Annette Presley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Annette Presley
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Presley in 2016
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| Born | 1964 |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Alma mater | Auckland Technical Institute |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Known for | Co-founder of SlingShot |
Annette Sylvia Presley ONZM (born 1964) is a New Zealand businesswoman. She is famous for co-founding Slingshot. This company became one of New Zealand's biggest internet service providers.
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Annette Presley's Early Life and Career
Annette Presley went to McAuley High School. In the 1970s, she studied at the Auckland Technical Institute. One of her teachers even called her "our most successful dropout."
She first worked in accounting. But in 1980, her father encouraged her to try computer programming. Later, she started selling computers. In 1988, she launched her own company called Stratum. This company helped other businesses find IT staff.
Starting Big Businesses
In the early 1990s, Annette met Malcolm Dick. They later became partners in business and life. In 1992, they moved to Australia. There, they started a company called Call Australia. This business grew very quickly. It became a $100 million company with 200 employees. They sold Call Australia and returned to New Zealand in 1998.
Back in New Zealand, they started CallPlus in 1996. A part of CallPlus was called i4free. This later became Slingshot in 2001. Annette and Malcolm each owned a large part of CallPlus. Annette became the public face of Slingshot. She appeared in ads and spoke for the company. Malcolm focused on the technical side.
Fighting for Fair Internet
Slingshot faced a big challenge in 2002. They had a disagreement with Telecom New Zealand. Slingshot believed Telecom's rules made it harder for their business to grow. They went to court over this. In 2005, Telecom settled the case. This meant they reached an agreement outside of court.
From 2004, Annette often spoke out. She joined other companies in asking the government to change internet rules. They wanted the government to allow other companies to use Telecom's network. This change, called local-loop unbundling, finally happened in 2007. Annette was a strong voice for this change.
Life After CallPlus
Annette Presley has also appeared on the New Zealand TV show, Dragons' Den. On the show, business people listen to new ideas. They decide if they want to invest their own money.
In 2015, a company called M2 bought CallPlus for $650 million. This was a very big deal for the owners of CallPlus.
After selling CallPlus, Annette started helping other women. She supports women who are starting their own businesses. She helps fund new companies led by women. This is done through a program called Lightning Lab XX.
In 2016, Annette Presley received a special award. She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This award recognized her great work in business and for helping women.
