Taking Flight: How My EMBA Journey Is Taking Me to New Heights
Team Dragon around the table with the Air New Zealand Executive Leadership Team
The Power of Learning in Action
There are moments in life where everything you’ve learned, your study, your teamwork, your leadership, comes together.
Presenting our Contemporary Strategy project directly to Air New Zealand’s Executive Leadership Team was one of those moments.
As part of Massey University’s Executive MBA programme, our team, Dragon Consulting, placed runner-up in the national competition, earning the opportunity to share our strategy, 'Backing Your Journey', with the people shaping one of Aotearoa’s most iconic brands.
Standing before senior leaders like Nikhil Ravishankar, Richard Thomson, Alex Marren, Kiri Hannifin, Nikki Dines, Jeremy O`Brien, Nathan McGraw, and Mike Williams was both humbling and unforgettable.
Team Dragon around the table with the Air New Zealand Executive Leadership Team
“Opportunities like this remind me that growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone, and take flight.”
From the Classroom to the Boardroom
Balancing an EMBA with full-time leadership in health and disability equity, parenting Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, and community mahi has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but also the most rewarding.
The Executive MBA at Massey University isn’t just theory. It’s a programme built on real-world applications. It pushes us to think across industries, to apply business frameworks to solve complex problems, and to test our ideas with leaders who live those realities every day.
Our case challenge was Air New Zealand. The brief? Develop a bold and practical strategy for the next decade.
Introducing “Backing Your Journey”
Our presentation, Backing Your Journey, reimagined the entire customer experience, built around five pillars:
Dream, Book, Fly, Experience, and Share.
It’s a holistic roadmap for long-term growth, resilience, and cultural connection, one that positions Air New Zealand not just as an airline but as a connector of people, stories, and regions.
Partnerships: We proposed deeper collaboration with iwi, regional economic development agencies, and Tourism New Zealand, ensuring that Air New Zealand plays a key role in telling Aotearoa’s authentic stories and supporting iwi-led tourism ventures.
AI-Enhanced Booking System: To design a seamless, AI-driven booking experience that connects flights, land transport, accommodations, and regional attractions through an integrated booking system or via their AirNZ app. This turns mid-day flight gaps into opportunities, increasing utilisation and strengthening regional economies.
Operational Integration: We envisioned long-haul travellers flowing naturally into regional connections, turning gateways into gateways for adventure.
Gamification: This was my part of the presentation. I introduced the idea of Airpoints Destination Challenges, a gamified loyalty concept that blends travel, culture, and fun.
“The Wine Lovers Tour”, Visit 3 NZ wine regions in 6 months for 1,000 Airpoints. “The Full Map”, Fly to all 20 domestic destinations for elite status or free lounge access. “Find the New Zealand Dragon (aka Tuatara)”, QR code adventures through art galleries and regional icons.
It’s about sparking curiosity, encouraging exploration, and making travel engaging, while supporting local communities and off-peak routes.
“The gateway isn’t where the journey ends, it’s where the adventure begins.”
Leadership, Learning, and Gratitude
When we presented to Air New Zealand’s ELT, the experience felt surreal. Here we were, students, strategists, dreamers, standing before some of the country’s most respected leaders. And they were open, curious, warm, and generous with their time.
Their humility reminded me that great leadership isn’t about hierarchy, it’s about listening, connection, and lifting others to rise with you.
The lessons from this experience extend far beyond the aviation industry. Backing Your Journey is a metaphor for how I approach leadership and learning: partnering authentically, embracing technology, balancing innovation with cultural values, and always staying grounded in people.
“Leadership isn’t about titles or power. It’s about humility, connection, and creating space for others to thrive.”
My Why for Study
This journey has reaffirmed my why for studying business. It’s not about adding letters after my name; it’s about gaining tools that can be applied across health, disability, Indigenous governance, and Rainbow advocacy.
The frameworks I learn in this EMBA, from strategy to finance to change management, help me translate equity into outcomes and values into sustainable action.
Presenting to Air New Zealand reminded me that systems, like people, can evolve, and that the right combination of data, strategy, and humanity can create transformation at scale.
It was a privilege and a highlight of my career so far.
Jo and Phill presented me with a live case study runner-up certificate
“Greatness isn’t loud, it’s humble, grounded, and deeply human.”
A massive thank you to the manaakitanga that Diego Barrese showed us in organising us and to the two teams, Team Dragon Jos Kerr, Candice Wilson, Michael Hicklin, and Erin Wirihana, the winning team, Alex Stander, Matt Cunneen, Julius Bloem, Ryan Hogg and Rufat Bunyat.
A special thanks to Phill Bedford eMBA (Distinction) for hosting us for the day and taking us 'behind the scenes' of Air NZ, Massey University - Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa's Contemporary Strategy Lecturer, Joanna (Jo) Cullinane and the MBA Director, Dr Jeffrey Stangl, CFA.
Both Teams with Massey Staff and Phlll - A former MBA Alumni and contractor at Air New Zealand
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🖤 Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata. Ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tīna. | Seek out the distant horizons so they may become close. Hold fast to the close horizons so they may be secured.