Kiwis in Hong Kong M-R

Kate MacFarlane

I grew up in rural Northland - in a 'blink and you miss it' town called Poroti just outside Whangarei.

I spent a fair bit of time down in Canterbury doing postgrad studies in law and international relations before basing myself out of Wellington for work. I moved to Hong Kong one year ago.

I'm the Deputy Consul General at the New Zealand Consulate here in Hong Kong. We also cover Macao but unfortunately due to border settings I haven't been able to get over there yet!

There are eight Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff that work in the Consulate - three of us are diplomats posted from our Wellington HQ. We also work very closely with our colleagues from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and New Zealand Police who we are co-located with in Hong Kong.

In a nutshell, we're the New Zealand Government's representatives on the ground here in Hong Kong. Our main job is to promote New Zealand's interests - this includes working to build New Zealand's economic and cultural links with Hong Kong, monitoring political developments and providing assistance to our kiwi community as needed.

As it has for many others, the pandemic has reshaped our focus and the way we work. For example, we're increasingly working on COVID related issues such as supply chain resilience and vaccine recognition.

A key part of our work is building connections, so you'll often find us out and about meeting with different people from all sections of Hong Kong society.

Ah spare time, given that I'm writing this from my quarantine hotel in Hong Kong that's quite an existential question for me right now!

Last year was a whirlwind of settling into Hong Kong, so this year I'm looking forward to exploring the outer reaches of Hong Kong a bit more and getting back into my hobbies. I played ice hockey in New Zealand and am keen to pick it back up if I can find the right team (if there is anyone reading this who plays, please reach out!).

I also like to have something creative on the go so I'm planning on taking pottery lessons and I'm currently teaching myself how to sew. And, of course, I also very much embrace the Hong Kong staple of eat/drink/hike.

Like many others who base themselves here, I'm a keen traveller and hoping to explore the region when border settings ease up.

Hamish McCardle

I’m originally from the Pauatahanui inlet just north of Porirua, I grew up on a sheep farm there.

I joined New Zealand Police in 1985 and, after a career in criminal investigations, I have served in several overseas locations for New Zealand Police; opening our police liaison office in Jakarta after the Bali bombing of 2002, then my wife and I spent eight years in Beijing from 2010, and now to Hong Kong which is a new opening for New Zealand Police, commencing just before the pandemic started in 2020.

New Zealand Police has 14 police staff based in key cities around the globe, each position is joined to a MFAT diplomatic mission. Police’s posts usually cover a wide regional area to develop the law enforcement contacts needed to get our work done; for me that is from Macao in the West through to Japan in the North East. While the objective of each police post is dependent on the crime risks relevant to the location, generally our purpose is to ensure the smooth transfer of criminal information, evidence and related law enforcement cooperation needed to mitigate crime coming to or from New Zealand.

For this region the things that keep me busiest are money laundering by organised crime in New Zealand, drugs and other illegal chemicals being sent from this region to New Zealand’s gangs for sale in our communities, and cyber-enabled fraud and deception crimes. These different crime types mean I need to maintain close working relationships with the multiple working departments in each jurisdiction.

An example of what I do is the regular contact I have with the Hong Kong Police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC), along with the different police officers in New Zealand who are working with New Zealand based scam victims.

As you may have read in the SCMP, Hong Kong has become a popular spot for scammers to lure victims to send their money to because of the large number of reputable banks based in Hong Kong, and the logical connection victims often make with sending their money to a bank in Hong Kong. This is a callous trick by the scammers, deliberately leveraging Hong Kong’s good financial services reputation.

Of course, the scammer’s seemingly trustworthy bank account in Hong Kong is merely a front; and as soon as the victim’s money arrives, it is broken down into smaller automatic payments that are transferred under the suspicious transactions reporting threshold. Within the day, or sometimes within minutes, the money is on-sent in smaller amounts to numerous virtual bank accounts run by the scammers, these accounts could be located anywhere in the world. Often the same process happens again where the monies are on-sent from those virtual banks to third-layer accounts in yet another global location.

