Dodgy director banned for deceptive practices: Is this NZ's most witless wheeler-dealer?
To a greater or lesser degree, the liquidation of Latitude Dynamix Holdings entangled everyone from fuel company boss Jimmy Ormsby, former Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell and ex-finance minister Grant Robertson, to Hollywood producer Cassandra Cooper, broadcaster Peter Williams and the family of Taika Waititi. The firm's director was invited to speak to the local Rotary in July 2019. His speech was titled 'Twenty years in Silicon Valley and new data hub in Tauranga'.
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Newsroom
4 days ago
- Newsroom
Dodgy director banned for deceptive practices: Is this NZ's most witless wheeler-dealer?
He sold big dreams. A TV network for the famous dairy in Boy; a big budget Warner Bros Pokémon movie production in the Bay of Plenty; an America's Cup village powered by a 'wind tree'; a 220-hectare family fun park; a star-studded winter golf tournament at Wairakei; pie-in-the-sky streaming data hubs operating from service stations.... To a greater or lesser degree, the liquidation of Latitude Dynamix Holdings entangled everyone from fuel company boss Jimmy Ormsby, former Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell and ex-finance minister Grant Robertson, to Hollywood producer Cassandra Cooper, broadcaster Peter Williams and the family of Taika Waititi. The firm's director was invited to speak to the local Rotary in July 2019. His speech was titled 'Twenty years in Silicon Valley and new data hub in Tauranga'.
Newsroom
19-07-2025
- Newsroom
Why Auckland's 2027 America's Cup bid never stood a chance
Auckland's unsuccessful five-month bid to secure the hosting rights for the 2027 America's Cup appears to have been doomed almost before negotiations started with the Government. Documents released to Newsroom show that Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's insistence that the Government allow his council to bring in a hotel bed levy as a funding source, was an early and significant hurdle. The Government had already refused the bed levy request, and Auckland's failure to have any other way of co-funding the event was highlighted repeatedly in advice to Cabinet ministers from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The city's hopes to stage the 38th cup regatta were extinguished on April 1, when Auckland Council's culture and economic agency announced the Government had declined to co-fund it. Following the failure to strike a deal with Auckland and the Government for 2027, the cup defender sold the hosting rights to the Italian port city of Naples. Team New Zealand had revived hopes of a 2027 home defence in October 2024, soon after winning the cup for a third consecutive time in Barcelona. Documents sought by Newsroom from the council agency Tataki Auckland Unlimited, and MBIE, show a five-month negotiation that began with enthusiasm, but that soon ran into difficulty. Four months into that process, Grant Dalton, the chief executive of Team New Zealand, expressed frustration that no one from the Government had been in touch with him. It was 10 days after Team New Zealand's unprecedented third consecutive cup win, that Auckland officials began moves to secure the 38th running of an event the city had last hosted in 2021. Barcelona hosted the 37th cup, after the Labour-led government and Auckland Council, which backed the 2021 Auckland regatta, made an offer to Team New Zealand that fell short of the defender's needs and was rejected. Unusually, Dalton began talking about what a post-Barcelona future might look like, even before the team had secured the Auld Mug in late 2024. At first, Auckland didn't seem to be a part of it. 'Whether New Zealand could host the (next) Cup would be for politicians to decide and make a bid, rather than the team actively seeking a deal,' he told Stuff in a September interview. But on October 27 more than a week after victory, Dalton told this writer, in Barcelona, that confidential talks were underway to explore a joint public-private sector hosting bid in Auckland. 'We are completely genuine in terms of – if we can get this (event) home, we will,' he said. Two days later, inside Auckland Council's culture and economy agency, that work began under a code name. 'We will refer to it from now on as the 'Special Project' or SPWG, rather than the America's Cup,' wrote Tataki's head of major events Michelle Hooper to a chosen group of 10 agency staff on October 29. 'There is stiff competition from other cities to host this event, so we need to move swiftly and with focus to pull together a winning bid to present to Team New Zealand,' Hooper wrote. Tataki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) met in person with Dalton and his chief operating officer Kevin Shoebridge a month later. Notes prepared by TAU have all dollar references redacted, but noted 'there is potential private sector funding interest from a consortium of wealthy benefactors to the tune of (blacked out).' 