‘I'd rather see fewer billionaires and more businesses built to distribute opportunity, not just profit’

Wednesday, 22 July 2026

Kate O’Leary is the chief executive of consumer goods social enterprise Will&Able.

What has been your most formative life experience?

If I had to choose one, it would be my two years in New York from 1998-2000. I had been working as a lawyer at Russell McVeagh when I decided it was time for my OE. I wanted to go to a place where I wouldn’t bump into other Kiwi lawyers around every corner so I picked New York as my destination, wanting an experience that would be different to the usual route of New Zealanders to the UK. Luckily, the partner that I was working for at the time helped me secure a role as a foreign intern at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP. I was 26 and still living at home with my parents, having bought a house two years earlier that I had to rent out to afford the mortgage! I had never been to the US before, let alone New York, before I got on the plane with tears streaming down my face and US$6000 in cash in my pocket.

It was a crazy couple of years – the dot com bubble was well underway and I’ve never worked such long hours in my life before (think Suits without the glamour), or since. It was THE city to be in your 20s in though – there is always something to do, no matter the time of day – or night. I learnt so much about myself during this time – independence, resilience, self-reliance, a strong work ethic, and a love of travel and throwing myself out of my comfort zone.

Most inspirational figure, and why?

There’s two – my parents. They are truly inspirational to me. When I was still at school, my father’s business got caught up in the 1989 financial crash, and we lost everything. My mother went back to work as an editor, after being a stay-at-home mum who had helped in Dad’s businesses for 16 years. She financially supported us with this work, enabling Dad to find another business opportunity, and then together they created and built Wild Appetite, a gourmet food brand. My parents showed me what grit and determination can achieve, and that, no matter what, you can reinvent yourself with the right mindset and with the right goals.

Favourite book?

One of my favourite books is The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I didn’t just enjoy the plot, but also the structure: Catton built the entire novel around astrology, with each character tied to a star sign and the length of each section actually shrinking to mirror the phases of the moon. It sounds like a gimmick, but it deepens the sense that these characters are shaped by forces beyond their control, which is something that resonates with me running a charity for people with disabilities. So much of the work is about pushing back against the idea that circumstance is destiny and helping people reclaim authorship over their own stories rather than having that story told for them by others.

As a leader, how would you address a toxic work culture?

Luckily, I havn’t been in this circumstance, but I’d like to think I’d address it quickly and directly rather than hoping it resolves itself. Toxic cultures are rarely a result of one bad apple - they're usually a result of a system that's rewarded the wrong behaviour for too long. I'd start with what's being tolerated at the top, because culture is set by what leaders let slide; that would include a frank self-assessment to make sure none of my behaviours are contributing unknowingly. Then I'd talk to the people most affected before making any changes, since they usually know exactly where the problem sits.

Hardest decision ever?

After much reflection, it comes down to two decisions – one to close my furniture importing and retail business, Carson & Bird, that I launched in 2014, and one to make some roles redundant in another business I was running during Covid. The first decision meant getting comfortable with the fact I had failed at something, which wasn’t at all easy for me. The second decision had a negative impact on a group of people I respected and enjoyed working with, during a time of uncertainty. Neither was easy but both had to be done.

Should billionaires exist?

Yes – but only temporarily! I think the more useful question is what they do with the wealth while they have it. Extreme concentration of wealth alongside people who can't get a foot in the job market isn't a sign of a healthy system. I'd rather see fewer billionaires and more businesses built to distribute opportunity, not just profit. Or see more billionaires giving away their money as fast as they earn it, because how much money do you really need? It would be amazing to see NZ billionaires leading the charge on this front.

If I was a billionaire, I would…

…put a serious chunk of it into two things: first, proving that supported employment can be commercially competitive, not just charitable. I'd want to build something at scale that either shows businesses employing people with disabilities and neurodivergence isn't a favour, it's good business. And second, into developing a social franchise model that enables and empowers people with disabilities to be business owners and entrepreneurs, with all the support required built into the franchise system.

What is the one thing that could happen in New Zealand tomorrow that would make life better for the most people?

A genuine shift in how employers see disabled and neurodivergent talent, from a compliance issue or a charitable decision to a competitive advantage. If even a fraction of NZ businesses treated inclusive hiring as core strategy rather than an afterthought, it would move the dial on wellbeing, income, and belonging for a huge number of people and their families.