The jurisdictional complexities of rapid and multiple transaction movements, chasing increasingly smaller and smaller parcels of money is a deliberate strategy of the scammers to prevent capture of themselves and the money. The need for speed between victims, New Zealand banks, New Zealand Police and the Hong Kong Police ADCC in stopping transactions while in progress at the first layer is the best way to interrupt the crime and prevent losses.

I’m certain my answer here is the same for just about everyone living in Hong Kong in these strange Covid restricted times; hiking and eating!

More hiking is admittedly required to mitigate the self-inflicted effects of the second pastime. Covid restrictions have meant my wife and I have been able to explore much more of Hong Kong on foot than we originally expected. This must be one of the greatest selling points for expat living here; not only is Hong Kong a great culinary city with all the bells and whistles you expect, but it also has fantastic green space access and beaches that can rival many holiday resorts. Put together with a world-class public transport system and a reasonably favourable climate, and we’re finding Hong Kong is a fabulous city to work and live in.

Nicola McCardle

I am originally from Scotland and became a Kiwi back in 2003. I told my family I was only going for a year and the rest is history! I have only been living in Hong Kong for two and a half years so much of it has been spent socially distanced! I am lucky enough to have visited Hong Kong on many occasions though over the last twenty years and it is great to be able to now live here.

I am the Executive Officer at the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. The NZCCHK is a not-for-profit organisation and promotes New Zealand's economic interests in Hong Kong. The Chamber provides a forum between New Zealand, Hong Kong, and China business executives to discuss and promote business ideas, create a supportive and encouraging business environment and assist entities seeking to increase business, trade or investment. We currently hold monthly networking events and if you would like to know more about opportunities and membership, we would love to hear from you.

I am also the person that organises the 'Kiwis in Hong Kong!'. So do reach out to me if you would like to star in it!

When I arrived in New Zealand I worked for the Wellington City Council and was manager of Freyberg Pool and then the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre. Prior to Hong Kong and time back in New Zealand I have also lived and worked in Jakarta and Beijing where I found myself transported to through my husband's postings with New Zealand Police. My roles in those countries were mainly working for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. We were posted to Jakarta just after the 2002 Bali bombing until 2005 so an interesting period to be there. During my time in Beijing I worked with a number of high-level ministerial delegations and embassy projects. I also worked with Highground Brands and had a New Zealand B2C F&B focus. New Zealand wine being a passion!

I have half my family and friends in the UK and then friends and the other side of the family are all in New Zealand. I didn't realise at the time that I had managed to choose the two farthest apart countries when it comes to being able to regularly see all your family and friends. That's another reason coming to Hong Kong was great as it would be much easier to travel to the UK from here. Little did I know of course what was to come!

I love that Hong Kong has such a great array of food experiences from all round the world. From cheung fan to haggis to Peking duck and all the foods in between. I think the only thing I love that I haven't been able to find here in Hong Kong are 'Jet Planes', my favourite Kiwi lollies. I play tennis and also enjoy hiking and all the different places to explore here. I have found Hong Kong is full of great surprises with amazing beaches, diverse nature and water sports opportunities that I really didn't expect.

Jarrod Mongston

I was born in Auckland and grew up there until around the age of 9. My family then decided to move to a small town in the Far North called Kerikeri. My parents eventually got sick of me and sent me off to boarding school in Cambridge when I was around 14.

I developed a keen interest in sports at boarding school, particularly rugby. I decided to move south to Christchurch to find out what was in the water down there while also studying a Bachelor in Commerce majoring in property valuation and finance at Lincoln University.

After graduating, I started my real estate career with a company called Knight Frank, doing various roles in property management, valuation and sales/leasing.

I only lasted 1 - 2 years in Christchurch before taking a contract to play rugby in New York, which offered an OE year filled with lots of fun!

After spending just under a year on the East Coast, the time remaining on my visa was running low (along with my bank balance). My time in New York was enjoyable and gave me a taste of city life. I wasn't ready to settle back into New Zealand pace of life yet. I was lucky enough to join Hong Kong Scottish in the local rugby competition, which offered a great network to enter the city. The unique real estate market and opportunities was also a significant attraction; I've now been here for six years.

I'm a commercial real estate advisor with Cushman & Wakefield. In my current role as a tenant advisor, I assist both MNC and local companies navigate the Hong Kong office market by advising office strategy. This includes relocations, lease renewals & restructures, rent reviews and flexible/co-working space.

