An Eisenhower Fellowship has been awarded to a Christchurch entrepreneur in recognition of his leadership after the Canterbury earthquakes.
Wil McLellan co-created a business innovation hub, known as Epic, which opened on the edge of the central city's red zone in November 2012, with the aim of stimulating business growth.
He says at the time the need was to offer Christchurch-based technology businesses somewhere to work from, so the city and economy didn't lose momentum.
Mr McLellan is one of only 16 New Zealanders to receive an Eisenhower Fellowship since the award was first made in 1953.