Auriga Martin - CEO Farm Focus/Founder Ventana Ventures

My first job was researching reconstructive surgery success data for a tenured UCLA professor. (Ed: wow – that’s different to the fish and chip shop jobs I normally report!)

I learned the hustle in my 20s. Working for tips is a great teacher.

I started my career at AOL, resetting passwords for VIP accounts. I loved being at the coal face of impact of Internet on the masses and see tech efficiency first hand.

However. my exposure to the cog in the wheel mismanagement ignited my bug to be an empowering leader and to build better organisations.

To learn at rapid pace you need to seek out experts and absorb.

People matter most. Everyone is replaceable but at what cost?

I learned how to found, grow and scale a company to millions of customers around the world at Lynda.com. 13 years in Edtech shaped me.

I realised I needed to be in charge after trying to innovate under the SOE funding model. I was 40 at the time. There is a lot of tech literacy around decision making in New Zealand and I wanted to build the right operating model for innovation.

Once I make up my mind it usually happens. Manifestor curse and blessing!

I’m a creative at heart and studied fine art at UCLA. These are very good skills to bring into leadership but certainly atypical to the usual path to CEO in New Zealand.

I was shoulder tapped for my CEO role. The beauty of the one-degree connections in NZ.

All eyes are looking at you. When I first started as CEO, I had to learn to be more “professional”’ in the context we were in.

Pausing before acting is still my biggest area of focus. The power of a CEOs words carry great weight

I love moving mountains and creating opportunity at scale. I thrive on venture portfolio management and company turnaround consulting work. I love thinking about macro dynamics, economic systems and how it all weaves together. I think there’s a book brewing inside me.

I am a huge believer in the power of network and pulling together more brains than one! Can talk about this A LOT.

Keep adapting and learning, hire people smarter than you - always.

Schedule in thinking reflecting and cup filling time. Each and every day.