“This is the best day of my life.” These are eight simple words but a lasting sentiment from a vibrant young lad from Gisborne that resonates with prominent business figure and esteemed trans-Tasman property leader Angus McNaughton today.
“He was a school leaver, and it was his first plane trip, first trip to Auckland. He was just so thrilled to have the opportunity,” McNaughton remembers fondly. That eager-eyed youngster, Tamati Parker, would win the scholarship opportunity he had flown to Auckland seeking. He would go on to start his own successful business – C3 Construction – and later become the first Keystone Trust alumni to directly sponsor the Trust, eventually stepping into a Trustee role in 2020.
It’s precisely the type of full-circle story McNaughton imagined when, 25 years ago, as Chief Executive at NZX-listed Kiwi Property (formerly Kiwi Income Property Trust), he threw his support behind the fledging initiative, known then as the Graeme Bringans Property Education Trust (Keystone Trust today).
He worked alongside Trust namesake Graeme Bringans and, next to founding Trustee Paul Duffy, assumed a role on the Board in 2022. “In those days, there was very little diversity in the industry, and the idea of gifting a scholarship was pioneering. We started out awarding two or three awards. In the property sector at that time, young people didn’t have a lot of support.”
Two decades later, the Trust’s relationship with Kiwi Property has transcended McNaughton’s tenure (which ended in 2008, the role then assumed by Chris Gudgeon, who was also a Keystone Trustee until 2016.) Yet, the founding reasons for the partnership remain as relevant as they ever were.
“Kiwi Property has been with us from the very beginning and became the first sponsor to award a dedicated scholarship for school leavers,” says Amanda Stanes, General Manager of Keystone Trust. “The backing of such a prominent organisation for such a meaningful duration has changed the lives of so many students. At the same time, offering industry acknowledgement that has attracted other valuable sponsorship partners.”
Sponsor organisations now number 62, and the Trust, with the help of its supporters, have provided pastoral care, mentorship, networking, work experience and internship opportunities to more than 220 students since 1995.
Last year, following more than two decades of Trust sponsorship, Kiwi Property shifted its focus to supporting students working toward their final year of a property degree.
Current Kiwi Property Chief Executive Clive Mackenzie says that Kiwi Property is looking forward to providing more tailored support for students during their final year of study. “Ultimately, this helps to ease the transition into the workforce, and we gain from the positive impact these graduates have on the business environment.”
Skylah Hewett presenting 25 year sponsorship award to Sam Stone, Senior Legal Counsel, Kiwi Property
One such example is Bachelor of Property student and 2021 Keystone Trust scholarship recipient Skylah Hewett, who has worked successfully at Kiwi Property in various work experience roles for three years.
Mackenzie says Skylah has been a welcome addition to the broader team. “Students like Skylah bring an energy and fresh perspective that helps our business to connect in a more diverse marketplace.”
“We have been thrilled to see students flourish, and the opportunity to grow candidates from early stages in tertiary study ensures that the association between Kiwi Property and Keystone Trust remains a long-term programme, equally important to us as it is to the students and the wider Trust community,” he says.
In February, the Trust honoured Kiwi Property with an Outstanding Sponsor Award for 25 years of sponsorship. At the same ceremony, the Trust officially awarded 15 Key Partner Scholarships, one School Leaver Scholarship and 13 Study Awards – marking a record high of 29 recipients for 2024 and a true growth evolution from the early days of Kiwi Property’s support.
Kiwi Property is a listed company on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and one of the country’s leading property investment companies with an extensive commercial, retail and mixed-use properties portfolio. The business has seven offices nationwide, and 165 staff members focused on acquisition, development, and property management.
For further media enquiries, please contact
Amanda Stanes
Keystone Trust – General Manager
M: 021 689 380
E: amanda@keystonetrust.org.nz
