Bright Lights 2019

Please note due to popular demand this event is now sold out. If you would like to be added to a waiting list, please email k.zimmerman@auckland.ac.nz

Join us at Bright Lights, the annual "chat show style” event showcasing the University of Auckland’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. This candid, entertaining discussion will be led by alumnus Finlay Macdonald.

The winners are:

John Bongard ONZM
BCom 1982

John Bongard is the former Chief Executive and Managing Director of Fisher & Paykel Appliances. His illustrious 36-year career saw him appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2010 for services to business and he was named New Zealand Business Leader of the Year in 2006. John is a Founder and Chairman of The Rising Foundation and Chairman of the National Science Programme SfTI.

Moana Maniapoto MNZM
LLB 1984
Singer/songwriter, documentary maker and writer Moana Maniapoto is celebrated for pushing the limits of Māori music. Inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2016, Moana is a mentor and advocate, fusing her commitment to justice with her passion for the arts. In 2004 she was the recipient of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to music and Māori.

Simon Talbot
BHB 1998, MBChB 2001
Simon Talbot is a world-leading reconstructive plastic surgeon. He is the Director of the Upper Extremity Transplant Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Simon successfully led teams to complete ground breaking double arm transplants in 2011, 2014, and 2016. He leads a research laboratory with funding from the United States Department of Defense to further this work.

Young Alumnus of the Year
William Pike
BEd Tchg 2007, BEd Tchg(Hons) 2008
William Pike is a youth development programme director and inspirational speaker throughout New Zealand. While mountaineering during the 2007 eruption of Mt Ruapehu, his legs were crushed and one needed to be amputated. Ten years later he climbed Antarctica’s Mt Scott and was the winner of the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award. He was also a 2015 Young New Zealander of the Year finalist.

Seating is general admission, and light refreshments will be served after the event.

If you have any questions about the event, don't hesitate to contact one of our team at alumni-events@auckland.ac.nz