The new Ernst & Young Building in Britomart, Auckland, played host to the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Finalist cocktails on Thursday 4 August. In front of an enthusiastic and positive crowd of fellow entrepreneurs and members from the business community, 15 of New Zealand’s most successful entrepreneurs were announced as our 2011 Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists.
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award’s Director, Jon Hooper, said "It's great to see such a strong creative theme in this year's finalists, many of them have not only succeeded locally but also in overseas markets."
"Right from the beginning Entrepreneurs look at the big picture and are poised to scale up, something in their DNA makes them instinctively global in their outlook"
“We wish each of the finalists all the best in the coming months as category winners are chosen, and the overall winner is selected by the judges.”
You can find out more about each of these finalists below.
Andrew Lewis and Amber Coulter, The Research Agency (Auckland)
'A question of brand building'
To be young and gifted is one thing but to have the fortitude to launch a research company that would see them going up against large incumbents is quite another. What motivated Andrew Lewis and Amber Coulter to create The Research Agency was the desire to “shake up those resting on their laurels by launching a new, highly innovative challenger into the market.”
Both had spent the majority of their 20s working overseas—particularly in the United Kingdom and doing brand and research work for, in Andrew’s case Nestle, Heineken and Sainsburys and in Amber’s case The BBC, Virgin, Western Union and Mars.
They returned to New Zealand and along with their possessions they brought a desire to build a ‘next generation’ market research brand, where, as a business tool and powered by strategic thinking, it can provide the direction to grow brands and businesses. It seemed to them that no one in New Zealand was necessarily handling the process, or creating the possibilities, that they envisaged they could provide. Having not lived or worked in New Zealand for a considerable period of time the unknown was whether their brand would connect with others.
From that insight—and the courage to put their money where their collective mouths were—their agency started. More big business—in the form of New Zealand Post, ASB, Vodafone and IAG —came on board. Back-to-back high double digit growth was achieved; and Andrew and Amber gained the recognition of international colleagues when for the first time a New Zealand based agency was nominated for the excellence award by the World Association of Market Research.
Like so many stories of entrepreneurship, hardship eventually came and in a form that many others experience; namely the global economic crisis.
Rather than fold up their cue cards and go to ground, Andrew and Amber instead attacked the recession with all guns blazing. They took on staff, fitted out an office that has won a variety of design awards including best New Zealand workplace, established a base of over 100 clients and were named 29th fastest growing NZ company in 2009.
“We had a clear vision for what the agency could be and we weren’t afraid to ignore the naysayers who said growth was impossible in a recession.”
Guess who was right?
Angus Allan, The Collective (Auckland)
'Dreaming of creaming it'
When starting a business from scratch, building on nothing more than dreams, and deciding to enter a category dominated by global brands such as Fonterra, Goodman Fielder, DANONE and General Mills, the expectation would be that something would turn sour along the way.
Furthermore, entering the commercial arena with no formal qualifications (other than street smarts learned by travelling around the world and cooking for the ‘rich and famous’) and starting business at the beginning of the GEC, one could be forgiven for believing Angus Allan’s dreams of creating a range of high end dairy products would lack the necessary culture and ingredients.
As they say in the world of entrepreneurship, the seemingly impossible can be possible after all. In November 2009, Angus bought boutique operation Canaan Cheese as the foundation of his operation. With a staff of nine, the focus was immediately on created ‘high end/value add’ products and in just four months the ‘collective’ range of cheeses was launched. Again, four months later, the ‘Collective’ brand found its way onto a series of gourmet yoghurt products and from there the business blossomed. But not without a few hiccups such as when the pottles LITERALLY exploding on shelves thanks to a manufacturing defect or when persistent rejection from some major distributors looked like curdling the enterprise.
It is the number one brand in the highly competitive New Zealand gourmet yoghurt category and has been an export success in Australia. Following the signing of JV agreements in the United Kingdom and Europe, ‘the collective’ now has premium shelf space in Waitrose and Sainsbury supermarkets. A soon to be signed agreement with a United States manufacturer will ideally duplicate the success achieved on the other side of the Atlantic. Similar partners are being cultivated in Asia, Australia, Canada, Mexico and Brazil.
