ABOUT WEAVE®
A safe and confidential environment in which new knowledge and valuable personal and business relationships can be woven.

WHAT IS WEAVE®
Weave ® is a community of select CEO’s and Senior Business Leaders. A safe and confidential environment in which new knowledge and valuable personal and business relationships can be woven. We want you to have the ability to strengthen and broaden your network of influential New Zealand business leaders, business experts and advisors.
WHAT WEAVE® DOES
Weave ® supports CEO’s and Senior Leaders by providing two key programmes:
Weave ® Business Leader Groups – comprising monthly small group meetings of business leaders where each group has its own unique team dynamic created by the experiences, personalities and contributions of its members, leading topic experts, and an experienced chair.
And
Weave ® Executive Leadership Programme (ELP) - a 6-month programme designed to strengthen and grow the leadership capabilities of senior leaders and to ready them for the next phase in their leadership journey. We facilitate a stimulating, safe and confidential networking and learning environment by sharing knowledge, experiences and advice.
WHAT CAN WEAVE DO FOR YOU?
“Weave meetings are a monthly slot in the calendar that I look forward too. Taking time out from day-to-day commitments to consider how each session topic could be applied within my own organisation is very valuable. Discussion, debate and collaboration amongst our group members is even more beneficial.
Time well invested.”
MIKE HERON
NHP Electrical Engineering Products - Country Manager - NZ
THE WEAVE OFFERING
Speakers Programme
Leadership Groups
Interactive Learning
Peer Engagement
Networking
Leadership Development Programme
Social Events
Business Profile Event Hosting
Member Connect
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SIMON WHYTE
BUSINESS LEADER GROUP CHAIR
DirectorAfter an early career in corporate & commercial law, Simon held senior leadership and governance positions in a wide range of sectors in listed and private entities including Enerco New Zealand, SkyCity, United Networks, and SKF New Zealand.
He has a strong track record in maximizing shareholder returns and strategic outcomes in complex commercial, government and regulatory environments (typically in major energy, infrastructure, gaming and tourism businesses) often involving company or sector wide change.
In addition to his private consulting work, he is currently Chair of ChildFund New Zealand, the global ChildFund Alliance, and Tressel Limited. More recently he was Chair of The Lion Foundation and a Director of AA Smartfuel Limited.
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MICHELE TEAGUE GAICD
BUSINESS LEADER GROUP CHAIR
Michele has had an outstanding career as a senior executive and company director in New Zealand and Australia. She has sat on the executive teams of $billion businesses and her leadership roles have included Managing Director of Sydney advertising agency, The Campaign Palace and General Manager Marketing for Kmart Australia & New Zealand. She was invited to be a member of Kea’s global network World Class New Zealanders; industry leaders who lend their influence and insight to help Kiwis succeed on the world stage. Last year Michele was asked to be the Auckland co-leader of MentorWalks, an international business mentoring programme.
Michele is now a consultant and professional Independent Director with experience on ASX listed and privately owned boards in Australia and New Zealand in retail, manufacturing, technology, sports and not for profits. She is focused on supporting and developing modern New Zealand leaders.
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JEREMY SOLE
BUSINESS LEADER GROUP CHAIR
Jeremy is an independent director with 30 years of management experience, and CEO roles in organisations ranging from $3M to $90M turnover. He has experience reporting to boards and sitting on boards. A formative governance experience came from holding responsibilities as director, major shareholder representative, major customer, and rescue managing director supporting the GM - in the same organisation at the same time. This required a clear sense of the responsibilities and interactions between the roles and the boundaries when engaging with the business and the Board with the different hats on. Jeremy provides governance support and advice to his clients.
Over the past 15 years Jeremy has written and delivered numerous leadership and management courses and conference presentations throughout Australasia, including for the University of Auckland Executive Short Courses Programmes and their clients. Jeremy has an IoD certificate in company direction and has completed Doctoral studies in evidence driven ethical governance and socially responsible business. He has an MBA from the University of Auckland.
jeremy@weave.net.nz | 021 777 646 | LinkedIn -
MELISSA GARDINER
ADMIN AND EVENTS MANAGER
Melissa has over 20yrs experience in publishing and advertising holding account management, campaign management and brand management positions.
Melissa is detail orientated, organised and as part of the Weave® group is dedicated to offering a seamless administrative experience to all existing and potential Weave® members.
melissa@weave.net.nz | 022 684 7049 |

INTERESTED IN MEMBERSHIP?
WEAVE® WHAKAPAPA
Weave® brings together and interweaves the knowledge, experiences and insights of New Zealand’s Business Leaders.
There are many parallels in the metaphorical weavings that happen between members of our Leadership Groups and in the Māori living art form of Raranga (Weaving) and this is how the brand celebrates the bicultural aspect of our Kiwi national identity.
Raranga is passed down from the ancestors and a strong symbol of the survival of Māori culture. There are traditions involved in every aspect of Māori weaving, including the passing of knowledge from one weaver to another, and from one generation to another.
The visual identity celebrates the act and art of Raranga; where many different threads are brought together and interwoven in intricate formations. Where individual pieces are bound to make a whole; something supportive and stronger than its parts. And like the process of Raranga, the Weave® experience is dynamic; constantly evolving and developing as more threads are added.
Whāriki (woven floor mats) are a treasure of the Māori people; these are exclusive spaces that bring people to come and sit together, in a safe, friendly and collective environment, to share knowledge and stories. Our Leadership Groups offer a similar experience to their members, Weave® works hard to ensure there is mutual respect and trust within our intimate groups.
Once a mat is finished it may be connected to another mat to expand the piece, this can be seen as a representation of the way we bring our Leadership Groups together to form a larger Weave® community. There are different methods for joining new strips and the complicated techniques are mastered under the guidance of an older, experienced weaver. We see parallels here in the experience and knowledge of our Leadership Group Chairs.
Raranga also has a practical side. It is used for making strong and supportive everyday objects such as kono (food baskets) and kete (bags). Like these receptacles our business offer is pragmatic but also aspirational. The woven baskets can be symbolic and represent containers of knowledge and wisdom to be held and shared.
Māori mythology has the tale of the three baskets of knowledge. The god Tāne climbed to the citadel Te Tihi-o-Manono in the highest of the 12 heavens, here he retrieved three baskets of knowledge: te kete-tuatea (basket of light), te ketetuauri (basket of darkness) and te kete-aronui (basket of pursuit). Interpreters suggest that the basket of light is present knowledge, the basket of darkness things unknown, and the basket of pursuit is the knowledge humans currently seek. We feel this is a fitting analogy for the Weave® experience.
REFERENCE:
100% Pure New Zealand. https://www.newzealand.com/nz/maori-weaving/
Te Papa Tongarewa: Museum of New Zealand Archive https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/
Te Papa Tongarewa: Museum of New Zealand https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/maori/maori-weaving
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand https://teara.govt.nz/en/te-raranga-me-te-whatu
Toi Māori: The Eternal Thread. Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, September 24 – December 22, 2005.