Blake Medallist

Dame Margaret Bazley is seen by many as the country's most respected public servant and problem solver. She has has demonstrated transformational leadership that has helped shape public policy and administration over a five-decade-long career. She held senior leadership roles in the health sector, the State Services Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the Fire Service and the Department of Social Welfare. Dame Margaret's time in the public service, during the 1980s and 1990s, placed her at the centre of reform and she was often brought in to initiate and lead profound change in an organisation.

Dame Margaret is currently the Chair of Environment Canterbury and the New Zealand Fire Service Commission, Registrar of MPs Pecuniary Interests and, until recently, a member of the Waitangi Tribunal.

She was, until 2007, also Chair of the Foundation of Research Science and Technology. That's despite being 'retired' from the civil service for almost a decade. She is described as fierce, tough, apolitical and unwavering in her determination to do the right thing and willing to make tough calls.

Emerging Leaders:

Raelene Castle
Raelene Castle is described as one of the country's top sports administrators and the most influential woman in New Zealand sport. The 40-year-old Chief Executive of Netball New Zealand has transformed the organisation into a strategically focused business and helped netball grow significantly in profile, commercial investment and as an employer.

Under her stewardship, the sport now has a broadcast deal and elite sponsorship agreement to rival male codes and a semi-professional trans-Tasman netball competition. There has also been great success on the court with the Silver Ferns bringing home a gold medal from last year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Her commercial acumen is matched by her sporting prowess. Raelene is a New Zealand Lawn Bowls champion and has also played tennis and netball at representative level.

Dr Andrew Coy
Dr Andrew Coy has a genius for breaking down barriers between the disciplines of academia and business, science and engineering. As the CEO of one of the country's leading high-tech companies, Magritek Ltd, Andrew has built a team that managed to net multi-million dollar international sales in 2010.

Magritek makes magnetic resonance systems, similar to MRI systems used in hospitals, using magnets and radio waves to detect and measure liquids in substances for industrial, research and development, and education customers.

Under Andrew's leadership, Magritek has won numerous plaudits, including finalist in the Exporter of the Year category in the 2011 New Zealand High Technology Awards, and was one of the team who won the 2010 Prime Minister's Science Prize.

The 43-year-old Wellingtonian is a dynamic and inspirational business leader who has managed to attract to Magritek valuable new investment from the US and UK and still retain Kiwi ownership. His ambition is to make Magritek one of the country's leading exporters.

Rebecca Elvin
Twenty-eight-year-old Rebecca Elvin is fast developing global expertise in the area of transitional justice. Originally from Tauranga, Rebecca graduated from the University of Otago with degrees in law and politics. She has worked as a judicial intern at the Supreme Court of the United States, a judge's clerk at the High Court of New Zealand and a legal intern at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Rebecca is currently completing her Master's degree in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies at King's College in London, where she has been exploring how constitutional law, politics and powersharing mechanisms can operate to promote peace in areas emerging from conflict. She has recently returned from conducting research in the field in Beirut.

Rebecca will shortly join Oxford University to undertake a Doctorate of Philosophy at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, looking at the role of judicial systems in promoting transitional justice, the rule of law, stability, peace and reconciliation.

Rebecca has demonstrated the courage to take on significant challenges and career risks. Her endeavours are accompanied by excellence and a perceptive, thoughtful originality. She is noted as having a highly developed sense of humanity. Rebecca has given freely of herself to community organisations in New Zealand. She has undertaken aid work in Thailand and the Philippines and in Washington DC she worked at the headquarters of the International Justice Mission.

Derek Handley
Derek Handley 33, has been ahead of his time from an early age. From one of the youngest executives to list a company in New Zealand, to creating seven start-up ventures in as many years Derek has learned what it takes to create, maintain and build successful teams. In 2001, the New York-based Kiwi cofounded the Hyperfactory with his brother Geoffrey; the company was named in Entrepreneur magazine's Annual 100 Brilliant Ideas for 2010.

The Hyperfactory has helped create an industry leveraging the power of the mobile phone as a marketing, communication and advertising medium. Since then he's built a team of almost 100 people across three continents and today, the firm counts amongst its clients many of the world's most powerful brands - Intel, adidas, L'Oreal, Vodafone, Nestlé and Kraft.

Since selling this venture to an NYSE-listed global media company, Derek has been able to find more time for NZ Inc. He has a strong sense of the transformative power of entrepreneurship and actively contributes to the angel-investment, incubator and entrepreneurial communities in New Zealand.

Last year, he established the Handley Foundation, which aims to develop the entrepreneurial capacity of New Zealand as a nation and offers grants to aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs.

Globally he is a director of one of the world's largest microfinance organisations, Opportunity International, and also a founding member of the Palindrome Advisors, a not-for-profit which links charities with executive-level leaders and a founding partner of President Obama's Startup America program.