Says Angus: “My vision has always been to build and maintain a global business, based around the highest calibre of human resources and a high quality product. New Zealand is small but mighty and the creativity and innovation of its people are its biggest assets. There’s something to be said to being thrown in the deep end. I’ve never been formally trained in anything—yet my confidence in my independent thinking and drive to succeed seems to have been well placed.“
Anthony Cameron Leighs, Leighs Construction Limited (Christchurch)
'Building reputation on shaky ground'
When you achieve a ‘clean sweep’ in the New Zealand Institute of Building Awards you can have some degree of confidence your venture is built on strong foundations.
The year was 2005 and in one night Anthony Leighs visited the stage a number of times to pick up their category award, the innovation award and finally the supreme award against competition from the best construction companies in the land.
Building things with style has always been something that attracted Anthony’s attention. When he was made redundant in 1992 he set off overseas and in 1995 at age 24, he decided it was time to put his ideas into practice and satisfy what had become a ‘burning desire’ to create what he calls ‘a new generation construction company’.
“I have a healthy level of fear of failure but I don’t let that get in the way.”
Anthony’s standing and reputation is such that he has already been ‘shoulder tapped’ to become a director of the NZ Master Builders Federation. Having built hundreds of buildings, both in New Zealand and such far-away places as East Timor and the Antarctic, has helped create strong foundations to his capabilities and reputation.
Though he admits to having a healthy level of fear for failure it is more his determination, combined with facing adversity front on, that drives his enterprise and enthusiasm. Given that his business is Christchurch based, these characteristics have proven to be the right materials to help in the rebuilding of his city.
His was the first construction company to commence stabilisation work in the Christchurch CBD following the September 2010 earthquake. He also took a leading role in ReStart—the program to re-establish retail operations in the central city. His was the first new rebuild to commence in the CBD following the February major shake and he has recently established a JV with leading United States demolition company Grant Mackay with the aim of specialising in deconstructing damaged multi-story structures.
While Christchurch will provide plenty of construction opportunities in years to come, Anthony is committed to expanding his business nationally and internationally. His hunt for talent—both in leadership and construction capabilities necessary to ensure the venture can grow and remain sustainable—is equally wide spread.
Bill Buckley, BSL - Buckley Systems Ltd (Auckland)
'Magnetic attraction'
There are widgets…and then there are SERIOUS widgets. Bill Buckley’s version is most definitely in category 2. His company BSL - Buckley Systems Ltd is the undisputed global leader in the manufacture and supply of precision electromagnets to 90% of the world’s ion implant industry.
Rather than rushing to the nearest physics or IT primer, here’s a brief summation of what the business is all about. In the hierarchy of those involved in producing silicon chips—an essential component to any high technology undertaking or applications in fields ranging from medical to security—there are a number of tiers and players. There are only around 10 companies in the world producing silicon chip ‘capital’. Most are brands that operate under the radar—such as Varian, Nissin or Axcelis. In contrast their clients—IBM, Intel, Sony and NEC—are household names.
Without Buckley Systems there would be no magnetism to the mix. Between 80 to 90 percent of all electromagnets and ion beam hardware supplied by the middle tier providers to the big name brands come from Bill Buckley’s Auckland-based company. Everything produced is exported to clients in the United States, Britain, Europe, Japan and other Asian destinations.
Those market share figures are unlikely to deviate dramatically for two reasons. One being the high quality and reputation of the company’s products; the other is IP and related knowledge accumulated that would make it a super sized challenge for anyone else trying to replicate the offering.
Says Bill: “For anyone to be serious opposition to me would cost them a lot of money. What I can do for $1 million would cost them $10 million.”
Despite the current positive nature of the enterprise, business hasn’t always been rosy for Bill. The 1978-launched Buckley Engineering encountered some serious glitches Bill had to divest majority shareholding to stay afloat. In 1986 he launched Buckley Systems and, in the same year, capitalised on the IT boom in Silicon Valley becoming a major supplier to American factories.
From there it was upwards. His approach to success is put this way.
“It’s no good doing what anyone can do. You have to go after the stuff that’s too complicated for the average engineer so you can be ‘Johnny on the spot’ when the demand hits.”
Dr Doug Cleverly, Argenta (Manukau)
'Animal health creates global platform'
In the early 1990s, and as an employee, Doug Cleverly walked through the manufacturing plant of Nufarm Health & Sciences and wondered at just how big the opportunity for this business was, and allowed himself the impossible thought ‘what would he do if he owned it?’
Doug’s career in animal health started as an employee with Nufarm in 1992, then as an entrepreneur with the creation of Chemlabs in 2003—a contract research organisation with less than impressive year one revenue of $12,000. To bolster income the fledgling business created a new revenue stream by conducting product development and manufacturing of top-end personal products for Ecostore while continuing to market its pharmaceutical development capabilities.
