Morgan Poi won the Projects under $ 10 Million Award category at the 2023 NZ Building People Awards. He was nominated for his work as Site Manager for Hawkins on the Hawke’s Bay Prison Staff Facilities project.

What made Morgan stand out amongst a strong field was his humility, empathetic leadership, positivity, and his commitment to people. These qualities became particularly important in responding to Hawke’s Bay’s flooding in February 2023 where Morgan went above and beyond to support his colleagues.

The judges said “It is an absolute privilege to have Morgan Poi as the winner in this category. Morgan has had a clear impact on all stakeholders on the project, he leads from the trenches with empathy and understanding.”

We asked Morgan a few questions to get to know him better.

What did your NZ Building People Awards Win mean to you?
It gave me a lot of reassurance. Quite often when you’re in the grind of a project, actions go un-noticed. Some actions far greater than mine are unseen, so it was nice to be recognized for that work.

What is one thing you love about your job?
I enjoy accomplishment, whether it be a small day to day task or delivering a project – The best part of the job is there are multiple opportunities every day to accomplish various tasks and ultimately a project.

What is one change you would love to see made in the building industry in NZ?
I would love to see the stigma of “us v them” removed from the industry. This relates mostly to the Client/Consultant/Main-Contractor relationships – I feel each party has motives which aren’t necessarily aligned.

Who inspires you in the Building Industry and why?
My iwi, Ngāti Porou, indirectly provides me with inspiration. We’re from a small, isolated part of New Aotearoa, so when anyone of us has success on a national stage, we are all lifted by that. Just look at our rugby team…

What are you reading/watching/listening to at the moment?
I listen to a few podcasts but the “What a Lad” podcast by Jimmy Marshall is probably my most listened to. It’s primarily rugby podcast with past and present players speaking about their journey, but the best episode would have to be the “Tim Bateman – Life after rugby” – So many useful tips to finding a good life balance.