"I work partly out of New Zealand," says McBride, who aims to spend four to six weeks across the year working in Aoteaoroa. "Ten years ago there was no way I could contemplate running a business from down here," says McBride whose main local base is Closeburn Station, a high country sheep station five miles outside Queenstown.

"I don't see distances as major issues. I work very well virtually. I interview people for jobs from Chicago from here with Skype technology."

For McBride, what is important is the probing, questioning stance of a scientist. "You are constantly forming hypotheses about the nature of the business," she says. "You think things strategically. You are not just grinding away the quarter and working in the business.

"A lot of executives work in the business quarter to quarter; they hit an iceberg and ask, 'What happened?' Being able to look around that environment, and assess what is changing is important.

"Stay creative and flexible," she further advises. "Find key innovators," enable "innovation to monetisation should occur in a reasonable amount of time. Do not allow processes to rule over creativity."