'This sum could be doubled with the right structure, support and campaign, based on discussions with the representative of this group,' said TAU. Newsroom understands the hope was that private backers could provide as much as half of the media-reported hosting sum of $150 million. Barcelona's late and successful hosting bid for the 2024 cup was made possible only when wealthy individuals in just 15 days agreed to underwrite $44.8 million of revenue, kickstarting the formal bid. TAU provided 'high-level' information to MBIE in November and more detail in December, outlining the case for hosting, and some of the key elements in a bid. All the infrastructure was already in place in Auckland, said the local officials, following the investment made for the 2021 Cup, creating space for bases and public viewing. A total of $348.4m of ratepayer and taxpayer money went into permanent infrastructure on Auckland's waterfront, and event-running costs. A TAU briefing prepared for Cabinet ministers in December 2024 doesn't reveal the hosting fee sought by Team New Zealand, but Newsroom understands it was around $40m. An initial cost-benefit analysis commissioned by TAU put the net benefit at up to $1.19 for Auckland, for each dollar invested, and up to $1.15 at a national level. The briefing also outlines what would soon appear to become a significant hurdle for MBIE and the Government. 'The mayor is clear that Auckland's financial contribution is dependent on the introduction of a visitor levy,' said TAU. Brown appeared to be using the cup hosting as a lever to get government approval for a nightly bed levy – something the government had already ruled out. Under Brown, Auckland Council significantly reduced ratepayer funding for major events, in the expectation the government would agree. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is adamant the Government allow his council to bring in a hotel bed levy as a funding source. Photo montage:Before TAU's first detailed pitch went before Cabinet ministers, MBIE's Kylie Hawker-Green wrote back to the Auckland officials to ensure she would be accurately conveying the city's stance on its funding contribution. 'I will be stating that Auckland's cash contribution is contingent on the establishment of an accommodation levy of some form being established prior to the event delivery window,' she put to TAU. She intended to tell ministers that: 'If no accommodation levy is established, Auckland Council will not be in a position to contribute a direct cash contribution to AC38.' Two days later, Hawker-Green presented a 23-page briefing to the Major Events Ministers Group, made up of eight ministers, Sport and Recreation's Chris Bishop, Melissa Lee for Economic Development, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown, Paul Goldsmith for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Trade Minister Todd McClay, and Tourism and Hospitality's Matt Doocey. Hawker-Green outlined Auckland's dependence on a future bed levy, under a section entitled. 'Funding sources are highly speculative'. To that same meeting, TAU argued benefits that would flow into the marine and technology sectors concluding the event would 'provide Auckland and New Zealand with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase its marine and technology prowess'. 'By hosting the event, Auckland cements its position as a world-class destination for innovation, sport sustainable technologies and cultural celebration.' A potential event programme submitted to MBIE by TAU in November 2024, outlined cup events in Auckland spanning a year, from a women's and a men's regatta in February 2026, through to the challenger series and the cup itself from October 2026 to almost March 2027. The December ministerial briefing paper included MBIE's 'preliminary views' such as this fleeting reference to the upsides of hosting. 'Crown investment in an event of this significance and scale presents a strong signal of New Zealand's ability and willingness to host mega events and would catalyse direct economic activity for Auckland.' A subsequent MBIE paper from February 12, 2025, included an ominous line about that multi-minister briefing. 'Pre-Christmas engagement on the opportunity drew mixed views from the MEMG (Major Events Ministers Group). MBIE's advice to ministers in a range of papers provided to Newsroom, highlights what it saw as risks, and downsides for the Government. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's insistence that the city be allowed to introduce a nightly bed levy was repeatedly cited as a hurdle. 'Local government investment remains unconfirmed,' was one sub-heading on a topic MBIE officials would underline repeatedly. The other cash problem was that the undisclosed amount being sought from the Government's coffers outstripped what was available in its Major Events budget, where some money was already ring-fenced for unnamed possible events. 