As part of my job, I get to run around Hong Kong's unique skyscrapers. I'm lucky enough to view the city from different vantage points, sometimes 70 to 80 floors up in the likes of IFC & Central Plaza. I also get a real buzz from connecting and assisting people/businesses in Hong Kong.

A few notable projects I've been involved in have been leasing 18,000 sq ft for a US hedge fund in Chater House earlier this year, one of Hong Kong's prestigious office buildings. Also assisting MNC banks optimize their office portfolio and working with high-growth fintech companies expand with projects in Hong Kong, Singapore & Tokyo.

We have also been appointed to fill one of Hong Kong's most anticipated new developments - Cheung Kong Center 2. The office building is planned to complete Q4 2023 and will be the first new office development along Central's harbourfront in over 17 years.

The hustle and buzz of Hong Kong is undeniable and has been an attraction for me. Although Hong Kong has lost some of its shine in recent years, I still value the work opportunities on offer, and I'm confident more will arise in the coming years.

I love being involved in sports, although I'm starting to step back from playing rugby (I say this every year). I'll still be looking for ways to get involved in one of the fantastic sports clubs in Hong Kong, such as the cricket club and/or yacht club.

Although the borders have been basically shut for a few years now, I'm looking forward to exploring and travelling around Asia. Hong Kong's efficient local transport and convenient proximity in Asia is hard to beat.

Chris Murphy

I am from a pa village in North Canterbury called Tuahiwi (Ngai Tuahuriri – Ngai Tahu). We had no shops but we had a swamp! The good news was my mum’s sisters and both sets of grandparents either lived next door, over the road or around the corner, so I grew up eating out of at least seven fridges!

Our whanau has just racked up five years in Hong Kong.

I am the Regional Head of Mid-Market and Partners for a Trade Credit insurer called Coface. We provide export guarantees (or debtors insurance) for companies in 14 Asia Pacific markets. This means we underwrite the credit risk on payment for large volumes of goods and services on credit terms.

The bottom line is Coface facilitates higher levels of trade and gives peace of mind to our clients and their banks, because if a company doesn’t pay our client, then Coface has to pay! (which has been a rollercoaster ride in the past three years!).

I look after all of our clients who are either not financial institutions or multi-nationals. So mostly medium sized or large family businesses throughout our 14 APAC markets. I also look after our key Partners like SOMPO, Taiping and Ping An.

I love helping companies to grow and a memorable example is when Coface helped a meat exporter expand into a new market. They had just been given the green light by a fairly new customer in the United States, who were looking to change exclusive suppliers for hamburger (or mince as we call it!) to our client right before the US summer BBQ season.

In order to meet the demand our client needed to borrow money and their bank was prepared to be supportive, but they wanted guarantees that the US company would be able to pay. The American company was from New Jersey and were a family owned business that had been around for more than 100 years, but they never disclosed their financial performance to anyone outside of their bank, their lawyer and their accountant.

So Coface were being asked to underwrite peak monthly sales of more than US$10m, but we had very little in the way of financial analysis or due diligence to use as any form of comfort. I was able to set up a face to face meeting between one of our team in New York and the owners of the US business, which went very well.

During the meeting the owners allowed our colleague to view their audited accounts, which demonstrated some great results. They were highly profitable year on year supplying stadiums and supermarkets throughout the US with hot dogs and hamburger and this gave us the confidence to underwrite the monthly sales and help our client grow sales per year with this customer to more than US$100m.

My wife Kiely and I live in Happy Valley with our twin son and daughter (Vincent and Eva), who just turned 10 years old. The fifth Beatle in our family is our dog Snowy.

Our children attend Bradbury School and are always doing sports and extra-curricular activities, so this takes up a lot of our time. We also love to play music together or get the guitars out for a good old fashioned sing along.

I always loved Chinese food back home in New Zealand, but I love it even more in Hong Kong. We have made some great friends here and enjoy a nice weekend brunch every now and then. We also love being able to travel in and around Asia to learn the history and culture of our Asian brothers and sisters. As my Uncle Bruce (Lee!) once said, “Under the sky, under the heavens we are but one family.”

