From apprentice to property developer.
The decisions, systems and mistakes behind more than 2,500 settled homes.
06 / SPEAKING
Live, direct, useful
No corporate script.
I speak about property development, business and the New Zealand economy. I talk about what I built, what I got wrong and what I learned fixing it.
Wellington · November 2022
Useful beats polished.
The audience should leave with a clearer model, an uncomfortable question or a decision they can make. I welcome detailed briefs, unscripted interviews and informed disagreement.
01Formats
Keynote · Interview · Panel · Debate · Podcast · Leadership session
Surviving a downturn.
What changed when output fell sharply—and what I would not repeat.
Why New Zealand cannot build enough houses.
Consenting, infrastructure and the costs loaded onto every home before construction begins.
Free markets and the size of the state.
A clear position, open to challenge and debate.
Building a public profile.
The commercial upside, organisational strain and personal cost of communicating directly.
02Selected appearances
Cheques & Balances
An interview about my upbringing, building Williams Corporation and the lessons from business. Read the episode notes and listen.
Business Simple
My conversation with James Wallace about the journey from building sheds to property development. Listen to episode 7 on Spotify.
Herald NOW
Watch my televised business interview.
The Williams Project
Interviews and arguments from inside New Zealand business.
Williams Corporation — Singapore seminar
A property investment presentation followed by audience questions. See the event recap and photographs.
A useful invitation includes
Audience. Date. Outcome.
Tell me the event, location or time zone, expected attendance, format and the question you want answered. I prefer a difficult brief to a decorative appearance.
Invite Matthew