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Nirvana Health Group Director and Pakuranga resident Ranjna Patel is a finalist in the Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year competition.
The 18 finalists were announced during a special event at the ASB Cube in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter on July 21, 2016.
The EY Entrepreneur of the Year is one of the world’s most prestigious business awards.
“It’s an honour to be recognised among such an amazing group of business people. I’m in great company,” Mrs Patel says.
Success story
The Nirvana story began in 1977 when Mrs Patel and her husband Dr Kantilal Patel took over a solo GP clinic in Otara.
Today their brand of health provision is delivered through affiliated general practices, urgent care clinics, specialist centres, occupational health clinics and pharmacies. Nirvana Health Group has more than 55 sites across New Zealand and Australia, and serves over 1,000,000 customers a year.
Outside of business hours, she is a strong advocate of helping her community. Mrs Patel and her husband funded and built a Hindu temple that 500 people regularly attend. As well as recent work focusing on women’s leadership, one of Mrs Patel’s enduring initiatives is the creation of Gandhi Nivas, a programme focussed on ending domestic violence.
Tackling family violence
She had identified that four out of 14 women killed from family violence were Indian and accounted for 55% of protection orders breached. Engaging with the Police and various counselling services helped her create this long-term generational change programme.
Stage one of the New Zealand EY competition starts next month and includes a quick-fire question round with judges, and a workshop hosted by Villa Maria Wines founder, Sir George Fistonich.
Category winners will be announced at the end of August, and the final winner will be revealed in October. The winner of the New Zealand competition goes on to vie for the title of Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year in Monaco.
For more information, visit the Entrepreneur of the Year website.
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