The New Zealand Business Hall of Fame, established in 1994 by Young Enterprise, honours individuals who have played a crucial role in New Zealand's economic and social progress, with last night being no exception. Eight new laureates were welcomed into the Hall by The Right Honourable Christopher Luxon, before sharing their unique personal tales of enterprise, hard work and triumph with the crowd.

The 2025 Laureates inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame last night were:

·      Alan Bougen

·      Catherine Savage

·      Dame Joan Withers

·      Hinerangi Raumati

·      Rob Fyfe

·      Rod Drury

·      Shane & Lynnette McManaway

You can read more about each of the 2025 New Zealand Business Hall of Fame Laureates here.

Each of the eight laureates were accompanied by a Young Enterprise student for the evening who gave their introduction speech, assisted with their induction and sat at their table for the evening. This longstanding tradition is seen as a passing of the baton, from those that are, to those that will be, inspiring future business leaders.

The evening concluded with a speech from YES Alumni ambassador, Elisa Harley, who spoke on her journey with her YES company, Enivo Pots.

In support of Entrepreneurs in Action 2026, Young Enterprise ran a pledge card campaign on the evening, with the goal of supporting 66 students to attend next year. Donations remain open here.

Event images will be available soon.