Rob Waddell is one of New Zealand’s most accomplished and respected sports figures, known for his achievements both on and off the water.
A two-time World Rowing Champion and Olympic gold medallist, Rob’s name is synonymous with excellence in New Zealand sport.
Rob first made headlines in 1995 when he became the youngest person ever to win the single sculls title at the New Zealand Championships, achieving this feat as a novice sculler. Over the next few years, he dominated the rowing world, securing back-to-back World Championships in Germany and Canada before claiming Olympic gold at the Sydney 2000 Games. His outstanding contributions to sport were recognized when he became the first athlete to win the Sportsperson of the Year Supreme Halberg Award for three consecutive years.
Beyond rowing, Rob expanded his sporting career to include a pivotal role in three America's Cup campaigns, contributing to Emirates Team New Zealand’s gripping performance in the 2013 America's Cup final. His leadership abilities were further highlighted when he was appointed Chef de Mission of the New Zealand Olympic team, guiding athletes through the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Rob’s tenure in this role, which lasted eight years, was marked by his commitment to fostering a high-performance environment and ensuring that athletes had the support they needed to succeed on the world stage.
Rob's influence extends beyond the sporting arena. He has held governance roles in several not-for-profit organisations, including the Halberg Disability Trust, Te Awa River Trust, and the Home of Cycling Charitable Trust, where he played a crucial role in securing $32 million to establish the Avantidrome in Cambridge. His business acumen is also evident through his co-ownership and management of a thoroughbred agistment business, alongside holding a business degree with honours.
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Rob Waddell
Watch Rob Waddell at our Celebrity Speakers 2014 Speaker Showcase. Rob is known as New Zealand's only Gold Medallist at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and as a key part of the Emirates Team New Zealand Sailing Crew in San Francisco in 2013. He has a long list of achievements in these sports and also off the water.Rob was a fantastic speaker at our Tatua event. Rob went to a great effort to understand our company and made many connections from his own background to our company and industry. Rob had in ... keep reading The Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company Limited
The audience absolutely loved his talk. We have had amazing feedback from our audience about Rob's talk particularly how he linked sport to leadership.
Rob covered all the topics we had discussed prior to his presentation. The audience response was very positive. Rob's presentation was captivating and humorous.
I think what comes through with Rob is his modesty and his dignified manner. He is a sportsman who lets his achievements do the talking. He is an ideal role model and brings a confidence to those around him.
Rob was great, friendly, approachable and delivered a great session which the whole team really enjoyed.
Rob was a fantastic speaker, he really engaged our audience tailoring his presentation to the kiwifruit industry including some very funny photos he had taken during the day when we took him out to an orchard and packhouse. I would definitely recommend Rob to anyone looking for an entertaining and inspiring guest speaker.
Rob was an extremely confident speaker, very well spoken, it went at the right pace and his speech had the right mixture of comedy, seriousness, motivation and relating back to our industry. He came across as very humble and honest and it definitely achieved everything that we wanted from a guest speaker.
Rob was incredibly professional and added the special touch that we were looking for at our Awards Dinner. His stories were perfectly formed to the brief and he is a brilliant speaker. We would highly recommend him to anyone.
Professional, succinct, great speaker and really related well to the audience.
Very positive feedback from the delegates on Rob's presentation. It was both enjoyable and instructive.
Rob was fantastic, he related to the crowd well and really inspired the delegates from his experience. The entire room was heavily engulfed his presentation.
