Richard Reid is the new CEO in the Pacific Business Trust hot-seat. Of Maori descent, he sees many similarities to the path Pacific people seek for a better quality of life and economic prosperity.
Richard Reid, the new man in the Pacifi c Business Trust (PBT) hot-seat, is getting used to the lengthy commute from Albany to Manukau. It’s taking a bit longer to come to grips with the business traffic that arrives at his door early every morning.
Not that early starts faze him. In his former role as managing director of DIC International (NZ) and DIC International Australia, Richard became well versed with juggling time zones, and dealing with the demands of different markets and cultures.
Having successfully turned both companies from loss making positions into profi table ventures, he’s shifted his attention wholeheartedly to the challenges at PBT. “For me it’s the promise of providing a valuable service to people who really need it, and I am truly excited at the prospect of using my business background for the benefit of Pacific peoples. I see my role and that of PBT as very worthwhile and not simply to boost the profi ts of a multinational corporation,” he says.
Reid’s mother is full Maori and speaks Maori fluently. His father is Australian of Scottish descent and they both live in Ararat, Victoria, Australia. His iwi is Te Arawa, his hapu Ngai Terangi, Ngati Pikeao and Ngati Pukenga. Born in Te Puke, Reid’s whanau is from the Bay of Plenty region Maketu/Rotorua.
“I believe Maori and Pacific people face similar challenges, which are highlighted in our health, education and employment statistics compared to mainstream,” he says.
"We all have a grounding in our respective cultures, to a greater or lesser extent, and a strong desire to preserve our unique cultures. But we’re gaining an increasing understanding of the need to improve on a wider scale the quality of life and economic prosperity of people of the Pacific, by that I include Maori.”
Reid is humble in tracing his career path. Originally trained as a mechanic in the early 1970s, before moving into senior management roles in other industries, it wasn’t until 1998, at the age of 43, that he completed a Master of Business Administration at Massey University. His electives included marketing, innovation and new ventures.
“Doing the MBA was about personal development and growth, which is one of the major reasons I was interested in the PBT leadership role. There are real opportunities out there for people who are willing to take a risk. I see PBT as a facilitating agency, helping marry entrepreneurship with opportunity.”
Richard is taking time to look carefully at the structure and business services provided by the Trust, keeping an eye on the ultimate goal: to assist Pacific Peoples to start, develop and sustain successful businesses.
“We have to ensure both the efficient use of our resources and the quality and effectiveness of the services that we provide.”
Yet, despite his mechanical background, he doesn’t believe in ‘fi xing things that aren’t broken’. “Change for the sake of change doesn’t work. What we need to reinforce, however, is creating an environment of transparency and trust with stakeholders,” he says.
“Direct communication works best in terms of creating understanding and this is certainly applied in our training courses and ongoing mentoring. The last thing we want to be seen as is aloof, which would be counterproductive to our wanting to
encourage Pacific peoples to consider business ownership.”
Richard admits that he is amazed by the diversity of businesses being considered by the trust. “It clearly highlights the tremendous challenge we have in increasing the participation of Pacific peoples into successful business ownership.”
In this regard Richard’s young daughter helps keep him down to earth. “We clutter up our lives with lots of stuff. Our kids help keep us grounded.”