Kiely Murphy

I am of Ngāruahine descent. I was born in Whangarei and have lived most of my life in Auckland. My mother's family is from Rawene, Hokianga, and my father's family is from Wellington. I studied for my Bachelor of Arts at Waikato University.

My first full-time job was working in production on the Pacific Renaissance Pictures TV series Hercules and Xena. In 2000 I travelled to the UK on my OE, and I returned in 2003 to complete my Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching. In 2011, I completed my Masters in Educational Leadership and Management. I moved from Auckland to Hong Kong in February 2018.

I’m Vice Principal at ESF King George V School (KGV, pronounced "K-G-Five"). KGV is a coeducational international secondary independent school of the English Schools Foundation (ESF), located in Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong. The school has around 1,900 students and is one of the oldest schools in Hong Kong.

As Vice Principal, I am responsible for many different areas of the school, including Curriculum, Pastoral Leadership, Sport, Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) and Student Wellbeing. Before joining KGV, I was Director of Student Wellbeing at the Australian International School Hong Kong. For over four years before moving to Hong Kong, I was a Deputy Principal at Avondale College in Auckland.

From 2012 - 2018, I was a founding member of the Women In Educational Leadership group in Auckland. In March 2022, I co-founded the Women Educators Network Hong Kong (WEN HK). Our inaugural event was to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) 2022. Throughout 2022, we continued to build on the success of IWD, holding a series of online zoom events with exciting topics such as ‘Hard Truths about Glass Ceilings and Walls in Education’ and a two-part series on ‘Intersectionality and Women in Education.’ I have enjoyed collaborating with NGOs, our various allies and women educators across Hong Kong. At the end of the day, we got a women's network up and running in Hong Kong without funding or support. I’m proud of this achievement and optimistic about what we can achieve in 2023.

My family in Hong Kong includes my husband, Chris Murphy, and 9-year-old twins Eva and Vincent (who now have lived half their lives in Hong Kong). Afternoons and weekends, we support Eva and Vincent’s training and matches, including Rugby, Netball and Cricket, as well as music and dance lessons. Our point of truth is the jam-packed calendar on the refrigerator!

Outside work and school, we enjoy catching up with our friends, exploring Hong Kong, eating Din Tai Fung or Genki Sushi on Sundays, watching movies, and listening to music. We have a family band and jam together when we can. For the past six years, our Christmas tradition has been to record a ‘Murphy Whanau Christmas Song’, and we share this with family and friends on Christmas Day.

More recently, we appreciate the opportunity to once again travel through Asia, and we have started planning some short school holiday getaways.

I like the opportunity to meet new people that I wouldn’t otherwise have met. I like the variety of food, the brunches, good public transport, foot massages, junk boats, travel opportunities and shopping… to name a few highlights!

Phil Neilson

I am a Dunedin boy but started drifting North by living in Nelson for 10 years, then three years in each of Wellington and Auckland before moving to Hong Kong 20 years ago.

Whilst independent financial adviser networks (who support small advisory firms with licences and practical tools to help them provide better service to their clients) are common in New Zealand, there were no networks in Asia - including those who give ongoing advice to expats - including Kiwis. I saw the opportunity to build a business to fill this gap in the market.

My wife and I brought up our four children then aged 12, 10, 8 and 5. We are very lucky three out of the four still live in Hong Kong. My personal life in Hong Kong is made up of competitive squash (Hong Kong Cricket Club), hiking (when it's a bit cooler!) and sailing.

The vibrancy of Hong Kong and the stimulation that comes from having a network of interesting (and successful) people from all walks of life. Living in Happy Valley adds to this with its convenience to everything. Life is never boring in Hong Kong.

Carl Ngamoki-Cameron

Tena Koutou Katoa: Ko Rangipoua toku Maunga; Ko Haparapara toku Awa, Ko Te Arawa, Horouta, Tainui, Takitimu, Mataatua, Tauira-mai-tawhiti oku Waka; Ko Te Whanaui-a-Apanui toku Iwi; Ko Te Whanau-a-Nuku, Te Whanau-a-Haraawaka oku Hapu; Ko Omaio, Haraawaka oku Marae; Ko Arapeta Ngamoki raua ko Rokahurihia Cameron oku Matua; Ko Carl Rangituatata Ngamoki-Cameron ahau; No Reira, Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou, Tena Ra Tatou Katoa.

