Marsden Years 1961-1966 (Years 8-13)

This award recognises Rosemary Sharpin a scientist, bio-technologist, an innovator and a businesswoman.

Rosemary, was a boarder at Marsden in the mid-1960s, a time of social and academic change. Senior school years were mixed with learning and leadership but most students left with the ethos they could do anything, although options were limited. Rosemary went to Otago University and completed a BSC majoring in Microbiology - a first step in innovation. She later completed a PHD in Pathology at Auckland University.

In between the research and academic rigor, she was involved with medical research and immunology in rheumatoid arthritis. However, her philosophy of providing microbiological solutions to issues being experienced by New Zealand industries, brought her to finding a business partner with similar aspirations and founding New Zealand's first biotechnology company, ICP (Immuno-Chemical Products Limited). This in itself was quite radical – startup companies were not common, least of all by women. Soon international clients were seeking the skills and products of the company.

In 2003, Rosemary bought one section of the company and developed it to enable untrained staff in a variety of industries to test and analyse bacteria in a simple manner. Information technology had taken off, international companies were at the door, and Rosemary's wide experience was extended to website design and many new aspects of business. Success and understanding of the client go hand in hand.

There have been awards along the way too – Distinguished Biotechnologist in 2000, Best of the new from Popular science in 2010, Most innovative Product in an New Zealand/American medical export market, to name but a few.

Although it was sometime ago, Rosemary says of her company "A critical component of our success is our open mind, listening to the customers. We have gone out to give people the product they needed, not gone out there with our product and said "you need this".

A good maxim for business and life as much now as then.