1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,200 Speaker 1: This year's New Zealander of the Year was named last 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: night at the sort of glittering occasion you would expect 3 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: a New Zealander of the Year to be named at 4 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: twenty twenty six. It is Sir Rod Drury, entrepreneur and 5 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 1: founder of zero of course, and he's with us in 6 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: the studio. Good to see you. 7 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been a few years, mate. 8 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: It has been a few years, and I strongly suspect 9 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: that you've aged better than I have. 10 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 2: You looking good. 11 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: Having been and hosted at a number of these in 12 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: the early days, I always found them tremendously uplifting. 13 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 2: Last night, Yeah, like I cried three or four times. 14 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 2: I was, you know, I mean, you're living in your 15 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 2: own bubble kind of think you're doing some good stuff, 16 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: but the selflessness of so many are New Zealanders, it 17 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: was it just fired me up. And I think the 18 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 2: whole night everyone was just riveted to every story that 19 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 2: you heard and just gives you so much faith around 20 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 2: what we're doing in New Zealand and the values we 21 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: have and you know, some of the just amazing work 22 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 2: and the selfless work that people do. 23 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: Does it answer the question because one of my concerns 24 00:00:57,960 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: in the early days was we're on your country five 25 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: million people, so we're going to run out of people 26 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: to honor, and yet that that indicates to me there's 27 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: no shortage of people doing brilliant things. 28 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, like I like, I probably only knew about four 29 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 2: or five of the people last night, so every story 30 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 2: was pretty much new and just completely blown away. But 31 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 2: that five million things really interesting. I think with what's 32 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 2: happening in the world now, you know, we have to 33 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 2: use our competitive advantage that there is only five million 34 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: of us, so we're smaller than Melbourne. We should be 35 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 2: able to get stuff done. And that was a bit 36 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: of a theme I think, you know, with what's happening 37 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 2: with the world, you know, power with you know, the 38 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 2: the energy crisis happening that I that I think, you know, 39 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 2: we've been quite passive over the last few years, and 40 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 2: I've talked about this last night. Now that we are 41 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 2: in the next crisis, that you know, petrol prices are 42 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 2: so expensive and something happening on the other side of 43 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: the world affects us. That wars changing. It's not just 44 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 2: about people finding missiles at each other. It's it's creating 45 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 2: an economic impact all across the world. I think at fire. 46 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 2: It has fired a lot of kiwis up to Actually, 47 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 2: we can't just muck around anymore. We need to drive change. 48 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: So you reckon this is a tipping point. Yeah, absolutely encouraging. 49 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: What's your view of the disconnect if there is one 50 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: between what you could know about New Zealand think about 51 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: New Zealand. In other words, we're in a funk versus 52 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: what is actually out there and happening. 53 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 2: Well, we are in a funk, and part of that 54 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 2: is I don't think we've had that national discussion of 55 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 2: where we sit in the world after COVID. You know, 56 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: that was a big event for us. But with what's 57 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: happening with technology and with global politics, you know we 58 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: are it does feel like we're being left behind a 59 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: little bit. And we're also we had when other countries 60 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: were rebuilding after COVID, we had three hundred thousand people 61 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 2: raided from US, so you know, the Australians were running 62 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: job fairs, doing a radio advertising to you know, to 63 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 2: take out take that cohort of people that are mobile 64 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 2: with their careers. So we have lost that group of people. 65 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 2: Yet we still have these big advantages being only five 66 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 2: million of US you know, having the ability to create 67 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 2: abundant a renewable electricity. You know, what we're doing on 68 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 2: the digital size of things position us really well for AI. 69 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 2: We have access to all the technology in the world. 70 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: We have distance, so we feel safe. People want to 71 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 2: be here because the rest of the world is scary. 72 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 2: So you line all of those things up. It really 73 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 2: is our time to move forward. 74 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: I'm lucky enough to know a group of guys like you. 75 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: Why do you And some of them have gone, A 76 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: lot of people have gone at your level have gone. 77 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: Why do you stay? 78 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: Because I think we're all kind of proud New Zealanders 79 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: and it's really it's awesome to live here. And I 80 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: spent thirty years traveling, you know, all around the world, 81 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 2: and it is so good here. But the reality is, 82 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 2: with what I've done at zero, my income now is global. 83 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: If I was working here and I had to earn 84 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 2: a salary here, I probably would go because the salaries 85 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 2: are so much more, the markets are so much larger. 