If you’ve been involved with the New Zealand Business Women’s Network over the past 15 years, you’ve probably met Jan Kirkpatrick. An executive search consultant and cognitive/behavioural career coach, Jan was at the jam-packed NZBWN inaugural meeting in London back in 2009, and has since run professional development workshops, mentored Network members and helped recruit for the NZBWN Board. Jan’s passion for helping others with career management and making values-based career decisions has inspired her latest project, The Career Partner & Co. This new business offers accessible personalised career development support - both online and by phone - providing direct-to-consumer career coaching, CV-proofing and branding advice.

“I’m a magpie when it comes to my writing,” laughs Catherine Chidgey. The well-established Kiwi writer has just returned to New Zealand after an international tour promoting her novel, “The Axeman’s Carnival”. The book, which won the prestigious Acorn Prize for best New Zealand adult fiction in 2023, also has a magpie as a storyteller. It is narrated by Tama, a half-domesticated magpie living with some complicated humans on a backcountry Kiwi farm. While in the UK to publicise the novel earlier this summer, Catherine also went searching for new creative tidbits for her upcoming books.

Anna Petchell has been filming sports events for years, but this Northern Hemisphere summer has simply overflowed with Kiwi sporting highlights. Anna’s camera recorded New Zealand’s breakout successes at Wimbledon and the Olympics, allowing Kiwis around the world to enjoy these events ‘live’ and up-close on their screens. An entrepreneurial freelancer and also career mentor, Anna has shared with our Network some of her epic shots and behind-the-scenes stories from filming this truly sensational sporting summer.