Colliers collects major awards

Two of Colliers’ longest-serving team members have been honoured with leadership awards by the Property Council New Zealand.

Mark Synnott, Executive Chairman of Colliers New Zealand, won the Rider Levett Bucknall Outstanding Leadership Award at the Auckland Property People Awards on Friday 1 December.

But that was only half the story because he later claimed the Barker and Associates Supreme Excellence Award, capping an outstanding evening.

Synnott’s awards followed on from Richard Findlay, Managing Director at Colliers Wellington, winning the Property Council Outstanding Leadership Award at the Wellington Property People Awards last month.

Findlay, who has worked for Colliers for more than 20 years, has led the expansion of the business’s franchise network across the lower North Island and the top of the South Island.

While their leadership was recognised, the future is also bright for Colliers as Hamilton-based Lisa Curtin, a Senior Project Manager in the Colliers Project Leaders team, won the Rider Levett Bucknall Young Achiever of the Year Award at the Central Property People Awards in October.

Colliers also had three team members – Alo Duffy, Anastasia Petersen, and Polly Larkman – who were finalists in the Beca Young Achiever of the Year Award at the Wellington Property People Awards.

Meanwhile, Colliers Project Leaders were finalists in the Veros Best Team Award at the Central Property People Awards as part of the group who worked on the terminal resilience project at Hamilton Airport.

Gareth Fraser, CEO of Colliers New Zealand, says these award wins highlight the depth of talent across the firm.

“We have been incredibly lucky to have the likes of Mark and Richard leading our business for so many years and they have helped create the foundations of Colliers in New Zealand,” Fraser says.

“Then to see Lisa’s hard work being acknowledged is hugely impressive and shows us that we have some excellent team members with outstanding potential in our organisation.”

Synnott moved to his new role as Executive Chairman on 1 May following more than 28 years as the CEO of Colliers New Zealand.

He was one of the firm’s first three employees when they began operations in New Zealand in 1989 and has worked for the company for 34 years.

“Receiving awards like this wouldn’t be possible without the support of so many collaborative and high-performing colleagues at Colliers and I am incredibly proud to have been honoured by the Property Council New Zealand,” Synnott says.

Findlay, who has worked in the property sector for more than 35 years, says he is still deeply passionate about the Wellington property market.

“I am thankful to have received this award. We have an excellent team around us at Colliers and I am privileged to have worked alongside so many exceptional people for so many years.”

As a testament to his service to the industry, Findlay was also made a Fellow Member of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand recently.

Meanwhile, Curtin began her career as an architect before moving into project management and has worked on a number of key developments in the Waikato region, including the construction of the new Cambridge police station.

“I am very grateful to have received the award and recognition in the industry. Thank you to Colliers Project Leaders for putting me forward and for giving me the opportunities to work on some really interesting projects and develop my skill set as a project manager,” Curtin says.

Article supplied by Colliers