Raewyn Bleakley was first drawn to the FGC when she was at HANZ and saw the impressive CEO Brenda Cutress at various meetings. She was interested in the industry and impressed by the way Brenda represented it. When Katherine took over, she kept an eye on what was happening. She admired the very effective way she interacted with the media and government on some incredibly gnarly issues.
“When approached about whether I would be interested in the role, I said yes in a heartbeat. Having enjoyed my previous roles in industry associations – coupled with my interest in food, nutrition and sustainability, and my deep respect for the role of business contributing to a thriving economy and healthy society and planet – this role was immensely appealing to me,” said Bleakley.
Growing up in Blenheim, Bleakley developed an interest in food at an early age. Her first job at 12 was working in a cafe after school. She studied human nutrition, food science and food service management at the University of Otago before spending some time lecturing, managing the halls of residence kitchens and teaching human nutrition students. After spending six years at the university while gaining a Post Graduate Diploma of Science, she joined the Hospitality Association of NZ as the Southern Regional manager. She travelled the lower South Island representing and assisting bars, pubs, nightclubs, hotels and restaurants. This was when she first met Rich, who was a Dunedin MP at the time.
“I met her with the local HANZ executive to lobby her on proposed changes to the Sale of Liquor Act. Katherine immediately impressed me. She struck me as well informed, fair-minded and prepared to listen.”
Bleakley transferred to Wellington in 2002 and became the first National Operations Manager for HANZ in 2004. In 2008 she moved to the Bus and Coach and Rental Vehicle Associations as Chief Executive, which was a steep learning curve given it was a dual role responsible for two associations in another relatively highly regulated industry. From 2012 to 2014, Bleakley was the Chief Executive of Business Central, a fascinating role that involved a large amount of advocacy to councils as then Prime Minister John Key memorably observed Wellington ‘to be dying.’
In 2014 she moved into working for the government as Regional Director for Waka Kotahi (the NZ Transport Agency) and eventually the General Manager role. In 2019 she took up the newly formed role of Deputy Chief Executive at Fire and Emergency NZ and was responsible for communications and media, risk and assurance, legal, the Board secretariat function, and several other programmes of work, including coordinating the response to Covid and mandatory vaccination. Over the years, Bleakley has also held several board positions, including a seven-year stint on the Wellington Zoo Trust.
Meeting with FGC members and learning about their businesses and the challenges they are facing is something about her new role that excited Bleakley. Continuing work that ensures members have a balanced and fair market and that consumers have competitively priced goods is a key priority.
“I enjoy being the conduit between government and business and working to strike the right balance, so regulatory settings achieve positive outcomes.”
Bleakley greatly admires Rich’s work for the FGC over the last 13 years and her ability to play the long game. Charting a course and relentlessly mounting robust arguments, firmly and graciously, to ensure real change.
The power of an industry association with a united and strong voice can never be underestimated. Achieving this is not straightforward, given the diversity of members and differing priorities. They often compete against each other.
“An early goal for me will be gaining a deep understanding of the industry and working to consolidate and amplify the voice of FGC to cement its role as an effective change agent.”
Some significant challenges she sees for the year ahead include implementing the various measures resulting from the market study. Bleakly considers these imperative and expects it to take levels of tenacity and patience to make changes stick.
To grow membership and industry representation, Bleakley will work hard to understand why the FGC doesn’t attract some businesses and how it can improve the value proposition to make it a sound business decision for them to belong.
“Running a business in a competitive industry is challenging for the best operators. I have deep respect for people who are prepared to risk their livelihood to follow their dream of running their own businesses and, in doing so, create jobs and contribute positively to our economy and society. I have seen over many years how difficult this can be and how important every spending decision is, so it’s incumbent on FGC to provide tangible value to all members.”
Bleakley feels incredibly fortunate to have had a decent break between roles. She has spent her time learning to fly a fully electric plane, receiving her Open Water Scuba Diving Certification in Vanuata, and exploring the food and wine in Hobart and Melbourne.
“Whenever I travel, I make a beeline for supermarkets and food stalls and am always on the hunt for the best coffee. I’ve enjoyed seeing what’s on offer in supermarkets and local food markets as much as visiting museums, historic sites, and art galleries, so I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to work in this industry.