It all changed when he took an overseas phone call asking if Chemlabs could develop a globally important product for the largest animal health company in the world. This was the first of a cascade of pharmaceutical development contracts from the likes of Pfizer, Schering Plough and Merial. With research revenues now well over $3M the business reasserted its focus and became dedicated to animal health meaning divestment of non-core business interests.
In 2006 the impossible thought became a reality through the formation of Argenta, the combination of Chemlabs research capabilities with the contract manufacturing plant and operations owned by Nufarm Health & Sciences. Argenta—the world’s first contract research and manufacturing organisation dedicated to animal health, was born.
Currently the company exports products and services to over 59 countries and has an estimated global market share of nearly 10%, and increasing. The target markets in order of size of activity are the United States, the European Union, New Zealand and Australia.
Doug maintains that his success is based on a number of factors. Having talented people with global experience in the business is a vital contributor to growth. Similarly the company’s research driven strategies to turn ideas into revenues and job opportunities have now been proven. Growth comes from research incomes but more significantly from the manufacture of products that are approved in global markets. A growing IP portfolio increases the company’s potential for accelerated growth as an important provider of leading technologies and products to the indiustry. The use of R&D to drive change has been pivotal to diversification of products and services that has lead to success and even survival through the GFC.
In the end, however, being blessed with the right blend of scientist brain with commercial nous creates a unique ability to spot and assess opportunities in science. . “I’m quite fortunate that when someone puts a technology in front of me I can quickly see what the opportunities could be both here and abroad. That puts us in a very powerful position.”
Dr Sean Simpson, LanzaTech (Auckland)
'Planet friendly fuelled for growth'
In a world where ETS, global warming, the hunt for more bio-friendly and sustainable fuels, and the desire to have zero impact on food and water availability in the provision of energy sources are all ‘hot’ topics, Sean Simpson’s company LanzaTech has the good oil.
The business has evolved from specialising in gas-to-ethanol technology to becoming a highly sophisticated, and fully sustainable, integrative gas to fuels and chemical platform—most especially one that has no negative influence on food or water security.
In the fuels arena, products include ‘drop in’ components to aviation gasoline as well as ethanol. The eco-friendlier chemicals are ones that can be used in the production of solvents and plastics. LanzaTech’s formula has clearly had the right key ingredients evidenced in 2007 by Series A Funding received from Khosla Ventures (the first money invested outside the US) of $US 10 million. The investment came just two years after the business launched.
Still partially in research and development mode, when full commercialisation takes hold revenue will come flowing in from the sale of both products and technology. Many of the world’s fuel companies are obvious targets. As with other New Zealand exporting companies, China is on Sean’s radar.
“China produces 50% of the world’s steel and already has ethanol mandates in many of its provinces. We already have a JV agreement with Baosteel, China’s largest steel producer, with the facility due to be operational by 2013. Since 2010 we have seen the development of multiple partnerships across Asia to include a variety of feedstock suppliers across numerous industries.”
As a power house of research and innovation, the development and protection of IP is a critical part of the business. LanzaTech currently has 63 patent filings related to Sean’s work. When confronted with entering the Chinese market—something he was persistently warned about in terms of being burned by IP ‘theft’—he sought what he calls ‘best in class’ partnerships to garner a sense of security. As well as Baosteel, he also connected with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He similarly has created a business model which makes it in the financial interests of customers/partners to keep the intellectual property pure and safe.
Joe Hesmondhalgh, GroutPro (Tauranga)
'Grout expectations'
The school of hard knocks is recognised as providing one of the best, and balanced, curriculums for many successful business people. Joe Hesmondhalgh, a self confessed entrepreneur, learned some of his most enduring life lessons beginning at age three.
When his father died Joe’s mother was faced with the challenge of raising two children on very limited resources. She worked nights cleaning the public library and they lived above the library in a small flat and the family made do with food stamps and second hand clothes.
All of this, says Joe, made him resourceful, tenacious and motivated to ensure that every opportunity presented or created would be capitalised on.
With a number of achievement ‘points’ scored over 25 years, Joe’s new venture GroutPro is what he believes will be the ‘next big thing’ both in product and service offering and franchising opportunities. With tiles becoming a flooring option of choice around the world—and of late in New Zealand—one of the biggest challenges was how to care for grouting once the floor was put in place. Tilers took care of the installation but, as Joe found, they were not taking the time to fully seal and protect the grouting. Meaning that cleanliness, good looks and correct sealing were going by the wayside.
