership with Westpac New Zealand, this session provided clear insight into how the Commerce Commission operates, what it expects from Waikato businesses and key obligations under the Fair Trading, Commerce and Consumer Guarantees Acts. The presenters also shared current trends emerging from consumer complaints and investigations, and outlined the Commission's enforcement priorities.
Specific insights were shared on:
Groceries
Electricity
Competition regulation and cartels
This was a valuable opportunity for business owners, directors and managers to hear directly from the Commerce Commission, to engage with senior leaders during the Q&A session, and understand how the law applies in practice.
2025 WESTPAC BUSINESS SMARTS EVENTS
29 October - Harnessing AI for Small Business Success
This session delivered by two experienced practitioners (David Remmerswaal - Dimple Digital & Matt Browning - Incredible Software) who have supported hundreds of Kiwi businesses, was designed to equip attendees with practical, affordable, and immediately actionable ways AI can support growth.
