Kauahi Koroneho Ngapora

Chief Operating Officer, Whale Watch Kaikoura Ltd, New Zealand

Mr Ngapora is the Chief Operating Officer for Whale Watch Kaikoura Ltd a 100% Maori owned company which has developed from very humble beginnings in 1987 to become one of New Zealand's leading tourism operations and a multi award winning organisation, having been with the company for 20 years he has made his way up from a bucket emptier, tour guide, captain, supervisor and manager to the company's senior executive reporting directly to the Chairman which is a role he has held since December 2008 with experience in indigenous and eco-tourism, community engagement, operational, strategic and executive management.

The company Mr Ngapora now overseas has been the driving force behind the growth and development since 1987 of Kaikoura from a rest stop to one of New Zealand's leading eco-tourism destinations with the small coastal town of around 3,500 locals welcoming up to 1,000,000 visitors annually to experience its unique environment, diverse range of activities and wildlife encounters, because tourism is such an important economic driver for the Kaikoura community with the wildlife and environment being its backbone the community realize that looking after the environment for the community, the tourists and the next generation had become extremely important and since 1999 has been on a journey to minimise the environmental impacts of tourism becoming the first community in New Zealand and the second in the World to be Green Globe Accredited and in 2011 becoming the first destination in the World to receive Earth Check Gold Certification.

Mr Ngapora is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Management and has achieved an advanced diploma in executive management from the New Zealand Institute of Management, he also sits on a number of community boards which include the Kaikoura Tourism & Development Committee which is a council funded entity whose purpose is to drive sustainable economic growth for Kaikoura by promoting the town as a "must visit" tourism and events destination, encouraging responsible investment and development while supporting the local business community and is Chairman of Kaikoura Information & Tourism Incorporated which oversees the management of the Kaikoura Tourism Information Office which represents over 200 members and the running of Kaikoura Seafest which is the towns premier annual festival welcoming several thousand festival goers each year to celebrate the abundance of the ocean, land and all it represents for the Kaikoura region.