A digital advertising entrepreneur who grew a business from his kitchen in Nelson into an enterprise which now spans several continents has taken out the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award at an event in Auckland.

Jonny Hendriksen, founder and chief executive of Shuttlerock, would go on to represent New Zealand entrepreneurship as a recipient of the global World Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2024.

“Jonny stood out in a high-calibre field for his perseverance and resilience, and for how he has paved his own path to success,” said chair of judges Cecilia Robinson, co-founder of My Food Bag and Tend Health.

“He’s modest in how he speaks about his achievements, and although he’s been an entrepreneur for some time, he truly embodies the new-age entrepreneurial spirit – working remotely from Nelson to be present for his family and manage his work-life balance.

“What impressed us most was how he exemplifies a masterful entrepreneur, staying grounded in his New Zealand roots while excelling on a global stage.”

Shuttlerock built creative studios and proprietary technology to help clients produce content at scale, 24 hours a day – a so-called “creative as a service” solution.

Prior to starting Shuttlerock, Hendriksen founded ValueClick Japan and became the first foreigner to list a company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

EY Entrepreneur of the Year New Zealand programme leader Jason Macgregor said the judges agreed Hendriksen’s business achievements were underpinned by remarkable determination regarding delivering better outcomes.

“At its core, entrepreneurship is about developing a meaningful product or service that harnesses innovation and creativity to stand out, then utilising business nous to build it into a viable and successful business.

“The success Jonny has achieved with Shuttlerock is an excellent example of how to build a Kiwi business and take it to a global scale.”

Hendriksen was up against four other entrepreneurs, including Michael Walker, founder and chief executive of financial firm BlackBull Markets, Craig Piggott, founder of agri-technology business Halter, Miria Flavell, founder of women’s activewear brand Hine Collection, and Sam Bridgewater and Maia Royal, co-founders of The Pure Food Co.

The judges for the award’s 25th year included Robinson, Brianne West, founder of beauty brand Ethique, Grant Straker, chief executive and co-founder of Straker Translations, Phil Thomson, chief executive and co-founder of Auror, and Sonya Williams, co-founder and co-chief executive of Sharesies.