Theresa Gattung inspires Masterton audience

WONDER WOOL: Theresa Gattung with local designer Jane Ammundsen. The woollen scarf worn by the former Telecom boss was hancrafted by Ms Ammundsen.

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If Theresa Gattung has her way, New Zealanders will be adorned in woollen products and will walk on nothing but woollen carpets in the future.

As the current chair of Wool Partners International, Ms Gattung told more than 160 women at last week's Bubbles & Inspiration networking event in Masterton that in order to advance the recovery of the wool industry in New Zealand, it was important people lead by example.

"I love wool, to me it never went out of fashion," Ms Gattung told the overflowing conference room at Solway Park Copthorne last Tuesday.

"But, like anything, you have to lead by example so wear wool, buy wool."

Ms Gattung, who will again share her vision about the future of the New Zealand wool industry during this week's Yarns in Barns: Wairarapa Festival of Reading, also shared her professional and personal life journey  from a young girl growing up in Wellington and Rotorua to chief executive of Telecom at the young age of 37. She is the only woman to have headed a major publicly listed company in New Zealand. In addition she spoke of her reinvention since leaving Telecom and becoming chair of Wool Partners International, chair of AIA Australia and, more recently, opening a secondhand store called Eva's Attic in central Wellington.

Throughout the evening she also revealed several pieces of advice to ensure the audience left inspired including: make sure you are surrounded by people who are the best in their respective fields, never give up on your goals and her own personal favourite "be, do, have".

After the talk Ms Gattung was presented with a woollen scarf, handcrafted by local designer Jane Ammundsen, before taking time to meet guests and sign copies of her recently-published biography Bird on a Wire: the inside story from a straight talking CEO.

Last week's event, which was jointly organised by local businesswomen Sara Orsborn, head of sales and marketing company Scoop Enterprises, and Carissa Fairbrother, of local financial planning business RIVAL Wealth and Marketing, marked a two-year celebration for Bubbles & Inspiration. The series, designed to provide Wairarapa women with an informal atmosphere to make new business contacts and friends, has previously attracted guest speakers including Jenny Yule, founder and managing director of PORSE In-Home Childcare; Georgie Falloon of Willow Shoes; Christine Kernohan, Gladstone's chief winemaker and chief executive and Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast.

Ms Gattung will be joined by John Perriam, owner of Bendigo Station and father of both New Zealand Merino and the famous sheep Shrek, this Sunday as part of the Yarns in Barns: Wairarapa Festival of Reading.

The pair will discuss their recent books and their shared interest in wool, along with Sir Brian Lochore. 

The talk is on May 30, at 3pm, at the Greytown Town Hall. Tickets are $10 from the Hedley's Bookshop and the Greytown Public Library.

- Wairarapa News

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