He discovered that, in the United States, there were any number of thriving businesses specialising in tile and grout cleaning and restoration; yet no one was providing this service closer to home.
Deciding literally to start from the ground up, Joe embarked on what he calls “the overwhelming challenge of launching a service and product range to a market where there was no industry of its kind.”
Opening for business in January 2009, the roll out of franchisees began initially in New Zealand but then focussed on overseas territories.
To date there are 52 franchises world wide—37 in New Zealand, 13 in Australia and two in the United Kingdom. More importantly master franchise holders have been secured in the United Kingdom and across Australia.
Kathryn Wilson, Kathryn Wilson Footwear (Auckland)
'Out with the old shoe, in with the new'
Sitting in at an AGM for the New Zealand Footwear Association with what Kathryn Wilson describes as “conservative and gruff business owners who had dominated the industry for close to 30 years” she was astounded to learn that the industry was in decline. Most were unlacing any involvement in being part of a once proud New Zealand tradition of creating footwear.
When told she was ‘crazy’ for entertaining the notion of starting up a new brand in such a ‘sunset’ sector, she dug her heels in and the self-confessed perfectionist set about proving the naysayers and doubters wrong.
After a period of searching, self doubt and any number of tearful conversations with her mother, her footwear fantasies got the necessary funding kick start via an AMP scholarship in 2002.
Using the money to sample her first design with the help of a local pattern maker at one of the last operating factories in the country, Marler, the following year at age 22 she opened shop. From there the business achieved a foothold position as an innovative and high fashion footwear brand. Not, however, without the sort of teething problems all new ventures face.
In the spring of 2006 the company was delivered a container load of 1500 pairs of shoes ready for the new fashion season. The problem was that a contaminated container meant the shoes were riddled with mould and had to be destroyed. Quick thinking and turnaround, plus the expense of airfreighting the goods into New Zealand, meant the same wasn’t the case for the company.
Kathryn currently supplies 55 retailers across New Zealand, 20 in Australia, and customers visiting her on line show case, with a comprehensive range of New Zealand designed creations that are manufactured by boutique production houses in China, Italy, Spain and Portugal. She has also launched a ‘Miss Wilson’ range to broaden the client base with Australia as the initial market chosen for release.
Kathryn was once asked what career she might have followed if her footwear ambitions had fallen flat. The silence was palpable. “I couldn’t wait to start a New Zealand footwear brand and leapt at the opportunity after graduating just in case someone else had the same idea.”
Linda Jenkinson, LesConcierges Inc (California)
'At your service'
Palmerston North-born Linda Jenkinson was tagged at a relatively early age as a ‘serial entrepreneur.’ Not by her, but by a variety of people who spotted talent and drive. Their observations were also likely shaped by the sorts of comments she made: “I want to build a billion-dollar company and conquer the world.”
After graduating from Massey University and achieving an MBA from world renowned University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, Linda joined a number of high flying organisations—including being founding member of a team at AT Kearney that built global financial services and insurance practice to a $230 million level. She was chairman, founder and CEO of a NASDAQ-listed logistics company called DMS Corp. In the process of building up a $266 million company, Linda became the first New Zealand woman to lead an IPO and take a company public in the Big Apple.
In time, other fruits of opportunity caught her attention. Servicing the needs and desires of the Baby Boomer generation seemed a fertile area to focus on. Linda reasoned that a well conceived concierge-service company would be the order for this demographic given their combination of affluence and desire for unparalleled service. Similarly, living near the prosperous Silicon Valley region, she calculated that technology companies that faced increasing competition to attract and keep key personnel would have a need for a ‘state of the art’ pampering concierge service. In that way, her new venture could operate as both a customer and employee loyalty service.
Rather than starting from scratch, she spotted an existing company, LesConcierges, that had been operating for over 14 years but was starting to suffer from a lack of technological know-how. Using her business and VC fundraising skills, Linda procured $US 8 million that allowed her to buy the company and begin the process of making it both service and ‘state of the art’ savvy. Innovations such as a leading edge proprietary concierge technology platform, web portal and mobile applications—backed up by more than 200 concierges in 89 cities worldwide—have seen LesConcierges handle in excess of 1 million annual requests and grow to become the largest concierge service in the world with an enviable blue-chip client list.
