For entrepreneur Alex Su the Lunar New Year is time to celebrate and reflect on the life he has created in
The 34-year-old came to New Zealand as a student 17 years ago and now runs a business employing around 50 people.
“New Zealand has given me wonderful opportunities,” says Mr Su, who imports massage chairs and portable massagers and is ANZ’s 2017 Migrant Entrepreneur of the Year.
“I’ve lived half my life in New Zealand. I got my degree here, got a good job and learned a lot before I started my own business. I was so lucky I had so many people who helped me.”
ANZ’s Head of Migrant Banking and Auckland Asian Banking, Jack Hou, says small to medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the economy and Mr Su’s story is a perfect example of the contribution migrants make to the community.
Mr Su, his wife and children, are among around 171,000 Chinese New Zealanders who will be celebrating the Lunar New Year, which begins on 16 February.
ANZ is a sponsor of the Auckland Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day and Wellington’s Chinese New Year Festival.
“These events are enjoyed by tens of thousands of people and are testament to New Zealand’s recognition of Asian communities and their contribution to New Zealand,” says Mr Hou.
Around 30,000 Chinese will visit New Zealand during the two-week festival. Mr Hou says the celebrations are another way to connect New Zealand with the wider region.
When he first arrived in New Zealand in 2001 Mr Su opened an account with National Bank and has continued with the bank ever since, including after its merger with ANZ in 2012.
“The bank was really helpful after I started my own business in 2011, including offering feedback on my business plans. I consider my business banking manager to be a partner with me,” he says.
According to McCulley Research six-month rolling data published in January 2018, ANZ continues to hold the leadership position in the migrant segment with 71 per cent “Migrant banking Consideration,” which means every seven out of 10 migrant customers will consider ANZ’s banking service in NZ.
ANZ has 15 migrant banking centres throughout New Zealand with more than 600 staff who can speak a language other than English.