Home for me is rich tapestry of experiences and ties to the people and land, including my traditional links to Te Whanau-a-Apanui on the East Coast of the Bay of Plenty, being born in Kawerau, attending Matata and Thornton Primary Schools; my Te Au Whanau links to Ngai Tahu at the bottom of the South Island, my matua whangai ‘Cameron’ Scottish links to Dunedin, family stints in Ferndale, Mataura and Gore, and the fact my family settled north of Dunedin, in a place called Waitati, where they established Te Whare Wanaga o Te Whanau Arohanui (a place of learning and development for the whole community); attending Otago Boys High School, the University of Otago (Bachelor of Sport & Exercise Sciences) and the University of Auckland (Bachelor of Laws), before emigrating to Fiji in 2004, where I established a corporate legal practice over the last 20 years. I’ve been living and conducting business in Hong Kong since late 2018.

In addition to my legal experience, I have gained extensive private and public sector governance experience, as a non-executive director, president, chair or deputy chair, in tourism development and construction, real estate investment, regional and international trade, national and international sports federations, private equity investment, air terminal services, public trustee services and mezzanine finance.

Whilst I continue to act as General Counsel in the Pacific for several New Zealand, Australian and Chinese clients, my main work in Hong Kong relates to private client investment and setting up business and structures in the Pacific (particularly Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu), including citizenship or residency services, legal and business advice, and the private sale of luxury or commercial real estate in Hong Kong and the Pacific.

I am the Director Pacific for local company, NCL Limited. My company delivers inter-disciplinary legal and professional services locally for trade, investment and business clients within the Asia Pacific Region, utilizing formal professional networks and relationships in relevant countries. My role is broad and leverages my deep networks and understanding of doing business in the Pacific, and ability to collaborate with and coordinate people and professionals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to deliver timely results.

At the end of 2019 and early 2020, I assisted a young group of IT investors and entrepreneurs from Asia to evaluate their business residency options within the Pacific, to migrate, set up business, negotiate and purchase real estate. These clients successfully emigrated before the current covid measures were rolled out globally. During the current pandemic, work has ranged from due diligence advice to a major iron ore concern evaluating investment in the Pacific, to assisting clients acquire foreign citizenship or residency, and the sale or marketing of luxury and commercial real estate in Hong Kong.

I have many friends and business associates in Hong Kong. I’ve always been active in sports and outdoor activities, including road cycling and triathlon events, not to mention Rugby at all levels. Like a duck to water, I’ve taken to trail running and joined a local running group, which also likes to down a few ales. I joined one of the many societies in Hong Kong which is involved in charitable activities. I’m keen on boating and sailing and am out on the Ocean whenever I can. Placing first and runner-up in the last two years ‘4 Bays Race’ has been a highlight of my Hong Kong experience so far. I’m starting to get involved in Hong Kong Rugby.

I love the vitality of the people and place in general, the country parks, ocean and food. I remember arriving and reading that Hong Kong has the highest density of restaurants in the World, and thinking I love the place already!

Michael Nock

New Zealand is my adopted home.

I am actually an Aussie, although my mother just published a book covering my family history and it seems there were some important family members who were Kiwi’s.

I fell in love with central Otago and purchased a home in Queenstown six years ago. I try to spend as much time as I can there although travel has been a challenge since covid. I also have vineyards and other business interests in the South Island. I first moved to Hong Kong in 1980 and have seen a lot of change over 42 years.

My background has primarily been in finance, first with a UK group called the Man Group then with my own hedge fund. Today I try to spend more time on my art and wine business.

I am a painter myself and have a studio on the south side of the island in Wong Chuk Hang. I also have an art leasing business and a wine business. Many years ago, I established an art foundation which provides scholarships to art students and runs a residency program here in Hong Kong and in Queenstown where I maintain an artist residency.

I have many memorable projects but the one I am most excited about at the moment is what we are trying to achieve with both the wine and the art.

In particular I am seeking to find ways of integrating one with the other. For example, many of the artists who have participated in our residency programs have their art works on the labels of my wine. The wine business goes by the name Nockies Palette which is a play on the idea of an artist palette and what you taste with your palate.

