Ngāi Tahu Tourism Kaihautū (Chief Executive) Quinton Hall has received one of the 2018 Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships. The Scholarships give New Zealand’s senior managers, business owners and executives an opportunity to attend world-class learning institutions and develop international business leadership skills.

Ngāi Tahu Tourism is one of the leading tourism operators in Aotearoa with 14 businesses. It is a subsidiary of Ngāi Tahu Holdings, which is governed by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Ngāi Tahu Tourism Board Chair Sarah Smith says, “All of us at Ngāi Tahu Tourism, Ngāi Tahu Holdings and the Office of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu are extremely proud of this significant achievement. 

“We are delighted that Quinton will have the opportunity to complete the IESE Global CEO Programme which will allow him to connect with industry leaders from around the world, particularly in China, the United States and Europe, which are key markets for Ngāi Tahu Tourism,” Mrs Smith says.

Ngāi Tahu Holdings Chief Executive Mike Sang says, “Our tangata (people) and leaders are critical to our success. To have Quinton recognised in this way is a tremendous accomplishment and we look forward to the opportunities that this will bring.”

Mr Hall has held the role of Chief Executive at Ngāi Tahu Tourism since 2014, when he returned to his hometown of Ōtautahi (Christchurch). Prior to this, he was based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) as Chief Operating Officer with Tourism Holdings Limited.

Ngāi Tahu Tourism hosts one million visitors a year and employs around 500 staff, with experiences in Rotorua, Taupō, Franz Josef, Takapō, Hollyford Valley, Queenstown and Glenorchy.

The Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships were established in 2010 to help companies gain access to international executive education.

The programme encourages executives, managers and owners of companies to develop a greater knowledge of the best management practices, to investigate the characteristics of foreign markets, to develop international networks and to implement this knowledge in New Zealand.