Among the King's Birthday Honours announced today there was a distinct business flavour, including a woman who smashed the glass ceiling and a Kiwi aiming for the stars.
The list of King's Birthday and Coronation Honours recipients for 2024 has been released, the second since King Charles III became Britain's monarch following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
The 2024 list is the first to use the honours of the KSO and KSM titles, renamed after the passing of Queen Elizabeth. Previously, they had been known as the Queen's Service Order and the Queen's Service Medal (QSO and QSM).
Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab Peter Beck has been awarded a KNZM honour for services to the aerospace industry. Sir Peter told Newshub he was surprised and stunned by the honour.
"It's a surprise and stunned for sure. Yep. And I certainly wasn't expecting that," Sir Peter said.
Sir Peter's singular vision is to make space affordable and accessible for small satellites.
Rocket Lab is now a multi-billion dollar company that operates from space bases in three countries including the remote Mahia Peninsula.
Sir Peter has sent a satellite to the moon and has another mission planned for Mars. But he said the honour isn't just for him.
"I don't really see it as accepting necessarily as Peter because it is accepting it, as, you know, for all engineers and entrepreneurs in New Zealand. If we can be successful on the global stage in the space industry then we can do anything," he said.
Sir Peter is joined as Knight by Professor Peter Hunter, an expert in bioengineering from the University of Auckland.
Breaking through barriers in science and business is a theme of these top King's Birthday honours. For Dame Theresa Gattung, it was smashing that corporate glass ceiling.
"I was so thrilled, I was speechless, really, I didn't I just really, really was so honoured," Dame Theresa said of the honour.
Dame Theresa was only 37 when she became the CEO of Telecom - New Zealand's largest listed company at the time.
"I've always been a little bit eccentric and yes, I would have been very, very out there. And certainly, in my early business career, I was often the only woman in the room - that has shifted.
"It isn't as difficult now for women as it was then, but it's eternal vigilance. It's not as difficult now because there's more than one female CEO."
And there is more than one businesswoman who has been honoured.
Joan Withers, who has led companies like Mighty River Power, Mercury Energy and TVNZ, has also been made a Dame.
Another business leader Rod Duke of the Briscoes group, has been made a Companion of Honour.
All high achievers who don't want to be treated differently.
"I call my assistant madam because she's really the boss. I didn't expect her to say that. People start calling me anything different," Dame Theresa said.
It's a sentiment shared by Sir Peter.
"Look to everybody, I'm just Pete. So, no doubt I'll get some stick, but certainly, you know, [I'm] very proud as well."
A full list of the King's Birthday and Coronation Honours can be found here.