Derek has most recently been involved with the soon-to-be launched Kiwi Knowledge Bank, which intends to be the country's communication portal with the world. Derek's personal passions include the future of space travel as well as renewable energies: two key areas that he believes will define and change the world and this generation's place in its history.

Tawera Nikau
Tawera Nikau made his name in the highly competitive world of rugby league. A veteran of 19 tests for New Zealand as a forward, Tawera went on to captain the New Zealand Maori team at the Rugby League World Cup and was recently inducted into the New Zealand Legends of League. In 2004 he had his right leg amputated and the traits that made him a sporting champion enabled him to excel in other areas.

Tawera is an ambassador for the Achilles Foundation which gives people with disabilities an opportunity to participate in mainstream events. In 2010 he finished the New York City Marathon and recently completed the Oxfam 100km Taupo Trail walk which raised funds to support Oxfam New Zealand's work.

The 44-year-old's passion and contribution to league continues. He works with the NZRL as a New Zealand selector and assists with the Junior Development Programme, which is designed to teach youth about kiwi pride and what it means to wear the kiwi jumper.

Tawera seeks opportunities to further develop Maori. He is the CEO of Aotearoa Construction which has a vision to pioneer a business model that blends profit with social benefit, whilst delivering outstanding construction services. Tawera is also managing director and owner of Team One Corporate Development, a training company that strives towards "unleashing human potential". His experience and knowledge in elite sport teams over the years has given him a great insight into succeeding at the highest level, and how to lead winning teams.

Tawera has a strong sense of community and this is indicative of his loyalty and love for family, friends, country and teammates from all walks of life. Huntly locals talk openly of his mana, charisma and sense of community. While he's a fantastic role model for young Maori men, Tawera's sphere of influence makes him a leader for all New Zealand.

Heather Te-au Skipworth
In 2009, Heather Te-au Skipworth conceived the idea of Maori competing in an indigenous Maori half-ironman event. Such was its success, last year saw IronMaori double in size and attract Maori from throughout Aotearoa. With more than 1,500 registrants in 2011, the event has taken on a life of its own in Maori communities.

Rather than being daunted by the significant health problems suffered by Maori, 37-year old Heather seeks to do something about them through a simple basic approach to activity that is fun, enjoyable and sustainable. Given an unexpected opportunity to work as a lifestyle coach in 2006 at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga in Hastings, the largest Maori health provider in Hawke's Bay, Heather realised the enormous reward that can be gained from giving someone a chance.

Heather's vision for IronMaori came from the epiphany she experienced on the completion of her first gruelling ironman. She realised that if she could achieve this, she could achieve anything. This realisation laid a pathway for others who had lost sight of the positives in their lives to build the confidence to achieve anything they wanted to do.

IronMaori participants train together, support, encourage and motivate each other. Heather is from Hastings; it has been suggested that IronMaori is the biggest thing that has hit Hawke's Bay Maori since the closing of the local freezing works 25 years ago, but with the opposite effect. The result is a positive impact much larger than one event.

IronMaori has made significant inroads into transforming lifestyle messages and choices within a population where traditional health systems have failed to do so. IronMaori has swept the country through social media and other Maori networks.

The 2011 Special Leadership Award:

Sam Johnson
As a true example of adversity bringing out the best in people, Sam Johnson demonstrates incredible strength and leadership capabilities well beyond his 22 years. As a response to last year's September earthquake, Sam quickly mobilised to form and lead the Canterbury Student Volunteer Army (SVA). Within a week, the Student Army was thousands strong via networking through social media.

Sam's team focused on helping people regain a level of normality within their homes and clearing thousands of tonnes of liquefaction. The massive success of the SVA and the commitment from the students after the first 'quake was recognised both nationally and internationally, resulting in meetings with Prime Minister John Key and the US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton.

After the much more devastating February earthquake, Sam once again gathered his team, learning from mistakes made in September, rebooted the Facebook page and prepared for infinitely greater damage and a recovery predicted to take much longer. The early days after the 'quake were a period of desperation and hopelessness; for many Christchurch residents, the SVA was their first sign of assistance, a smiling face offering a helping hand.

The SVA were highly regarded within emergency response circles, with the team building strong functional relationships with officials. Civil Defence called on the SVA to supply volunteers for many different tasks. City councils, government ministries and community organisations were able to utilise the force of volunteers, make contact with isolated residents and speed up the delivery of welfare information and chemical toilets.

Sam's ability to lead and direct has enable his team to develop into a charitable trust to create a template of the SVA to help in other disasters. A similar group of students has been trained in Japan and is using the SVA to help facilitate student volunteering in the tsunami zone.

The SVA has also started a scholarship programme, Hope for Christchurch, for children who lost their parents in the earthquake. Given the outstanding leadership demonstrated in response to the Christchurch earthquakes, the Sir Peter Blake Trust Leadership Awards' Selection Panel has decided to award Sam Johnson a Special Leadership Award. He has displayed leadership skills that people twice and three times his age would aspire to. He is a natural born leader.