Affiliations with groups such as AXA Assistance—a global player offering assistance and related services to corporate and individual clients that is consistently ranked in the top 20 Fortune’s Global 500—means the world-conquering part of Linda’s early promise is in play.
Neil McGowan and Marcus Radich, Digital Arena (Auckland)
'Stadium built for innovative growth'
The saying goes that if you build the arena, the people will come. In Digital Arena’s case the “people”, now satisfied clients, have come and greatly benefited from their innovative range of IT and software solutions, geared for businesses within the creative, production and publishing sectors.
When Neil McGowan and partners launched the business in 1996, economic conditions were such that the rationale behind this leading-edge venture was just what the market needed. In 1998 Marcus Radich came on board. His expertise in technology development and software creation raised the bar in the level of service Digital Arena could now offer.
In 2008 a decline in revenue prompted by the GEC meant that the Digital Arena game plan needed some drastic changes. As Neil will tell you – “when faced with increasing competition and unpredictable market forces – innovate, grow and expand your services to fit the new arena.”
“We were operating in a vertical market where our customer’s revenues were falling, so inevitably we’d be affected. It was a phase that would eventually end with recovery but how far off was the unknown.” Understanding the value of maintaining existing customer relationships, a ‘payment for service’ holiday policy was put into place along with other key scenarios, to maintain loyalty and quality of services along with sustainable levels of business.
At this time one of the founding partners decided to move out of the business. While this put extra strain and risk on both Neil and Marcus, the two decided to negotiate a buy-out and through taking on additional funding and restructuring, a revamped Digital Arena emerged.
Digital Arena prides itself on time invested in extensive research, development, innovation and fresh thinking; - characteristics which attributed to their powering through the worst of the GEC, and which continue to drive the company forward into the future.
Post-recession, and to the company’s advantage, more and more businesses have either opted to create in-house design facilities, or implement cost and time saving processes through the implementation of automated print pagination systems. This is the technology space that Digital Arena has led for more than ten years. These emerging opportunities have given Neil and Marcus the chance to assist a diverse range of new customers to work smarter (and more profitably).
Having both been so close to the operation for many years, they decided that a fresh take—created by fresh eyes—of their brand and offering should be done. Engaging the services of a previous creative sector customer, they totally revamped key connection points, such as their website, to help people see Digital Arena as an innovative and efficient team focussed on exceptional IT support and software solutions, providing business growth opportunites to all their customers.
With a passion for sailing, and having created his own ‘dream’ 7 metre aluminium boat, Neil views the filling of the company’s sails, and new direction, with considerable satisfaction.
Selwyn Pellett, Imarda Ltd (Auckland)
'Home grown business theory fuels Kiwi international business flight'
There’s the flightless bird that is our national symbol; then there’s a group of New Zealanders who have taken ICT to great heights and have thus earned the mantle of being a Flying Kiwi. Pioneers such as Sir Angus Tait, Sir Peter Maire, Sir William Gallagher have won their place in the Hi Tech Hall of Fame - as has Selwyn Pellett. Like many entrepreneurial New Zealanders he has also ventured offshore to test and spread his wings.
Leaving school at 17 with University Entrance (UE), Selwyn found his way to Asia, where his career path eventually led him to the position of vice president for Asia at electronic components supplier Avnet, managing a billion-dollar budget. In a cut-throat sector and within an international business environment, he learned the importance of integrity and how to conduct affairs with honesty and open handedness. He gained insight into how the world of electronics was evolving and began to put into practice his definition of what is required in becoming an entrepreneur. For Selwyn, who has created a series of successful businesses, it means adhering to his strategy of “bringing talented individuals together, giving them a direction and letting them create the ‘magic’”.
The most recent outcome of this pragmatic, Kiwi approach has been the launch of Imarda Ltd, a company that has integrated a number of location based technologies (such as GPS, Fleet Management Services, Field Force Automation) into an intelligent technology platform allowing end users to keep track of their mobile assets (such as cars, vans, trucks, inventory and drivers), thereby improving productivity, efficiency, compliance and customer satisfaction. While other companies offer similar services, the advantage of Imarda’s i360 platform is its ActionEngine™, a flexible ‘rules’ engine that enables customers to configure the application to their unique business needs and challenges, without customised programming. By automating the common actions – customers can simply manage their business by exception.
