Scott William Weenink is a highly accomplished international business leader whose career spans elite sport, private practice law, global executive leadership, governance, and investment. Renowned for his strategic and legal acumen, commercial insight, and people-first leadership, he has built an exceptional track record across executive management, board governance, and entrepreneurial investment in multiple jurisdictions, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa.
A distinguished sportsman as well as a successful executive, Weenink competed at an elite level in both cricket and rugby. He was a first-class cricketer and a representative rugby union player, for both Wellington and Oxford University. He earned the rare distinction of being awarded Oxford University “Blues” in both cricket and rugby, demonstrating excellence at some of the highest levels of sport. This foundation in high-performance environments instilled the discipline, resilience, and teamwork that have consistently underpinned his professional success.
Academically, Weenink combines intellectual rigour with global perspective. He holds a Master of Studies in Law from the University of Oxford, where he was awarded a prestigious Major Stanley Scholarship, and undergraduate degrees in Law and English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington. He further strengthened his executive capabilities through study at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is admitted to practise law in New Zealand, England & Wales, and Australia.
He began his career as a corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions lawyer with leading firms Bell Gully in New Zealand, and Norton Rose Fulbright in London and Singapore. This foundation led to a senior role at Spark, where he played a key role in the landmark divestment of the Yellow Pages—one of New Zealand’s most significant corporate transactions.
Weenink’s international career accelerated during his nine years with Ooredoo Group, a global telecommunications operator headquartered in Qatar. He held multiple senior roles, including Head of M&A and Finance, General Counsel for Asia, and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Ooredoo Myanmar. He was instrumental in expanding the company’s footprint across Asia, overseeing investments of approximately US$6 billion and leading complex market entries, integrations, and infrastructure developments in emerging markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar.
Returning to New Zealand, he served as General Counsel and Company Secretary of Auckland International Airport, then the country’s largest listed company, while also holding directorships across associated infrastructure and tourism businesses. He later invested in and joined Modica Group as Executive Director and Chief Commercial Officer, helping drive rapid expansion by growing revenues from approximately NZ$8 million to NZ$30 million and scaling the business internationally.
In August 2023, Weenink was appointed Chief Executive Officer of New Zealand Cricket (NZC). His tenure was marked by exceptional performance and results both on and off the field. He led the organisation to record financial results, including transforming a projected NZ$7 million loss into a NZ$2 million profit on revenues of approximately NZ$80 million in 2025, while also building record reserves and securing major broadcast agreements which are so critical to the future financial resilience of NZC. At the same time, the BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS delivered exceptional international performances, supported by a high-performing, values-driven culture and record employee engagement.
He also played an important role globally as a member of the International Cricket Council’s Chief Executives Committee and Men’s Cricket Committee.
Alongside his executive career, Weenink has built an outstanding governance and investment portfolio. He has served as Chair and director across sectors including funds management, financial services, telecommunications, infrastructure, and education. As a founding investor and Chair of Generate KiwiSaver Funds Management, he helped grow the company into one of New Zealand’s leading funds management providers, now managing over NZ$10 billion in funds.
He is also Chair of Xceda Group, where he has overseen significant growth in both deposit and loan books to over NZ$200 million, while helping shape strategy and expansion. His broader governance experience includes chairing the New Zealand Cricket Players Association and serving on boards such as Enable Networks and St Cuthberts College.
Today, Weenink continues to contribute as a board chair, non-executive director, and investor. Across sport, academia, executive leadership, governance, and investment, he stands out as a highly accomplished and versatile leader with a proven ability to create value, build high-performing organisations, and deliver sustained success.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I start most days with a strong coffee! I also like to drop the kids off at school and spending time with them each morning, even when no one is speaking to each other, is an important part of the day.
I don’t currently have a job with regular hours or a regular place of work, and I’m still getting used to not having an Executive Assistant to run my diary, so to ensure I have a productive day it’s critical that I put all appointments in my electronic diary with “alerts” ! Planning my day in advance, including setting aside time for exercise and reading the news, is also critical for me to have a productive day.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I keep a notebook by my bed, and also in my satchel, to record ideas that pop into my head. However, bringing the actual ideas to life is the harder part! A SWAT analysis of the idea, and opportunity for the idea, is usually the best starting point.]
