July 21, 2025
News

Christchurch Speed Networking with Keystone Trust

Alex Wallin

For many students, their first interaction with industry professionals does not happen until they are seated across from them in a job interview. We believe it is time to change that.

At WT, we are proud to support the Keystone Trust as a tertiary education scholarship sponsor. Beyond financial support, we actively engage with students by attending and hosting events, such as speed networking sessions, that support early and meaningful connections between students and professionals.

Speed networking provides a unique format where students meet professionals from a range of disciplines and experience levels across the property and construction industry. In five-minute conversations, students rotate between professionals, either individually or in pairs, allowing for focused and personalised discussions that align with their career interests.

WT has hosted speed networking events in Wellington and Auckland, and we were pleased to bring the event to Christchurch last week. These sessions are an important part of how we help bridge the gap between education and industry, giving students the opportunity to build confidence, gain insight and grow their networks.

We welcomed industry professionals into our Christchurch office to connect with students from the University of Canterbury, the University of Otago, and Lincoln University, all of whom are preparing for careers in the built environment.

Students were studying a range of degrees, such as Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Land and Property, and Surveying, therefore our team assured the event was attended by industry professionals from varied backgrounds.

A big thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event a success, we’re proud to support initiatives that invest in future talent.

We'd like to particularly thank Amanda, Ailsa and Cathy at Keystone Trust for empowering us to host this event, to the students that seized the opportunity, and to the professionals who gave up their time, including:

▪ Rob Lane, Lewis Bradford Consulting

▪ Alistair Boyce, Lyttelton Port Co

▪ David Mallett, GHD

▪ Natasha Manning-Evans, Christchurch International Airport Limited

▪ Simon Taylor, Cosgroves

▪ Marcus Read, RCP

▪ Anna Lough, Mainland Capital

▪ Jared Pettersson, Enviser

▪ Kristine Bouw, Christchurch City Council

▪ Luke Donnelly, WT

▪ Tom Weekes, WT

▪ Chloe Gordon, WT‍

▪ Hamish Dobson, WT

▪ Scott Nesbitt, WT‍

▪ Julian Broughan, WT

Learn more about our industry progression initiatives and discover job opportunities at WT. We offer internships and work experience every year to support future talent.

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