Brendan was raised in Levin, spending his secondary school years as a boarder at St Pats College Silverstream, and commenced work in the poultry industry for Siddle and Sons. 

Brendan went into business in 1987 as Canvasland, selling it in 2017. Was president of the industry association and awarded life membership. He was elected to the Horowhenua District Council in 1995, and elected to District Mayor in 2004 till 2016. He held chair roles on various Local Govt committees and a term as Vice President of Local Govt NZ.  

Brendan was appointed as deputing chair of Mid Central DHB in 2016 and chair in 2019. He was also appointed to the Local Govt Commission in 2017 and Chair in 2020. Appointed to Eastern and Central Community Trust in 2021. 

Brendan became a volunteer member of the Business Kapiti Horowhenua Incorporated in 2017 and was appointed chair in 2019. 

He is now involved in various business advisory roles, and loves the adventure of delivering the longest continuously run business awards in New Zealand……The ELECTRA BUSINESS AWARDS. 

Based in Kāpiti and serving clients across the Wellington region—including the Hutt Valley, Porirua, and Wellington City—Zebunisso is an award-winning mortgage adviser with over 10 years of experience in the finance industry. She specialises in helping individuals, families, and investors secure tailored lending solutions, drawing on deep market knowledge and strong lender relationships.

With personal experience in buying, building, and renovating homes, Zebunisso brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to navigating the mortgage process. Her understanding of both residential property and finance enables her to anticipate challenges and deliver clear, strategic advice to clients at every stage of the journey.

Committed to supporting regional growth and financial wellbeing, Zebunisso also engages actively in the local community through sponsorship and partnerships that reflect her values.

Andrew brings extensive leadership experience across a range of sectors, including corporate and environmental management, utilities, telecommunications, and the public sector. His expertise covers key areas critical to business performance, such as financial management, human resources, innovation and technology, compliance, and quality assurance.

Andrew has held senior executive roles, including Chief Executive of Composting New Zealand and General Manager of JB’s Environmental in Levin.

He has also worked with a number of major public and private sector organisations, including the Ministry of Education, the Department of Corrections, Spark NZ, and One NZ, contributing to projects that required strategic insight and cross-sector collaboration. Andrew is currently the Chief Executive for The Horowhenua Company.

Janine Sudbury is a former BBC and National Radio broadcast journalist and presenter who has created one of the most unique leadership training centres in the country. She has a BA in Philosophy and Politics, has worked in Congress in Washington DC and has used these experiences to develop Impact Leadership. She is the Programme co-ordinator, facilitator, videographer and coach. 

Her journalistic career has helped her develop an astuteness in reading people and situations which allow her to motivate and inspire others. She is also a superb communicator and listener who is empathetic and capable of giving honest, passionate feedback. 

Eleven years ago Janine launched Sudbury, a stunning country venue hosting weddings, leadership training and corporate events. In 2018 she won an Electra Business Excellence Award. She attracts clients from around the world who wish to experience Impact Leadership and Sudbury. 

​Steve is an experienced corporate executive and has worked across a range of industries and different sized businesses. He has been on the board of BKH for over 5 years and worked for Electra the major sponsor for almost 8 years. Steve is CA qualified and is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand professional body. 

Steve has a real passion for business growth and excellence and really enjoys working on mergers and acquisitions with considerable experience gained through the wider Electra group. 

Steve has a keen interest in cycling both on road and off road and is a strong supporter of the Kapiti Cycling Club. 

Heather is Director of Time Genie, working alongside education and creativebusiness owners to streamline their operations and free them to focus on their zoneof genius—whether that’s creating art, writing, or delivering transformativeprogrammes inschools.Her professional background spans education, health and leadership. Heatherbegan her career as a primary school teacher in both the North and South Islands,specialising in music.

She led choirs, taught guitar, and was closely involved inschoolproductions, including writing original songs. She later joined Life EducationTrust as an Educator, delivering health education in schools, before moving intopublic health as a Health Promoting Schools Advisor with Regional Public HealthWellington. Fromthere, she stepped into broader project management andleadership roles across the sector.Heather is the Chair of the Kapiti Business Chamber Women in Business Committeeand joins the BKH Board as the Chamber representative.

