Waikato Business News | November 1, 2023

NOVEMBER 2023
A
12-year-old from Te Awamutu
who invented an educational card
game has picked up the Te Pūkenga
Company of the Year at the Waikato
regional Young Enterprise Awards.
Jacob Chetwin attends Te Awamutu
College.
The year-12 students’ game is designed to
teach year 7 and 8 students about business
concepts and financial literacy.
The strategic game consists of 75-card
deck and has been played by over 700
students across the Waikato.
Jacob plans to continue developing and
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 5
Jacob plays his cards right
Martin Brock presented Jacob Chetwin, with his certificate.
expanding his business, called Liquidation,
into 2024.
He will compete at the Lion Foundation
sponsored Young Enterprise National
Awards in Wellington on December 4.
More than 250 Year 12 and 13 students
participated in Young Enterprise Scheme
in 2023, setting up and operating their
own businesses, creating, promoting, and
selling a product or service, conducting
market research, planning, budgeting,
managing risk and turning problems into
opportunities.
The annual event aims to provide young
people with opportunities to develop an
entrepreneurial mindset.
Results from the regional
awards night:
Foster Construction’s Runner Up
– Reusaballs, Sacred Heart Girls
College (Hamilton), Waikato Chamber
of Commerce’s Excellence in Financial
Management Award – UniquelyMe, Sacred
Heart Girls College (Hamilton), EMA’s
Excellence in Production Award – Down
to Earth, Hamilton Boys High School,
Waikato Pacific Business Network’s Pasifika
Enterprise Award – Doughnas, Sacred
Heart Girls’ College (Hamilton), Waikato
Business News’ Excellence in Promotion
and Marketing Award – Cheeky Chocolates,
Fraser High School, CAL Isuzu’s Excellence
in Innovation Award – Tyred Dogz, Hauraki
Plains College, The University of Waikato’s
Excellence in Leadership Award – Anna
Hart, Hauraki Plains College, Excellence
in Sales - Bubble No Trouble, Waikato
Diocesan School for Girls, Best Trade Fair
Presence – Reusaballs, Sacred Heart Girls
College (Hamilton), E x c e l l e n c e
in Sustainability Award – Sprowt, St
Peters Cambridge, Best Annual Review –
Play Kāri, Waikato Diocesan School for
Girls, Commitment to Business Award –
Liquidation, Te Awamutu College.
Grayson Clements associate thrives
on simplifying the complex for clients
Banking
by degrees
Waikato University has introduced the
country’s first Bachelor of Banking, Finance &
Technology.
Waikato Management School pro vice
chancellor Matt Bolger said employers say they
will increasingly need people who can thrive in
both finance and technology:
“The world of finance runs on digital
technology. From investment platforms
and digital currencies to the way we make
payments, nothing happens without digital.
Yet no undergraduate degree in New Zealand
currently recognises the need for these dual
competencies.”
“The BBFinTech will fill this critical skills
gap. Graduates will help businesses continue
to innovate and evolve - whether they are a
local Kiwi champion or a Silicon Valley startup.”
A 2022 Fintech Insights report found that
200 New Zealand tech companies generated
an export revenue of $1.8 billion that year.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s
investigation into digital currencies also signals
an even more cashless future, according to
Bolger.
Shane Marsh, founder of fintech innovator
Dosh and University of Waikato alumni, said
they will require more skilled people
He says this sector has a range of opportunities
and that regulation will be especially critical.
“There is a real need for people with fintech
skills who can help shape the future of financial
services. We need people who understand how
open banking, digital currencies and emerging
technology will define the future solutions we
want in New Zealand and overseas.”
The BBFinTech degree will arm students
with expertise in financial markets,
investment platforms, digital finance, banking
operations, automated trading, blockchains,
cryptocurrencies, cyber security, and more.
ADVERTORIAL
Grayson Clements’ Associate Lawyer, Philip McHugh, thrives
on complexity and the challenge of navigating uncertainties.
What sets
him apart,
however, is
his ability
to put the individual, his
client, at the center of
the issue and develop
bespoke legal solutions
to protect them, their
interests, and their
families.
Philip was recently
promoted from lawyer
to associate at Grayson
Clements, a law firm
based at Hamilton’s
Innovation Park. The firm
was established in 2008
by directors Michael
Grayson and Andrew
Clements with the desire
to grow a firm that was
“a little bit different” in
its value-driven, clientcentric
approach. It
now employs 26 legal
professionals across a
wide range of areas.
Philip’s love of
learning is clear, and
it’s an approach that
he carries into his
interactions with clients.
He has a Bachelor
of Arts, majoring in
philosophy and political
science, another
Bachelor of Arts,
majoring in history
and religious studies
and a Bachelor of
Arts with Honours in
Religious Studies from
Victoria University in
Wellington. After forging
a successful career
in retail, including a
stint in the complaints
department for a small
ship cruise line in
London, Philip went back
to university to study law
in 2015, graduating with
a Bachelor of Laws with
Honours in 2018.
He has been
practicing as a solicitor
since then, reaching
associate level after
only four years of his
admission to the bar.
He is also passionate
about developments in
emerging technologies,
including blockchain,
encryption, and AI and
the developing legal
framework to regulate it.
At his best in complex
situations, Philip is
When I’m working
with a client, I start
by getting to know
them, what drives
them, what their
internal motivators
are. By knowing
this, and building a
great relationship,
we can come to a
legal solution that
best suits their
needs and can
grow as they grow.
passionate about helping
his clients achieve their
goals with simple legal
solutions.
“Just because your
life is complex, doesn’t
mean your legal
structure has to be,” he
says.
It’s no surprise then
that Philip thrives on
making his clients feel
comfortable with their
legal structures and
explaining complex legal
terms in plain language.
His specialty is in helping
individual and corporate
clients structure their
relationships with
deeds, agreements and
other documentation,
and he has a particular
interest in the interplay
of legal persons
(companies, trusts,
Limited Partnerships,
etc) to protect, preserve
and commercialise his
Philip McHugh
clients’ potential.
“As a lawyer, I love
exploring the ‘what if’
scenarios with clients,
going down rabbit
holes and getting
to the heart of a
situation and exploring
the opportunities
from there. It’s really
satisfying when you’ve
explored all the options
available and come to a
solution that is beneficial
for the client, not just in
protecting their assets,
but also in knowing you
have looked at every
possibility and come to
the best solution based
Grayson Clements – Design, Deliver, Protect
Grayson Clements was established in 2008 by lawyers Michael Grayson and
Andrew Clements, who both had a desire to grow a firm that focused on designing
solutions, delivering results and protecting people. Their work and reputation have
gained traction and their client base has grown organically to a point where they
now have a team of 26 staff across a range of practice areas.
on their needs.
“I’m particularly
interested in the
technology space as
it relates to the law,
especially as so much of
it has not been legislated
and there’s no right
answer. There’s a huge
amount of work to be
done in that space and
that can only come
through us, as legal
professionals, learning
more and doing more
work in the field to
establish some best
practices.”