PBT supports excellence in sports administration
Soon after Va’aiga Tuigamala announced plans to launch the inaugural Pacific Island Sports Awards in July 2011, he spoke with Pacific Business Trust (PBT) Chief Executive Peter Cordtz about the opportunity for the Trust to become a partner in the inaugural event. The initial appeal of the event was its pan-Pacific focus.
“Participation and achievement in sport has long been a significant feature of Pacific people’s contribution to New Zealand’s identity,” says Mr Cordtz. “I was proud and humbled to win the Samoan Sports Administrator Award in 2006 [as General Manager of New Zealand Rugby League] but, as successful as the Samoan Sports Awards have been, this event provides the opportunity to recognise the achievements of all Pacific people.”
Celebrating sports achievement in itself was not a sufficiently strong reason to become a partner, but an association with the Sports Administration category gave PBT the opportunity to highlight issues relevant to its purpose and objectives.
“The Sports Administration category allows us to play a part in recognising administrative excellence, good business practice and astute management. These attributes are critical to success whether applied in sport, business or community enterprise” says Mr Cordtz.
PBT Chairman Hamish Crooks also has strong views on the link between the PBT’s focus and the awards, saying; “The business of sport in this country generates much of its value from the efforts of Pasifika athletes, many of whom are actually businesses in their own right.” Mr Crooks adds; “Pasifika people should aspire to positions of ‘offfield’ leadership in sport as much as ‘on field’ success. We hope that highlighting the achievements
of our best administrators will inspire them to seek out those opportunities.”
While all finalists in this category were worthy of recognition (Eroni Clarke and Ben Mailata were the others), Cordtz believes the eventual winner epitomises the qualities that attracted PBT to this category.
“Don is the quiet achiever of the Mann family, but has spent the last 12 years carving out a career as respected senior manager in a high profile professional code that relies heavily on Pasifika athletes for its commercial value.”
“The fact that education has played such an important role in his journey is an important message for our communities and one of the reasons that PBT has positioned training and education programmes as such a critical component of its business development services”
In highlighting achievement in this category as a means of inspiring others, Cordtz offers a personal insight into how this has worked for him. “Prior to being offered the role of General Manager with the Rugby League Foundation (Warriors and NZRL joint venture development trust) in 2000, I had already noted Don’s appointment as the Marketing Manager of NZRL,” he says.
“The fact that he wasn’t a retired ‘star’ made me think this was a pathway I could also follow. The three years I spent managing the Foundation and the seven years I subsequently served as General Manager of NZRL, is due in some part to the inspiration I gained from Don’s example.”
Another key reason that Cordtz saw strong partnership potential with Tuigamala was that the Pacific Sports Awards, like the Pacific Business Awards, will be a biennial event. These events in alternate years gives PBT the opportunity to play an active role in recognising Pacific achievement and excellence on an annual basis.
Pacific Business Awards back in 2012
This signals that the Pacific Business Awards will be back in late 2012, so the trust is now urging all interested in being considered or nominating others, to make contact early.
“Even before the categories, criteria and nominations process are confirmed, businesses should take the opportunity to assess their current status and identify those areas for development that will put them in a better position by the time the judging commences,” 
says Mr Cordtz.
“Even if they choose not to proceed with a nomination because they’ve identified areas they’d like to work on further before taking that step, that’s a great outcome also.”
“Stronger, sustainable and more successful Pacific business is ultimately what we’re all about. The awards give us an opportunity to showcase those who are proving what can be achieved as an inspiration for others.”
To enquire about an obligation free business assessment at no cost, visit www.PacificBusiness.co.nz or free-phone 0800 287 7526 to speak to one of our Business Facilitators in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
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