Chairman - Graham L Smolenski LLB
Graham Smolenski, a trained lawyer and barrister, has a background in business start up, company management, corporate governance and strategic planning, corporate financing and property development.
He graduated from Otago University in 1973 and after initial practice in Dunedin and Auckland he went overseas. Additional studies saw the completion of two years Post Graduate work at Melbourne University, Australia, specialising in resource management and local government law/administration. On finishing his studies in 1977 he stayed on at Melbourne University for a further two years lecturing in these courses.
His law career has seen a focus on commercial and corporate law/local government and resource management law in both New Zealand and Australia. In Australia he became a solicitor with Mallesons in Melbourne then, after reading for the bar, became a barrister specialising in these areas.
He practiced as a barrister in Australia and New Zealand until 1986 when he gave up legal practice to pursue a career in business in his own right.
The change in 1986 to business saw Graham working with a Hong Kong based Private Equity investment and Development Company - specialising in business analysis, strategic planning, corporate structuring and analysing investment opportunities - over a period of five years. He was founder and CEO for 12 years of the award winning Millbrook Golf and Country Club resort development in Queenstown (which hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Retreat in 1995 and the US Presidential visit in 1999). Before that he was responsible for the development of the Nugget Point Hotel (Queenstown), also the winner of a number of tourism awards.
Graham continues to be based in Queenstown. Since 2000 he has operated as a Private Equity investor through his investment company G L Smolenski Investments Limited. By virtue of this business activity he and his family interests are involved in the following enterprises, (inter alia):-
NZSKI Ltd, the owner of Coronet Peak, Remarkables and Mount Hutt ski areas. Shareholder, Director and Vice Chairman. www.nzski.com
Southern Lakes Laundries Limited, a Queenstown based industrial laundry. Shareholder and Director.
BAS Properties Limited, an Auckland factory owning company. Shareholder and Director.
JB Attachments Limited, an Auckland based engineering company specialising in contracting and road transport equipment. Shareholder and Chairman. www.jbattachments.com
Southern Lakes Developments Limited, a property investment and development company. Shareholder and Director.
Gibbston Valley Wines Limited, a Queenstown based vineyard and winery operation. Shareholder and Director. www.gvwines.co.nz
New Zealand Property Solutions Limited, specialist internet property agency, handling property on behalf of international clients. Shareholder and Director. www.nzpropertysolutions.co.nz
Past corporate community activities include Queenstown Airport Corporation (Vice Chairman 13 years), Queenstown Promotion Board (Chairman 7 years), 50K of Coronet Peak Limited, a ski event raising money for research seat at child medicine, Otago University. Waitaki Development Board (Director 6 years) Queenstown Winter Marketing Group (Director 4 years) and Wakatipu High School Board Member.
