If ever there was proof of the power of the Keystone, it lies in the face of its scholars, says Andrew Petersen.
“The biggest impact on me every year is when I attend an awards evening or rugby lunch. We get to see current students and alumni tell their stories. The students may be mid-way through their studies and they might be young in their careers – but you still see the impact of Keystone shine through. The alumni have come through their studies and they are so impressive. They know they’ve made it and they’re on their way.”
The managing partner of Bell Gully and former chairman / head of the law firm’s projects and real estate team is talking about attending major Keystone annual events that are pivotal features of the trust’s whakapapa.
As a long-term Keystone trustee, finance committee member and current deputy chairman of the Trust, he regularly attends such functions. “The biggest impact on me every year is when I attend an awards evening or rugby lunch. We get to see current students and alumni tell their stories. The students may be mid-way through their studies and they might be young in their careers – but you still see the impact of Keystone shine through. The alumni have come through their studies and they are so impressive. They know they’ve made it and they’re on their way.”
To cite but one example, he name-checks Tamati Parker: alumni, trustee, sponsor and selection committee chair, who heads C3 Construction. “Tamati is testament to the value that a Keystone scholarship delivers,” says Andrew.
Bell Gully’s connection with Keystone differs from other sponsors in that its business goes beyond the property and construction industry. Its role, however, is of equal importance.
Founding trustee and former Bell Gully partner Bruce Sanderson established Bell Gully’s sponsorship, and the legacy has been passed on to successive Bell Gully partners without interruption since. The firm supports Keystone by helping with student contracts, sponsor contracts, employment agreements and other Trust-related matters – all on a pro bono basis.
Of its enduring relationship: “From our perspective, we thought it was important to continue to give back, to support the trust and to keep connected with fellow sponsors,” Andrew says. Some were as long-standing as the trust itself: Bell Gully had done a lot of work with DNZ (now Stride Property Group) through fellow founding trustee Paul Duffy.
Since first inheriting the trustee role, Andrew has seen Keystone grow from a sponsor base of around 20, with Bell Gully being the only legal firm sponsor, to over 70 sponsors and supporters today. Some five law firms now support the trust. “We say the more, the better.”
The trust – ably overseen and driven by Paul Duffy at the outset and beyond – has evolved since its relatively small and relaxed beginnings. There are a lot of connections within, says Andrew. An example: Josh Leckie, a 2004 scholarship recipient. Josh, the first to be awarded a scholarship to study law, worked with Andrew in Bell Gully’s projects and real estate team after graduating, first as an intern, then a solicitor and next a senior solicitor.
He is now a partner at Lane Neave in Queenstown, where he leads the firm’s national resource management team. And Lane Neave has joined the long list of Keystone sponsors.
Josh is but one of hundreds of students who have blossomed under Keystone, says Andrew. “We’ve had a fantastic success rate with our students – the results of the trust’s support are very impressive.”
