TINWire Tech News Roundup: 23 February 21

Kia ora koutou.

Well, it’s been a week of surprises! The sudden shift to Alert Level 3 in Auckland last weekend meant that we - and TIN members who signed up to our event to watch the Prada Cup action live from the TIN sundeck last week - had to change our plans. We have now rescheduled the event for 12 March to watch Luna Rossa take on ETNZ in the America's Cup – so we look forward to hosting many of you at our ocean-front offices then. Please RSVP if you are able to join us for this time of networking, nibbles, and to hear some exclusive thoughts from BNZ's new Chief Economist, Paul Conway.
 
Meanwhile, economists are predicting that this latest lockdown will have low negative impact on NZ’s overall economic activity, as our business community has become increasingly adaptable to the changing circumstances of COVID. The tech sector in particular continues to demonstrate growth, movement, resilience, and innovation, evidenced by news stories from the past week – including that Syft Technologies has appointed a new CEO in Alex Fala (formerly of Vend), Straker Translations is now hosting its entire translation service on IBM Cloud; and Rocket Lab has announced its second mission of 2021.

Another surprise, albeit an anticipated one… One of the most respected names in NZ’s tech history, and one of TIN’s Mavericks, Sir William Gallagher, has announced the company is appointing a new chief executive after his nearly 60 years at the helm. TIN has enjoyed tracking the growing success of the Gallagher Group over the years, and we look forward to continuing this with Kahl Betham, who is only the third CEO in Gallagher’s 83-year history. We wish Sir William all the best in his new ambassadorial role at the company!

Ngā mihi

Greg & the TIN Team