I currently have interests in or own seven vineyards including two in Waitaki, two in Central Otago and three in Hawkes Bay. We also have a cellar door near Lake Hayes, and I am hoping to put some of my art collection on display to the public in conjunction with the cellar door.

My daughters are now in their late 20’s and have careers of their own. One lives in London and the other in Melbourne. Both have an interest in art and wine.

Hong Kong is changing but what I have loved about Hong Kong for more than four decades is its vibrancy and “can do” attitude. Its openness and freedom of movement.

I have loved its entrepreneurship and global perspective in combination with a society based on the rule of law and minimal corruption. Hong Kong does face some challenges going forward, however.

Peter Nunan

I was born and raised in Christchurch. After finishing secondary school I worked in a few government departments in Christchurch as an administrator. This included ten years with the New Zealand Antarctic Programme. During my time there, I travelled to New Zealand's Scott Base about twelve times for short periods.

About twenty years ago, I moved to Wellington to take a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). Since then I have worked in a number of different roles including finance, security, consular, property and general administration.

I arrived in Hong Kong in mid July 2022. I have been posted as Consul (Administration) at the New Zealand Consulate-General Hong Kong for a period of up to four years. The Consulate's main job is to promote New Zealand's interests - this includes working to build New Zealand's economic and cultural links with Hong Kong, monitoring political developments and providing assistance to our kiwi community as needed. I am responsible for all the administration at the Consulate as well providing consular assistance to New Zealanders when required. I feel privileged to work on the 65th floor of the Central Plaza Tower with stunning views overlooking the Hong Kong City and harbour.

I have also been posted to Seoul, Jakarta, Vanuatu and Nukualofa in similar roles. Everyone always asks where was the best place that I have worked, what was best about each of those postings and the work there? I have always responded that they are all unique in their own way and have their own special memories; therefore it is not possible to compare.

We have two daughters living in Christchurch, one in Queensland and seven grandchildren who are all looking forward to visiting this magnificent city in due course.

Although I have only been in Hong Kong for four months, with my wife Young mee we have been making the most of our weekends visiting islands, enjoying the international cuisine and getting exercise along the various hiking and walking trails.

Merrin Pearse

I am from Edgecumbe in the Bay of Plenty and have been in Hong Kong for 14 years.

I am a Sustainability Strategist with my own consulting company called Coordinate4u. I work with companies to discover areas where they can improve their use of natural resources. My work recently has been within the transport sector looking at waste management, recycling, and water opportunities.

I often partner with consultants at The Purpose Business to work with some of Hong Kong’s iconic brands. For projects with conglomerates such as Swire Pacific and Jardine Matheson, my regular role is to host discussions and workshops with senior management and front line staff, to confirm their overall strategic direction and action plans. These discussions take into account different environmental considerations with one memorable project being with Cathay Pacific where we looked at reducing plastic waste without increasing CO2 emissions. An exciting project was to help HK Rugby Union to reduce plastic waste by introducing reusable cups at the HK Sevens in 2019.

Louise Taylor and I came to Hong Kong as two Kiwi’s with no family in Hong Kong. We love heading to the beach or walking mountain trails in Hong Kong. Often we do that with dogs that we look after for friends.

The variety of life here in Hong Kong is what I like most about living here. You can be in a work meeting on the 88th floor of a building then 20 minutes later you can have travelled by efficient public transport to a country park or beach and be in beautiful natural surroundings.

James Pickford

I was raised in Hong Kong, growing up in the New Territories attending Hong Lok Yuen international school. Home in New Zealand is in the Waikato where I did my high school education at St Paul’s Collegiate school with the family home in Tamahere.

I've have been in the financial services sector since 2018 with a Hong Kong family office. I joined Bancorp New Zealand in 2022, New Zealand’s oldest independent private bank.

As VP Asia Ex-Japan, my role with Bancorp is to grow the Asian business out of Hong Kong after Bancorp’s 15 years of success in Japan.

n March we hosted a introductory evening showcasing New Zealand and on the success of that event we have seen significant interest from HK which has been very encouraging.

