Futurespace Award 'great for your career'

June 27 2025

Our 2025 ACE New Zealand People Awards are now open and we want to hear about the amazing mahi consultants are doing within their organisations and communities.  

GHD Business Group Leader Asem Zabin experienced a moment of pride when he was nominated for the inaugural ACE New Zealand Futurespace Award. His subsequent win was the icing on the cake. This, along with client testimonials backing his nomination, culminated in a career highlight, and he encourages others to seize this opportunity for its community-wide benefits. 

We asked Asem about winning the 2024 Futurespace Award for his exceptional innovation in digital transformation and why others should apply. 

 

Asem ZabinHow do you feel about winning the award? 

"I’m very proud of it. It’s great for your career and company brand, and getting recognition for the good work you’ve done is a really nice part of it.  

"It was a good reminder to look back on what I’d achieved during the last couple of years, including the outside activities I’m involved in, such as being a guest lecturer at the University of Auckland and running hackathons. It’s really cool to reflect on what you are doing and how you are contributing to your company, clients, and the community. It’s a great way to pause and remember." 

 

Have you decided how you’ll use your prize? 

"My role has changed in the last six months. I’m now a business group leader looking at asset management, technology, data and insights, which aligns well with the Futurespace Award. It's more of a leadership role now that I’ve a bigger team, so I’ve decided to use the prize for an online Harvard course about leadership. It was great timing and an obvious choice."

 

Why should people enter the Futurespace Award? 

"Everyone in this industry cares about the community, so think about the Futurespace Award not just from your own perspective but from a community perspective so that we can all grow together.  

"The award is a lot about innovation, technology, and what you’re doing differently to help your clients and community. I think it's a great way to encourage recognition of what you’re doing and the benefits to the community, and to inspire people to care and get excited about this work and see possibilities where they may not have before. 

"Hopefully the award also encourages more people to participate in this space. Having more innovators – Futurespace-thinking people – is exactly what New Zealand needs in this tough economy. The only way we can succeed is to innovate because we don’t have the biggest budget or many resources. We are very limited. If you look at history, innovation often results when peoples’ resources are very constrained. 

"The Futurespace Award is great for individuals and their careers, but also for those who love this industry and what they do every day for their community. We need to encourage and inspire the next generation. Young people often look at those on stage receiving awards and think ‘I'll never be able to do that’ but everyone can. The application is just like any project and think about the benefits it will bring to everyone. It's definitely worth the effort. You’ll be surprised at how amazing you are!" 

 

How to apply for the 2025 People Awards 

Applications for this year’s ACE New Zealand People Awards close on 11 July and will be presented at the ACE Awards Gala on 23 October in Auckland. 

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