'The Crown would need to establish a new appropriation to provide investment in the AC38,' wrote officials in a March 4 briefing. In short, the Government had no earmarked funds available, nor had Auckland Council. On February 28, TAU lodged a formal application for Major Events funding with MBIE. Along with the formal document, the Auckland agency forwarded an email it had received from a clearly frustrated Grant Dalton. 'To date, in the four months since Emirates Team New Zealand won the America's Cup, I/we have not had any direct contact or indication at all from central government level (PM, ministers or even MBIE) if they are even interested in the America's Cup being hosted in Auckland,' Dalton wrote. 'It is of paramount importance and necessity to have a firm indication from the Government on the extent of their desire to host AC38 before this can progress any further with meaningful direction.' 'In response' noted an MBIE ministerial update on March 4, 'the Minister for Sport and Recreation (by then, Mark Mitchell) contacted Mr Dalton directly to discuss the Crown's consideration of the investment opportunity.' Dalton had wanted faster progress, and had told TAU in late 2024 that if a business case for local hosting was submitted by the end of that year, he would halt negotiations with other potential venues, until the bid process concluded. Seemingly unaware of the skeptical tone in MBIE's briefings, TAU was pressing on. On March 25 it asked the ministry to agree to a timeline in which the Government's decision on funding would be made by April 18. But by the time that email from TAU's Michelle Hooper landed in MBIE's inbox, the hosting bid was dead. A week earlier, in the MBIE briefing to the Minister of Finance, and Economic Growth, Nicola Willis, the ministry said: 'Noting ETNZ's upcoming end of April 2025 deadline, the significant risk around Auckland not having identified a funding source, and the opportunity cost of an investment of this quantum in the present economic climate, we present two options for you to consider'. Willis chose the second: 'instruct officials to cease work on the proposition now, noting risks, and advise TAU accordingly.' On February 21, four days before Hooper's last nudge to MBIE, Willis' private secretary emailed the ministry: 'The minister has signed the paper (attached), agreeing to cease work and notify TAU.' The final six-page paper from the ministry to Willis – which presumably outlines the final view on the merits of funding a cup hosting – has been withheld from Newsroom, by MBIE. Over the following week, much of the material released by MBIE to Newsroom, is about the preparation of a communications plan around the decision being announced. On March 27, MBIE's chief executive Carolyn Tremain broke the news to TAU's chief executive Nick Hill in a phone call, who then told Dalton. The formal letter from the Government came the following day. 'We acknowledge that events like the America's Cup can deliver a range of significant benefits,' wrote Tremain. 'However, Auckland Council's contribution was based on the introduction of a new 'accommodation levy' or similar funding mechanism, which is not a priority for this Government,' she wrote. 'Additionally, the investment risk would require government to identify and ring-fence new money at the expense of other funding priorities such as health and education.' In a statement publicly ending the hosting hopes, TAU's Hill wrote: 'This situation again illustrates the need for a long-term sustainable funding model in New Zealand to support major events.' A month later, further underlining Auckland's shrunken funding for major events, Hill in a memo to local politicians, informed them that an advanced bid to host the Gay Games had been strapped, and a lean funding pipeline also put at risk Lions rugby tours in 2027 and 2029, and an ICC Tour cricket World Cup in 2028. Team New Zealand continues to negotiate with challengers, to agree a protocol – a set of event and design rules – for the Naples cup regatta in 2027.
NZ Herald
16-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Society Insider: Peter and Lucinda Burling's new life in Italy; Kiwi It Girls in Europe; YouTube star Jesse James opens new Ponsonby Rd bar
