Recognising excellence
AUT Business School has honoured recipients of the 2025 Top Scholar Awards and welcomed 99 graduates into the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) international honours society.
Top Scholar Awards acknowledge top-performing graduates who demonstrate strong disciplinary knowledge alongside a broad understanding of business theory and practice.
BGS recognises academic excellence in top business students worldwide. With more than 600 chapters across over 190 countries, the society connects high-achieving graduates through a global alumni network.
The ceremony brought together graduates, their families, academic staff and special guests.
This year’s BGS Honorary Award was presented to Brendan Drury – Managing Director at Orbit Travel Auckland. Brendan has an extensive career of over 30 years working in the airline, travel and tourism industry.
His company Orbit World Travel is one of the country’s largest and most experienced travel management companies, with over 1000 corporate clients across New Zealand and Australia.
Brendan also has a long history of engagement with AUT Business School, including taking part in the Shadow a Leader programme a staggering 10 times, and working with marketing students on industry case studies.
He said, "My connection with AUT has always been grounded in a genuine belief in the potential of its students. Whether through mentoring or sharing real‑world case studies, I’ve always found it energising and rewarding to support the next generation. If I can play a part in helping them bridge the gap between study and industry, then that’s something I’ll always be grateful for.”
Audience members also heard from keynote speaker Emma Payne. Emma is the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Lead at KPMG New Zealand. On the night, she discussed her career journey from Business School graduate to a leadership role at one of the Big Four.
“Seeing the top scholars and BGS inductees, I felt truly proud and grateful for my connection with AUT and the chance to celebrate such inspiring achievements together. I spoke of how our stories are shaped by where we come from, embracing unexpected twists, and finding strength in people around us," Emma said.