Born in Wellington to British immigrants who instilled a strong work ethic, Dame Theresa studied economics and marketing at the University of Waikato, earning a Bachelor of Management Studies.

Upon graduating, she moved to Wellington to study law at Victoria University of Wellington, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 1988.

While studying, Dame Theresa began working in marketing at TVNZ, before eventually joining Telecom New Zealand, now known as Spark, in 1994.

At the age of 37, Dame Theresa was appointed chief executive officer of Telecom, making history as the first woman to lead a publicly listed company in New Zealand. During her tenure as CEO from 1999 to 2007, she took it from a traditional telecommunications company to become the number one IT provider in New Zealand.

In 2010, she wrote the bestselling memoir Bird on a Wire: The inside story from a straight-talking CEO (Penguin NZ).

Three years later, Dame Theresa co-founded the to-your-door grocery and recipe service My Food Bag.

She credits her studies at Vic with teaching her about a lot more than law.

“My law degree at Victoria University prepared me well for my business career. I learnt to always be prepared for the unexpected and to respond in as concise yet as powerful a way as possible. I also learnt that preparation matters.”

In addition to numerous governance roles, Dame Theresa is involved with several not-for-profit and philanthropic interests, including as chair of the Wellington Board of the SPCA, and as a board member of the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women.

Having received many honours during her career, in 2024, Dame Theresa Gattung was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to women, governance, and philanthropy.

“I am thrilled to be receiving an Honorary Doctorate in the city I was born, which my parents chose as their home upon immigrating to New Zealand.”

Article: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/20...