With the i360 solution, Selwyn now believes he has the product Imarda needs to take on the US$4billion global fleet management market. It underpins the ability to transform information from data, to knowledge, to wisdom. It is the ability to integrate wisdom into machine based transactions through configurable, as opposed to customisable, systems that he sees as the future for Imarda. Wisdom in its many manifestations is very much a Pellett passion.
Selwyn is convinced that there is only one way for a business to meet the innovation and creativity challenges of this market and that is to evolve faster than the competition. As a leader, he sets the vision for his company, and then ferociously backs the talent within the team gathered to achieve this vision. He holds up his current Imarda development team as a great example of this.
Simon Gault, Sous Chef Limited and The Nourish Group (Auckland)
'Culinary high flyer'
As well as being a star of cooking stage, screen and skillet Simon Gault is also a precision flier. Like his knife work this involves total accuracy with a touch of dare devil—one mistake and you can get hurt.
In both worlds Simon is a cut above the rest. As part of a New Zealand team competing against Australia in a RNZAC regatta—the equivalent of an aviation ‘test match’—he won two gold medals.
On the ground, and in his diversified world of cooking and culinary related activities, he has clearly ‘steaked’ his territory as an achiever. He has won the 2008 Restaurant Association Innovator of the Year Award, the Lewisham Awards Chef of the Year, Outstanding Hospitality Personality of the Year and just recently was inducted into the New Zealand Restaurant Association Hall of Fame 2011. His restaurant Euro, less than two years after opening for business, was the first New Zealand restaurant to feature in the highly prestigious Conde Nast Traveller magazine’s top 50 restaurants in the world list.
Away from his television and writing commitments, Simon has two separate but related hospitality businesses. His Nourish group owns and operates a range of restaurants—aimed at urban diners and sociable foodies as well as business people—including Euro Restaurant and Bar, Jervois Steak House, Bistro Lago, Pravda and Shed 5. He has also developed a relationship with the global Hilton Hotels group to run and manage the restaurants in both their Auckland and Taupo properties.
All of this started in 1986 when, at age 22, Simon bought his first restaurant—Bell House—using divested Brierley shares for funding. When finances tended to be tight he would collect all the unused egg whites from each evening’s service and make meringue roulades that he’d sell to boost cash flow.
His diversified portfolio and approach to all aspects of life revolves around a concept he refers to as 5% magic.
“It’s never enough to deliver the expected if you want to be truly great and successful. This is not a cute saying but something that for me pervades everything. I’m an absolute perfectionist and hate coming second. The 5% magic demands that I take risks, innovate and lead because that enchantment only happens when you genuinely break conventions and challenge the status quo.”
Victoria Ransom, Wildfire (California)
'Firing up social media'
Despite her surname, and given that the leaders of technology companies tend to be of the opposite sex, Victoria Ransom is not likely someone who would take many prisoners. Having said that she’s not hung up on competing on a gender basis.
“I can practically count on one hand the number of women CEOs that have founded and led tech companies that have achieved significant scale. Therefore, I’m proud that I’ve built a reputation for not only being a top women CEO in Silicon Valley but also a top CEO full stop.”
Wildfire is not her first foray into developing successful businesses. Coming from a small community in Manawatu and attending a primary school with only 30 students, she broke the family tradition by attending university and soon after left New Zealand to work on Wall Street, attend Harvard Business School, grow a global adventure company, launch a software business for the travel company and fight a year-long illness that almost cost her life. She is now frolicking in the fields of opportunity known as social media. Victoria and her co-founder, Alain Chuard, began cooking plans for the venture in 2007 while still in business school. Two years later the business officially launched in August 2009 and by the following month had reached profitability.
Her social marketing software is helping brands to capitalize on the social media revolution created by social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Wildfire’s Social Marketing Suite provides a turnkey solution for businesses and agencies to launch social campaigns, create brand pages, monitor and message consumers and track how they’re being received and perceived.
Says Victoria: “We’ve tens of thousands of paying customers ranging from small businesses to some of the largest brands in the world including Pepsi, Audi, Nestle, Virgin Atlantic, Unilever, American Express and Air New Zealand.”
One of the greatest IT ‘compliments’ is the fact that Facebook uses Wildfire to manage its own consumer marketing. In total, companies from over 100 countries—particularly the ‘sweet spot’ mid-tier businesses—use her services to fire up their operations and balance sheets.
With 155 employees and offices in Palo Alto, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London and Singapore—and more to come—Wildfire is proving just that.
