Business Achievement Award for AUT’s own
Nicki Pritchard, AUT Business School graduate and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Anderson Quigley, one of the UK’s leading executive search firms, has taken out the 2025 Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Business Achievement Award.
In an unprecedented turn of events and a major win for the Business School, AUT and Aotearoa, Nicki’s award comes just one year after another Business School alumna, Renee Stuart, was selected for the BGS Entrepreneurial Achievement Award.
The Business Achievement Award recognises individuals who have made a substantial contribution to business. Awarded internationally, nominees are evaluated against criteria including financial performance, career progression and leadership. Other considerations include overall impact on an industry and/or society, ethical leadership and contributions to the growth and development of others.
Nicki is the first New Zealander to secure the award.
She graduated with a BBus and Postgraduate diploma in 2002 majoring in marketing and advertising, and her career spans global roles at DreamWorks, Disney and Penguin.
Transitioning from New Zealand to the UK, Nicki leveraged her broad experience to accelerate her career.
She says, “I actually co-founded Anderson Quigley from my kitchen table! Now based in London, we’re a 40+ strong team serving the education, healthcare, government and non-profit sectors”.
Nicki’s approach to leadership sits at the intersection of professional success and broader societal benefit. Social impact is at the heart of her business and personal ethos, and she is a passionate advocate for diversity and gender representation in leadership as well as inclusive practices across the sector.
In addition to serving as Chair of Governors at the Kingston Educational Trust, she engages in voluntary work and mentors emerging professionals in the business field.
Nicki is also a long-time supporter of the AUT Business School, volunteering her time for Applied Business Projects, Leadership Online sessions with the Employability team and Kōrero with International Alumni events. She continues to be part of the International Alumni Reference Group which contributes to the Business School’s strategic impact goals.
BGS formally recognised Nicki at the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International Conference in Seattle earlier this month.