Grant Cochrane, chief executive of Oritain Global, named supreme winner of 2022 The Grand Business South Awards.
What have been the highlights of the year 2022 for the business?
The big achievement for us this year was our global expansion. We are taking a Kiwi business to the world with new offices in the US, a new delivery base in Austria and more global clients than ever before. The international recognition of our Kiwi approach, innovation and homegrown talent has been gratifying to see.
What were the biggest challenges of the year?
Honestly, staying connected to each of our teams and key personnel as Oritain expands across the globe. On one hand, being able to travel freely again has helped a lot, on the other there is always so much to do and so little time that it takes discipline from across all levels of Oritain to keep our focus on our core priorities.
What were the achievements?
For me it is always about our people. We have had to attract and retain world-class talent to be able to compete and become market leaders on the international stage; and the numbers speak for themselves. We have over 150 people across five offices serving clients in more than 20 markets and we have no plans to slow down in 2023. We were also pleased to welcome some great new talent to our board, including Sir John Key, who I am sure will be a familiar name to many of your readers.
What's your major focus for 2023?
It’s going to be another packed year so the focus for Oritain will be to prioritise our key markets. In one word, the one focus for us is deliver. We have the right people, right clients, and the right partners to achieve this. We also have some exciting developments that we are working on so will have plenty to work on.
Any major worries for the coming year for your business and the sector?
Of course, many of the world’s economies are entering a period of uncertainty with difficult capital markets, high inflation and geopolitical tension which we have to navigate but, when it comes to Oritain, we are focused on doing the one thing that we can control which is to deliver outstanding value to our clients.
How are you spending the festive season?
I prioritise my time away from work to switch off and recharge, so will be away with my family over the festive period getting some winter sun. I am pretty tough with the Oritain team to do the same — down time is not a nice-to-have, it is a must-have.
Any New Year resolutions?
I try to avoid promises I cannot keep ... so, after the no-wine attempt of 2019, I have avoided New Year’s resolutions.
