{{short description|New Zealand business woman}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=December 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Annette Presley | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM|size=100%}} | image = Annette Presley ONZM (cropped).jpg | caption = Presley in 2016 | birth_date = 1964 | birth_place = [[New Zealand]] | other_names = | alma_mater = [[Auckland University of Technology|Auckland Technical Institute]] | occupation = Businesswoman | organization = | known_for = Co-founder of SlingShot | website = }}
'''Annette Sylvia Presley''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM|size=85%}} (born 1964) is a New Zealand telecommunications entrepreneur, known as a co-founder of [[Slingshot (ISP)|Slingshot]], one of New Zealand's largest [[internet service providers]].
Presley attended [[McAuley High School (New Zealand)|McAuley High School]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebreakfastclub.org.nz/downloads/Vision_Sem2_04_Issue2.pdf|title=Vision|date=2004|publisher=The Breakfast Club (AUT)|accessdate=13 September 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014050304/http://www.thebreakfastclub.org.nz/downloads/Vision_Sem2_04_Issue2.pdf|archivedate=14 October 2008|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and studied at the [[Auckland University of Technology|Auckland Technical Institute]] during the 1970s, described by one tutor as "our most successful dropout".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aut.ac.nz/staff/insideaut/2007_november/future.htm|title=Back to the future|date=November 2007|publisher=Auckland University of Technology|accessdate=11 September 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315035732/http://www.aut.ac.nz/staff/insideaut/2007_november/future.htm|archivedate=15 March 2008}}</ref>
She started her career in accounting, before switching to computer programming in 1980 after prompting from her father.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.womenindairying.org.nz/main.cfm?id=45&nid=73|title=Keynote speaker for the Women in Dairying Conference 2005|date=12 April 2005|publisher=Network for Women in Dairying|accessdate=14 September 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014121058/http://www.womenindairying.org.nz/main.cfm?id=45&nid=73|archivedate=14 October 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Later she moved on to selling computers before launching an IT recruitment company, Stratum, in 1988.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/0/8d045ec5e3cf1c91cc256d89006c4133?OpenDocument |title=Calling the shots |last=Rotherham |first=Fiona |date=1 September 2003 |publisher=Unlimited Magazine |accessdate=16 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717132959/http://www.unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/0/8d045ec5e3cf1c91cc256d89006c4133?OpenDocument |archivedate=17 July 2011 }}</ref>
Future husband Malcolm Dick and Presley met at a golf function in the early 1990s. In 1992 the couple moved to Australia and founded Call Australia, which grew to a $100 million business employing 200 people. They sold the company and returned to New Zealand in 1998.<ref name="WiT_bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.womenintechnology.co.nz/lwp/wcm/connect/WIT/About+WIT+Group/Advisory+Board/Annette+Presley |title=Annette Presley - CallPlus & Slingshot |publisher=Women in Technology |accessdate=11 September 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014061757/http://www.womenintechnology.co.nz/lwp/wcm/connect/WIT/About%2BWIT%2BGroup/Advisory%2BBoard/Annette%2BPresley |archivedate=14 October 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The pair started [[CallPlus]] in 1996, and subsidiary i4free which became Slingshot in 2001.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} They each held a 45 per cent stake in CallPlus, with chief executive Martin Wylie owning the remaining 10 per cent. Presley became the public face of Slingshot, appearing in the advertising and representing the company in the media, while Dick managed the technical side.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} During the marriage the couple had two children, Ashley and Brandon, and the couple had been rated by the [[National Business Review|NBR]] Rich List having a combined worth of $870 million.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}
In February 2002 i4free sued [[Telecom New Zealand]] for $18,162,342, claiming Telecom's June 1999 decision to force internet users to dial a "0867" prefix had severely limited growth of the company, delaying the launch of the service by nine months.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=940544|title=i4free hits Telecom with $18m call claim |last=Barton|first=Chris|date=22 February 2002|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=13 September 2008}}</ref> Telecom settled out of court in 2005 after a long-running battle. She stated the result "was enough to remove the grimace from my face, but not to have me breaking into laughter." Over the duration i4free had incurred nearly $1 million in court costs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10329918|title=Telecom settles dispute and dodges court order|last=Dann|first=Liam|date=10 June 2005|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=13 September 2008}}</ref>
From 2004 she regularly appeared in the media alongside other competitors of Telecom demanding the government [[Local-loop unbundling|unbundle the local loop]], which eventually became a reality on 9 August 2007. Being one of Telecom's most ardent critics, Presley even offered to do former CEO [[Theresa Gattung]]'s job for $1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10410274|title=Presley on hold over CallPlus job discussions |last=Keown|first=Jenny|date=11 November 2006|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=11 September 2008}}</ref>
Dick and Presley had an acrimonious marriage break up in 2006, which spilled over into the business when CallPlus announced in September that she was no longer a director.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/836618|title=CallPlus issue put down to marriage|date=27 September 2006|publisher=TVNZ|accessdate=16 September 2008}}</ref> Presley was holidaying in [[Fiji]] at the time and had not been informed prior to the announcement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=147508|title=Shots slung in CallPlus boardroom scrap|date=26 September 2006|publisher=ninemsn|accessdate=16 September 2008}}</ref>
Presley has appeared on the New Zealand version of the [[Dragons' Den]] television show, and was criticised by her Series 1 co-dragon [[Bob Jones (businessman)|Bob Jones]]. She supports several charities including Preventing Violence in the Home, Dress for Success and Kidz First Children's Hospital.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herbusinessmagazine.com/Articles/November+06.html|title=Dining with a Dragon|date=November 2006|publisher=Her Business Magazine|accessdate=14 September 2008}}</ref>
In April 2015, [[M2 Group|M2]] Group bought Callplus for $650m, representing a significant exit for the shareholders of CallPlus.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Determined CallPlus co-founder Annette Presley dares to think big|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11439025|newspaper=New Zealand Herald|date=27 April 2015|accessdate=2 January 2016|issn=1170-0777|language=en-NZ}}</ref>
As of September 2015, Presley is now helping women in business by funding startups with female founders through the Lightning Lab XX program run by Creative HQ in Wellington, New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Slingshot founder's startup venture supporting women in business|url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/business/slingshot-founder-s-startup-venture-supporting-women-in-business-q12532|website=One News Now|accessdate=2 January 2016}}</ref>
In the [[2016 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)|2016 Queen's Birthday Honours]], Presley was appointed an [[New Zealand Order of Merit|Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit]] for services to business and women.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/qb2016-list | title=Queen's 90th birthday honours list 2016 |date=6 June 2016 | publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | accessdate=6 June 2016}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.annettepresley.co.nz/ Personal website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Presley, Annette}} [[Category:1964 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century New Zealand businesswomen]] [[Category:20th-century New Zealand businesspeople]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Auckland]] [[Category:Auckland University of Technology alumni]] [[Category:21st-century New Zealand businesswomen]] [[Category:21st-century New Zealand businesspeople]] [[Category:Date of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit]] [[Category:People educated at McAuley High School]]