Having grown up in Hong Kong I have a deep appreciation for the Hong Kong culture, the food, the connectivity of the city and the outdoors. The ability to live in a city with nature on its doorstep fits my lifestyle perfectly. I feel proud to be a Kiwi and a Hong Kong kid

Sean Purdie

I was born in Port Chalmers (home of the world’s best cheese rolls) and grew up in South Auckland.

I’ve lived here for nearly 22 years after moving to Hong Kong in June 2000, when the New Zealand company I worked for was bought by an American company who had their Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong.

I’ve always worked in the power sector in regional roles and am now the Asia Pacific power lead for a global environmental and sustainability consultancy.

The most significant change since I started in Hong Kong (with the greatest range of change in the past few years) has been the APAC wide growth of renewables power, and the technology associated with this, including storage.

The size of projects such as offshore wind and hybrid technologies (such as solar/onshore wind and batteries) has increased exponentially. My company works from India to Japan to New Zealand and all the countries in between.

My family grew up here, the oldest is now studying in the UK and the two youngest are still in Hong Kong. I enjoy coaching rugby, water sports, collecting crime fiction first editions and barbeques.

Besides the low taxes – the variety of experiences and the people you meet here, that you can play competitive sport even when you really are too old to, and that you can be part of global changes – in my case the low carbon economy transition, the associated asset decarbonisation and getting to work with the new technology happening in this sector.

Titus Rahiri

He uri tenei o Ngati Ranginui, Ngaiterangi me Ngati Paoa. I tipu ake au ki Tauranga Moana, i kuraina au ki reira. I haere au ki Te Whare Wananga o Waikato, katahi i mahi au ki Tamaki Makaurau i mua i taku peka atu ki Ranana i te tau 2005 mo nga tau e waru. I tae mai au ki Whanga Kakara nei i te tau 2013, ?, tae noa ki tenei wa.

I am of Ngati Ranginui, Ngaiterangi and Ngati Paoa descent. I grew up in Tauranga Moana and went to school there, went to university at Waikato, and then worked in Auckland before moving to London in 2005 for eight years. I moved to Hong Kong in 2013 and have been here since then.

I am CEO at KorumLegal - a legal solutions platform company connecting customers to a range of legal solutions.

I founded KorumLegal in Hong Kong in 2016, and we now have offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and London with over 300+ lawyers and legal consultants providing solutions to a range of customers from large MNC's and financial institutions to professional services firms, SMEs and scale-ups. We're looking to set up operations in Australia and New Zealand this year as we continuously seek to build and grow our footprint. You can get more info at www.korumlegal.com.

I've been a lawyer since 2000 in New Zealand, London and now Hong Kong. I call myself an 'accidental entrepreneur', as I had no intention of setting up a legal business providing solutions across half the globe!

But it's been an enjoyable adventure - with a lot of hustle and grind - and many failures along the way. It was borne out of my frustration with the status quo in the legal industry and the desire to be a part of creating change. Our mission is 'We're shaping legal solutions together, for a better tomorrow'. This has been my memorable project to date.

I came to Hong Kong with my previous role as General Counsel at Expedia Inc. I arrived in Hong Kong knowing only three people - and so it was a chance to get out of my comfort zone!

Nine years later and my partner Josh and I have made many wonderful friends who are now part of our Hong Kong wh?nau. We also adopted our two dogs Hugo and Blu here in Hong Kong - so lots of wonderful things to thank Hong Kong for.

There are many things to like about living in Hong Kong. However, recently there have been things to not like too! But some of the positives are: relative ease of living; great work opportunities; access to travel (when we were/are able to!); the cultural melting pot; the low tax; the kai; the humidity vs freezing aircons; the small apartments, the gritty-ness, the mix of old and new world - amongst many other things.

And last but not least our awesome kiwi whanau and community here who keep us connected to home.

Tony Reynolds

I am originally from Wellington, but after leaving New Zealand in 2001, I spent 10 years in the United Kingdom before arriving in Hong Kong in early 2012 - where I have lived ever since.

After 9+ years working for the Swire Group, in 2021, I joined the Caravel Group as Group HR Director. The Group is a family-owned conglomerate, with three major business lines, an Asset Management business, a Commodities Trading business and third-party ship management business, which now has more than 600 ships under technical management and 24,000 seafarers.