What’s one trend that excites you?
I think the increasing use of AI tools in the “plumbing” of a business is an exciting trend, i.e. using AI tools such as Co-Pilot to assist with managing basic tasks and workflows in the running of a business. It should make a businesses far more efficient and cut down on basic and administrative tasks that don’t have a meaningful “return on investment” of the time spent on the task, while enabling staff and executives to focus on more important and meaningful tasks, that can have a greater return on investment of time. That leads to greater productivity and therefore a more productive and successful workforce and business.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I write weekly and daily task lists that I tick off as I complete the various tasks. This enables me to keep on top of things. I also use the electronic diary on my phone to help manage my days and weeks.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t sweat the small stuff, and definitely don’t unnecessarily focus on the uncontrollable! Focus on the big stuff and the stuff that you can control! Also, be prepared to feel the fear and do it anyway!
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you.
That the New Zealand Warriors will win the NRL in the next couple of years!
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Call my Parents! I also repeatedly recommend to my kids that they call their Parents (me and my Wife)!
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Exercise! Walk, run, ride or lift weights…I have always found that exercise is a great way to decompress, particularly when feeling overwhelmed or unfocused.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Always prioritising people and relationships. Even before getting to the stage where I was able to influence strategy related to people and staff, prioritising relationships with colleagues and clients/ customers was something that I thought was important. Once I started being put into leadership positions where I could influence strategy, I always made people and relationships a key part of any strategy or strategic plan. People are always an organisations most important asset and a “people first” strategy where people and relationships are a priority, will always pay dividends and lead to a more successful business and/ or career.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I can’t point to any particular failure in my career that is particularly notable. However, I have experienced varying degrees of failure in my career. If you aren’t failing regularly, and being prepared to fail regularly, then you are not pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and you will never increase your experience and build on your expertise. The lesson in this is to accept that there will always be a risk of failure, but you must embrace that risk and continue to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I have seed funded a new global cricket streaming platform that is in start-up phase. There are a number of global cricket platforms, but none provide a one stop shop for cricket fans across the globe. CricketPass hopes to be that platform. Take a look at it.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Microsoft 365, and in particular Co-Pilot. I think I could run a small law firm on my own using Co-Pilot. Its gets most things about 80% right, and certainly breaks the back of some of the more basic tasks that enable me to be productive around drafting and reviewing documents etc. However, you do need to have a level of expertise on particular subject matters to ensure that you are asking the right questions of Co-Pilot, and able to assess the 20% where it has not quite got things correct.
What is the best $100 you recently spent?
I put up $100 as part of a FIFA World Cup sweepstake that my family (Wife and four Daughters) set up amongst us on a winner takes all basis. It was a lot of fun and meant we all really got excited about the tournament and who was knocking out who! Hard to replicate fun family times but I think I’ll do something similar for other major sporting events as it really created a great atmosphere in the house and meant lots of laughter…and tears in some cases!
Do you have a favorite book or podcast from which you’ve received much value?
I regularly listen to the Prof G Podcast with Scott Galloway. He can be a bit of a d*ck, but he seems to know that and to not take himself too seriously. He regularly has some really interesting guests on to discuss world affairs and investing.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
The American Experiment on NETFLIX. Gave me a new appreciation for the USA, and what led to the creation of the USA and how the early years of the USA still have a significant impact on the USA today. Much for them to be proud of, but also much that they would probably change if they were able!
Key learnings:
- The interview reminded me how important family and friends are to me. Also people and relationships full stop. One of the things I’m most proud of is my relationship with my Parents, siblings, Wife and kids, but also the bulk of people that I have worked for or with.
- The interview also reminded me that its important to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zones and to not be afraid to…feel the fear and do it anyway!
- It also became apparent to me that for me to be productive, or to have a productive day, I need structure and to be organised.