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is based in Cagliari, a major port city, until the next America's Cup regatta takes place off the coast of Naples in 2027. Last month, the former Emirates Team New Zealand, three-time America's Cup skipper announced he was joining Prada Group chairman Patrizio Bertelli's team. 'I've always loved racing against Luna Rossa, and now to join this iconic team is a real honour,' said 34-year-old Burling. Burling will play a pivotal role in the team's leadership group and development programme. Peter Burling in his new Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli uniform. The impressive base is nestled on the Molo Ichnusa harbour area, where the team perform daily tests and analyses on and off the water. Society Insider is told Burling and Luna Rossa are keenly awaiting the release of the final protocols for the 2027 cup by Burling's former boss, Team NZ chief executive Grant Dalton. Lucinda, a lawyer and interior design expert, loves Cagliari's rich history and diverse architecture. She is also enjoying the wonderful Prada clothing she has access to thanks to her husband's new role. 'The family are all embracing learning Italian,' a source close to the family tells Society Insider. 'In Italy, pre-school education [scuola dell'infanzia] starts far earlier than in New Zealand, and Paloma will attend a bilingual one.' Lucinda Burling dressed head to toe in Prada at Wimbledon. Peter Burling and his daughter Paloma at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice. Burling is also pleased to be working with a team who are as passionate about looking after the ocean as he is. Days after the Black Foils won silver in SailGP in New York last month, Burling, his family and his Black Foils co-chief executive and Live Ocean Foundation co-founder Blair Tuke, spent three days at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. The pair were star guests at the Ocean House Nightcap, where the duo highlighted issues closer to home in Aotearoa and the Pacific. Blair Tuke and Peter Burling talk at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice. Also at the conference was Bertelli's son, Lorenzo, who is the chief marketing officer of the Prada Group and its head of corporate social responsibility. Prada Group has pledged more than $4 million for its Sea Beyond project, which focuses on ocean literacy. The Burlings have a multimillion-dollar house in Ponsonby; however, their new base in Sardinia allows speedy access to the European SailGP racing all over the Continent in the next few months. Lucinda has many friends in London, and this month the Burlings have been spotted out and about. Peter headed to the Silverstone Circuit, near the Northamptonshire villages, for the Great Britain Formula One Grand Prix and both Peter and Lucinda got dressed up for Wimbledon. Peter and Lucinda Burling outside Wimbledon. The Burlings were guests in the royal box on the sixth day of the tennis tournament, and among the sports stars in their row was British sailing champion Sir Ben Ainslie, one seat down. Burling is making a return to ocean racing as a crew member on the French trimaran Trim SVR-Lazartigue in the Rolex Fastnet Race, just days after sailing in the British Sail GP this month. Burling will race with the Black Foils in Portsmouth this weekend and then head to Cowes in the Isle of Wight to join the French team, which will race over 600 nautical miles to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France. Peter Burling at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Lucinda and Peter Burling in New York during the SailGP event there. Burling, who sailed in the Volvo Ocean race in 2017, told Yachting World that when SVR-Lazartigue contacted him to race, it was an easy decision to say yes. 'I've always loved offshore racing – that's what led me to the Ocean Race. The Ultim class is the pinnacle of high-performance offshore sailing,' said Burling. 'These boats are incredibly innovative and versatile. I'm really excited to get back offshore and to learn more about how this class is evolving.' The family will get some time at home in New Zealand this summer, when SailGP returns to Auckland in February. The Kiwi It-girls in the Med London-based Kiwi It girl Kimberly Owen is hitting Europe's hot spots this summer, and a new generation of women is following in her footsteps. Kimberly Owen has been enjoying the European summer. It's been nearly a decade since Society Insider announced that Owen, the daughter of one of New Zealand's most successful property men, Steve, was relocating to London, where her father owns a smart abode in Belgravia and she mixes with the city's elite. Owen was a guest last month at what was billed as the biggest party ever on the Spanish party Island of Ibiza: the opening of the new super club UNVRS, featuring a star-studded lineup of DJs including Carl Cox and Jamie Jones, and celebrities such as Will Smith and English football star Jude Bellingham. UNVRS has been called the world's largest nightclub, with a capacity of 10,000. VIP tables with table service for eight guests are said to cost more than $3000 for DJ booth access and it can cost twice that for a prime dance-floor table. Kimberly Owen at UNVRS Enchanted Forest in Ibiza. Last week, we reported that Gretchen and Duncan Hawkesby's son Dylan enjoyed the club with friends as part of his 19th birthday celebrations. Owen was back in Ibiza last week for the UNVRS Enchanted Forest party, where the club transformed into a forest of sequins. The next generation of Kiwi women turning heads in the Mediterranean are London-based model Ella