86 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: But I've been lucky enough to engineer a career where 87 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 2: I can stay here. I can work internationally or grow 88 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 2: businesses from here to get all of the benefits. And 89 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 2: I think that's why in this next phase, this sort 90 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 2: of post full time work, using those schools and seeing 91 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 2: all the opportunity, that's what really fires a lot of 92 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 2: us up. We really can make a difference. You know, 93 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 2: it's a pretty small Petri Dish year and we all 94 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 2: know everybody. You know, we know all the ministers, we 95 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 2: know the Prime Minister, we know all the business leaders, 96 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 2: and you can have those conversations much much faster than 97 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 2: you can in much bigger places. So that was so 98 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 2: exciting about last night. There's a real ambition for New Zealand, 99 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 2: and I think with the world being a little bit fractured, well, 100 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 2: very fractured and kind of crazy at the moment, there's 101 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 2: a time for our values that you know, for us 102 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 2: to lead, we need to contribute something to the world. 103 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: Were you always into the philanthropy? Was that the plan 104 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,679 Speaker 1: and starting a business and doing well that you would 105 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: give back in some way, shape or form. Is that 106 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: who you are? 107 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 2: No, I don't think you even think about that when 108 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 2: you're doing business, just doing business, it's pretty stressful and 109 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 2: you're flying around the world and you know, at one 110 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: point we had five thousand staff, so you've got a 111 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 2: lot of responsibility for that. But once you sort of 112 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 2: finish and you take your breath for a year or two, 113 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 2: then you think about you know, you know, you get 114 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 2: pretty bored doing nothing. And for me it was like 115 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 2: I just really wanted to think about what can I 116 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: do in New Zealand. So that's what you know, the 117 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 2: projects we're doing in Queenstown. We have a really unique 118 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 2: problem down there. We have some nights forty times as 119 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 2: many tourists then rate payers. Yet with our centralized tax system, 120 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 2: it's very you know, all of our infrastructure networks are 121 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 2: at over capacity. You know, we don't have enough electricity 122 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 2: down there. Wastewater is a problem, we don't have enough schools, 123 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 2: public transport is a mess. So what we're trying to 124 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 2: do down there is to lean in and use our 125 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 2: private sector schools to solve these problems. And if we 126 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 2: can do that, hopefully it gets our mojo back for 127 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 2: all in New Zealand. 128 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: What I want to know is in that scenari so 129 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: how much of it's on a person like you versus 130 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: it's on the government. Why are you in business with 131 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: the waste water and people who can't do the job 132 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: properly well? 133 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: Because it's really hard. I mean, we are a subscale country, 134 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 2: and there's other things that are really important. The way 135 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 2: the world's changing, everything's got really expensive and you know, 136 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 2: and it's you know, to how to do politics in 137 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 2: New Zealand, like it's you know, it doesn't pay that well. 138 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 2: So a lot of the really talented kind of managers 139 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 2: and entrepreneurs are doing their own business thing. It's so 140 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 2: easy to do business now in the tech world, So 141 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 2: you put all those things together, it's actually really hard. 142 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 2: I'd hate to be a politician because you know, you're 143 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 2: trying to make the least worse choice of a whole 144 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 2: lot of things. So that's why I love the idea. 145 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 2: We do have to grow, you know, and that's what 146 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 2: we try to do at zero. Small businesses are the 147 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 2: biggest contributor to each economy. If we give them the 148 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 2: tools to add one more job or pay people more, 149 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 2: that's how we grow. And that's why I think growth 150 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 2: is really urgent. But doing it in the right way. 151 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: So you're bullish on this country generally. 152 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 2: I'm pretty down at the moment, but but I think 153 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 2: the great thing is, you know, I don't think we ever. 154 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: Give up. 155 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 2: But with the some of the experiences we're having at 156 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 2: the moment, like we'll be in a fast track for 157 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 2: our gondola projects soon. We're working on a public hospital 158 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 2: down there. If we can get a few of these 159 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 2: wins over the next few years, we can show there's 160 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 2: a new way of doing things. 161 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: Off and running. Yeah, with the award last night in 162 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: the Knighthood, you're getting bored with being on it. 163 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 2: I think I'm done now, so no, I get I 164 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 2: get much more excitement seeing the next generation come through 165 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 2: to be honest. 166 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: Good you lovely to see good rud. 167 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 168 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 2: news Talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 169 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.