My work is focused on overseeing the execution of the Group's employee experience strategy and providing a human capital advisory service to the board. Ultimately, what I really enjoy is the challenge of working with the owners and leadership colleagues to develop strategies and frameworks that will enable the right mix of cultural continuity and change - to ensure the success of the family businesses over a very long-term horizon.

My experience working at Cathay Pacific as GM HR, during the social unrest in 2019 was memorable in all sorts of ways, but in particular, witnessing colleagues pull together under immense stress and pressure when the airline's future was on the line, was a humbling and inspiring experience.

I have a wonderful wife, Debbie, and two energetic kids, Sam (5) and Sophia (3) who pretty much control any spare time we have. We love to travel, and we also waste plenty of time on questionable Netflix entertainment and generally wondering where all our money goes!

I love the city in so many ways, but it is probably the food options, the convenience of living in Hong Kong, the variety of things to do outdoors and indoors and the entrepreneurialism of the people that make it so enjoyable. Our family love to dine out regularly whether that's at one of our two favourite Cha Chaan Tengs in Mei Foo or if we can escape the kids, for a treat, the favourite dining spot for my wife and I is the Mandarin Grill!

Jamie Richards

I am originally from Wingatui just outside of Dunedin but more recently Matamata in the Waikato. I have only recently moved to Hong Kong, as I type this I'm currently in quarantine.

I am a horse trainer employed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. I got into the racing industry through my family. My Dad (Paul) was a jockey and then trained horses once he retired so I have been brought up around it. My Mum (Leanne) has also been involved in the administrator side of things, she's currently on the board of the Matamata Racing Club.

My day to day life will be based around trackwork in the early hours of the morning and then looking after the horses in the stables from then on. I will also be doing a lot of entertaining with owners trying to build the stable.

A memorable project would be the time that I had working at Te Akau Racing in New Zealand. It was hard work but we enjoyed a lot of success together. The biggest day at the races for me was probably when Te Akau Shark and Probabeel both won Group 1's at Randwick. Te Akau Shark won the Chipping North and Probabeel won the Surround Stakes, both time honoured races and within half an hour of each other was amazing.

Probabeel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmVKDzRjCUE

Te Akau Shark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PglqB6qu9g8

The last day I was training at Matamata we managed to win with our last runner called Ragamuffin which was great, that was pretty special to do it at home before we left to come up here.

My fiancée Danielle is coming up in about four weeks. Initially I will be very focused on trying to get myself embedded into the routine and culture of Hong Kong.

They say the food and wine is amazing so looking forward to that. Also plenty of good hikes out near Sha Tin where we will be based.

Danny Rolston

I grew up and completed my schooling on the North Shore of Auckland but spent most of my adult life in the mighty Waikato.

I left NZ in the year 2000 and spent three and a half years living in the US and Dubai before returning to New Zealand on Christmas Eve 2003 for good. Well for good until I moved here to Hong Kong in June this year.

I've been in the thoroughbred industry since I left school, initially as a jockey then later as a thoroughbred exercise rider. After hanging up my boots in 2004 I joined the auction company New Zealand Bloodstock, progressing through to become Director of Sales until April this year.

My role here in Hong Kong is Executive Manager, International Sale / Ownership Advisory with the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

My primary focus with the Club is to acquire young thoroughbreds from all of the world's leading breeding nations, oversee their development and import then ultimately host a boutique auction to the Clubs members. The way I describe my role is as if you can imagine scouring the world's art galleries and acquiring the best pieces for an elite auction, that's kind of what I do but with racehorses.

My wife, Sharon and two boys, Jake (17) & Adam (11) will be arriving on December 16. It's the longest we have been apart and a real challenge. We are looking forward to reuniting and exploring this amazing city as a family. Adam will start at AISHK in the new year and he's looking forward to making new friends.

My first visit to Hong Kong was accompanying a horse for the International Races in 1998 and I've been returning for business ever since, however until this year I had never considered moving full time. I've been amazed of just how little of Hong Kong I had experienced outside of the city over the years. In addition to the great food, I'm really enjoying the convenience of city living and meeting great people, both expat and local.