Alongside her professionalwork, she leads a choir for older adults and regularly bakes for an organisation thatprovides home baking to groups around the community. She values creativity,lifelong learning and holistic wellbeing, and brings this perspective to both herbusiness and board roles. Living and working on the Kāpiti Coast allows her tobalance meaningful work with the lifestyle she loves.

Ashleigh is the Destination Management Lead at Horowhenua District Council, where she works to grow a sustainable visitor economy that supports local businesses, strengthens communities, and showcases what makes the district distinctive. With a background in communications and engagement, she brings experience across marketing, stakeholder partnerships and strategic planning, helping position Horowhenua as a vibrant place to visit, live and invest.

Based in Waitārere Beach with her family, Ashleigh makes the most of coastal living, enjoying beach walks, forest trails and capturing the occasional Horowhenua sunset through her camera lens.

A long-time local, Angela spent several years in England attending university before returning home in 1998. Upon her return, she and her sister co-founded the footwear brand Minx, which quickly rose to national recognition—winning “Brand to Watch” at Wellington Fashion Week in 2000 and becoming a finalist in both the Wellington Gold Awards and Ernst & Young’s “Young Entrepreneur of the Year.”

After Minx moved offshore for manufacturing, Angela launched her own retail stores, leading to the creation of Superminx... Shoes and Other Lovely Things. For over 11 years, Superminx has been her pride and joy, navigating the evolving retail landscape with a focus on customer experience, creative marketing, and community events. Her dedication to excellence has earned multiple accolades, including three stores ranked among the top six Minx retailers and regional awards such as the Electra Business Awards for Employee Training and Interaction (2008) and the Customer Choice Award (2016).

Born in Paraparaumu, Gwen grew up around the grocery industry, with her father managing several supermarkets, including New World Havelock North and New World Levin. She joined the family business in 2006 and, in 2015, took the lead—transforming the Write Price store into New Zealand’s first PAK'nSAVE MINI, a significant innovation in the sector.

Gwen lives in Horowhenua with her husband and their three daughters, and she remains deeply connected to the community. Passionate about both business and people, she is dedicated to delivering every day for her customers, staff and the wider Horowhenua community.

Darryn is an experienced public and private sector leader, holding a wide range of senior manager roles across his career. Starting initially in the finance sector, Darryn worked in senior relationship roles for the ANZ, Westpac and BNZ banks in Auckland, Hamilton and New Plymouth, primarily focused on commercial property finance and construction transactions.

Wanting to spend more time working in his local community, Darryn took on a new challenge in the public sector, working for Waitakere Enterprise, an economic development agency supporting businesses in West Auckland.

With the merger of Waitakere into the Auckland Super City, Darryn took on the role of Investment Manager at Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (a council controlled organisation). Focused on growing businesses, expanding exports market opportunities and attracting new investment, Darryn worked with a wide variety of local entrepreneurs, multinational organisations, investors and government departments to position Auckland internationally as a strategic gateway into NZ and the Pacific.

In 2016, Darryn moved down to the Wellington region with his young family, taking on the role of Manager City Growth and Strategic Property at Porirua City Council. This included leading the City Centre revitalisation project, the rebranding and positioning of Porirua, establishing relationships with the local business community and leading various initiatives across the city.

In 2019, Darryn was approached by Kapiti Coast District Council (KCDC) to support the delivery of economic development activities in the district, including facilitating the development of a new economic development strategy and establishing working relationships with key local and regional partners. Darryn was subsequently asked to take on the role of Strategic Development Director at KCDC and now leads the Business Innovation, Ventures and Partnership and Housing Teams within KCDC.

Darryn is the KCDC representative on the Business Kapiti Horowhenua Board and has a real passion for building relationships, making strategic connections and ensuring that the work of his team supports good growth outcomes in the local community.

Natalie and Charlotte provide contracted services as part of PomPom Events & Marketing. They have been involved with the Awards for seven years! As founders of PomPom, Charlotte and Natalie bring together over 30 years of experience in events & marketing delivered at both a national and international level.