Sloane, Auckland-based social media co-ordinator Estella Gapes and Sydney-based model Yasmin Christian. Ella Sloane in London. Estella Gapes and Ella Sloane in Ibiza. The trio originate from the same Auckland private school circles. Sloane and Christian share the same New Zealand agency, 62 Management. Christian got her love of fashion from her mother, in-demand, Auckland-based fashion stylist Rachelle Christian. Gapes is the daughter of successful property developer Tony. Her mother, Nikki, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident seven years ago. Sloane is the daughter of former Real Housewives of Auckland star Julia Lorimer, and Dunbar M. Sloane, from the auction house family. Estella Gapes at Ushuaïa outdoor club's Ants Metal Works party in Ibiza. Estella Gapes in Ibiza. Sloane and Gapes have also spent time in Ibiza recently, enjoying the world-renowned outdoor nightclub Ushuaia's high-energy techno Ants Metal Works party. The pair also spent time in Marbella and celebrated Gapes' 23rd birthday in Madrid, before heading back to London to enjoy Sabrina Carpenter's concert VIP-style at Hyde Park. This week, Gapes enjoyed the sights and sounds of Saint-Tropez and Cannes and tells Society Insider the whole trip so far has been amazing. Christian has taken time out of her successful Australian modelling career to enjoy the European summer. So far, she has enjoyed time in Paris, France and Monaco, island-hopped in Greece and taken in Rome, the Amalfi Coast and Capri, in Italy, and this week, Spain. Yasmin Christian on the Amalfi Coast. Yasmin Christian in Monaco. Christian tells Society Insider Milos in Greece was a standout, with good times had at O! Hamos! 'Rome was a dream. In Capri, the terrace at restaurant Villa Verde was stunning,' says Christian. Also in Spain is Auckland Bay Audiology heiress Ali Andrews, who married multi-billionaire Chanel heir Raph Wertheimer in a private ceremony at their home base of Manhattan in December. The couple started the European season in London, where Andrews caught up with Lucinda Burling. Ali Andrews (centre) with her friends in Marbella. Ali Andrews and Raph Wertheimer with their cake at The Coya Club in Marbella. Last week the couple were in Paris, where Wertheimer's family brand Chanel held its fall 2025 couture show at the Grand Palais, also attended by Kiwi singer Lorde. The couple joined friends in Marbella this week, staying at a palatial casa. In honour of their wedding, Andrews and Wertheimer had a celebration dinner at the Coya Club, Puente Romano. Jesse James holds a Texas fundraiser at his new Ponsonby hotspot Tradie, extreme sports athlete and YouTube star Jesse James hosted a fundraiser at the Ponsonby Rd bar he co-owns, Jolene, on Saturday afternoon to support victims of the Texas floods. The event came just a week after Jolene's opening party. 'When I saw the catastrophic floods, we couldn't sit around and do nothing,' James tells Society Insider. Jolene co-owner Jesse James with singer Mitch James at Jolene. 'In my teens, I spent time at a summer camp in Maine, so it rang home, the loss of life for so many people affected in Texas. I knew Jolene had to hold an event to raise money for the families who have lost so much.' James grew up on Auckland's North Shore, and chased an endless summer between the US and New Zealand in his teens after completing his plumbing apprenticeship. In between tradie jobs he would seek extreme sports adventures, including wakeboarding, skydiving, surfing, motorsports, boating and freediving. He took his love of creating extreme sports content for YouTube internationally. He often travelled with his best mate, fellow tradie and YouTube star, Queensland-based Logan Dodds, who was there to support his fundraiser last Saturday. James has opened Jolene alongside hospitality lads Thane Kirby and former Olympic decathlete Brent Newdick, at 164 Ponsonby Rd, the former site of Mexico. Jolene co-owner Brent Newdick. Thane Kirby and Luke Dallow at Gigi's opening night in May. Ponsonby's 'new home of country music and attitude' sits across the road from Kirby's new spot with Luke Dallow, Gigi Bar and Restaurant, which opened in May. At Jolene's opening party James' friend, singer Mitch James, performed. Guests included Precinct Properties' Lily Montana, lawyer Taylor Sutherland and James' good mate, former world champion wakeboarder Brad Smeele and his family. Jolene co-owner Jesse James with Taylor Sutherland at Jolene. Brad Smeele and Jesse James at Jolene. When Auckland nurse Rachel Lockwood saw Jolene fundraising for the Texas Flood Relief Fund, she asked if she could attend the event to share a personal connection. Lockwood had spent time working at Heart O' the Hills, a Texas Summer Camp for girls by the Guadalupe River, which was completely washed away by the floods. 