Kat Gee

Designer & Founder, Spanbild New Zealand Limited

Kat is a successful entrepreneur and Director with a focus on design led thinking, people and culture. Kat began KAGI jewellery in 2006 and quickly grew it to one of Australasia’s most loved jewellery brands with over 300 stockists, 30 staff and multi-million dollar sales. After 14 years, Kat sold the business to focus on her young family and new business pursuits.

Since then, Kat has launched a fine jewellery label KAIA (proudly using sustainable grown New Zealand Pacific Pearls – lovekaia.com) and joined the Spanbild Board (spanbild.co.nz).

Spanbild is the one of New Zealand’s largest building companies and a multi-brand market leader indirectly employing over 1,000 people. Started over 50 years ago by Kat’s grandfather Gerald Gee, this intergenerational company encompasses some of the most recognisable, reliable and innovative names in building – Versatile, Totalspan, Ideal, Portabuild, Concision, Intalok, and TinyHaus.

Spanbild’s mission is to help Kiwis live their dreams through designing, manufacturing and building world class buildings. Kat wishes to continue this family legacy for generations to come with a focus on building better for the future, people and planet.

Kat has been a finalist in Entrepreneur of the Year, the New Zealand Design Ambassador and her KAGI company featured three times in the Deloittes Fast 50.

Through her KAGI jewellery company she was also a strong supporter of numerous charities including the Child Cancer Foundation and the New Zealand Heart Foundation.