'I am grateful to Jesse and the team at Jolene for putting on a beautiful event and to everyone who showed up to show their support,' says Lockwood. The afternoon event was family-friendly and alcohol-free, to mark Dry July. Sponsors came on board from Asahi 0.0% and Sober AF drinks, with food served by Hamish Pinkham's Tex-Mex pop-up, Sheppards Kitchen. 'All the money we raised from the drinks and food will be going straight to the relief fund,' says James. Rosie Teese and her band play at the Texas Flood Fundraiser at Jolene. Kiwi country star Rosie Teese and her band led the day's entertainment with her new single Breathe, which is released this week. In February, before he opened Gigi, Kirby and Newdick were doing Jolene pop-up nights at 155 Ponsonby Rd. 'I have known Brent for a decade, and when I saw what he and Thane were doing, I loved it,' says James. 'I perched up at the bar and said, You two should do this with a permanent spot with a real cowboy,' he says. When Mexico closed its doors in Ponsonby in May, the posse went about securing a permanent home for Jolene. Jolene co-owner Jesse James. James, whose full name is Jesse James Cassrels, says his dad, Geoff, named him after the legendary American Western outlaw, which gave James a fascination for America's Wild West. His mother, Arnse, is a singer-songwriter and his cousin is singer Benee. James says music is very much in his blood and Nashville, Tennessee, is his second home. James says line dancing and ladies-only nights will be part of Jolene's schedule. 'Customers have a great time enjoying fantastic country music and authentic, Southern-inspired food.' Party people of the week Naveya & Sloane Christchurch opening Fine jewellery house Naveya & Sloane unveiled its first South Island showroom on Friday evening – housed within the historic Midlands Club on Oxford Terrace in Christchurch. Hosted by co-founder Rachel Sloane and her business partner and husband Alex Bunnett, the night included diamonds, bubbles and curated detail. Lou Heller and Rachel Sloane at the opening of Naveya and Sloane in Christchurch. Photo / Chloe Pomfret To celebrate, Naveya & Sloane designed New Zealand's largest ring box. Sitting riverside on the Avon by the Bridge of Remembrance, the two-metre installation brimmed with fresh blooms by local florist Bek Novak. Guests were treated to canapés by Lillies, pours from Cloudy Bay, Peroni and Pals, and thoughtful take-home moments by Abel Fragrance and Audi. The event included artwork by Jacqui Colley and styling by Naveya & Sloane head of design Sophie Bioletti. The giant Naveya & Soane ring box installation brimming with fresh blooms by local florist Bek Novak. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Among the guests were Metropol Magazine editor Nina Tucker; Lomas Kerr director Julia Lomas; Spark PR & Activate event manager Danielle McEnaney; and fashion stylist Lou Heller. Tuscany Hamel and Richard Clarke. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Georgia Royle and Michael Karabassis. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Denise Faraco, Fraser Bremford and Natalie Crowe. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Leo Noordanus, Hannah Brown and Nina Tucker. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Sophie Stephens and Brianna Boyd. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Rachel Sloane and Alex Bunnett. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Ana-Maria Didenco and Kasia Stanicich. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Julia Lomas and Emma McLaughlin. Photo / Chloe Pomfret Central city splash Kiwi technical outerwear company Inselberg treated guests to a sneak preview of the brand's latest design at a pop-up shop in Auckland's Britomart last Tuesday. Calvin Lee and Jarlath Anderson at their Inselberg pop-up at Britomart. Photo / Katie Armstrong Labelled 'the world's toughest shell jacket', the Axiom Shell was put through its paces over three years by members of the Aoraki Mount Cook Alpine Rescue Team in the Southern Alps. The jacket was also put to the test at the event, with various demonstrations of the fabric's strength, including an in-store rain shower. Drinks were also flowing, and canapes were served by neighbouring restaurant Ortolana. Inselberg founder Jarlath Anderson shared the brand's back story in front of the guests, who included Black Foils SailGP sailor Leo Takahashi, Olympic swimmer Lewis Clareburt, international rugby referee Ben O'Keeffe, 1News presenter Jenny Suo, Shortland Street star Ben Barrington, fashion stylist Sarah Stuart and influencers Simone Anderson and Tarryn Donaldson. Jessica Weale and Ben Barrington. Photo / Katie Armstrong Ben O'Keeffe and Zac Dickinson. Photo / Katie Armstrong Calvin Lee and Tom Walsh. Photo / Katie Armstrong Leo Takahashi, Jarlath Anderson and Lewis Clareburt. Photo / Katie Armstrong Sarah Stuart, Jessica Weale and Carolyn Enting. Photo / Katie Armstrong Simone Anderson and Sarah Wallace. Photo / Katie Armstrong Ricardo Simich has been with the Herald since 2008 where he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.
