Directors Announces Distinguished Fellows

1 October 2007

Institute of Directors Announces Distinguished Fellows

Distinguished Fellow Awards are presented annually to members who have sustained a prominent and distinguished career as a director; or who have given outstanding participation and services to the IoD or eminent or special contributions to the community or business.

The Institute of Directors is pleased to announce the following Distinguished Fellows for 2007.

John Collingwood King, QSO

Auckland lawyer and company director John King retired earlier this year from his role as chairman of the New Zealand Takeovers Panel. He was the inaugural chairman appointed in 1994 and under his chairmanship the Panel formulated, administered and enforced the Takeovers Code. He was also a member of the Australian Takeovers Panel.

John began his legal career in Auckland with law firm McKenzie & Bartleet. In 1969 he became a partner in Russell McVeagh upon the merger of the two firms, and remains a consultant. He has had a wide range of public and private company directorships including Telecom, Westpac Bank (NZ Advisory Board), Mainzeal Group and Mair Astley Holdings.

Currently he is a director of the NZ Guardian Trust, a vice president of the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern), a council member of Business New Zealand, deputy chairman of the Spirit of Adventure Trust and a member of the Marsden Cross Trust Board. He received the QSO this year for services to business and the community.

Athol Wilson Mann, CMG

Athol Mann became a partner at the young age of 21 in an accountancy firm which underwent several mergers to eventually become KPMG. During this time he served on the council and was president of the NZ Society of Accountants, he was the first New Zealander on the council of the International Federation of Accountants, was a member of the Securities Commission for 7 years and a member of the Medical Research Council.

He relocated to New York and while there he was approached to become Dean of Commerce at Victoria University of Wellington. That was in 1987 and he stayed at Victoria for 10 years.

Athol was inaugural chairman of the NZ Symphony Orchestra and an inaugural director of Te Papa. He has served on the AMP Society NZ and Smiths City Group boards and is currently a director of Pharmaco NZ Ltd and NBR NZ Opera. He chairs the Health Sponsorship Council and is a director of Barnardos NZ and on the standing committee of the NZ Institute of International Affairs. He was awarded the CMG for service to the accountancy profession, the arts and the community.

Bartholomew (Robin) Mann, ONZM

Having gained a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Canterbury, Robin Mann joined the tanning company G L Bowron Ltd as a research chemist, eventually becoming managing director from 1984 until his retirement in 2000. He was then appointed to the Council of the University of Canterbury in 2001 serving on the finance and audit committees. He was elected Chancellor from the beginning of 2003.

Robin has a wide experience in governance of a large range of organisations and is currently chairman of the NZ Universities Chancellors’ group and Open Strategies Ltd, a director of Skope Industries Ltd, Wool Research Organisation of NZ (Inc), Wools of NZ and an executive member of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. He was chairman of the subsidiary companies of G L Bowron and Co Ltd, and of the establishment board of the Christchurch Brain Research Institute, deputy chairman of Christchurch International Airport Ltd and a director of Trade New Zealand. He served time as president of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society, vice president of the Canterbury Employers’ Association and a board member of the Christchurch Polytechnic.

Brian Hall Picot, CMG

Brian Picot started work in a small Wellington family-owned food retail operation as a shop assistant. In 1960 the founding partners of New Zealand’s first major supermarket (Foodtown Otahuhu) experienced enormous public response to their visionary new concept. The Picot family were offered a 50% interest in the new parent company – to be known as Progressive Enterprises. Tom Ah Chee and Brian Picot were joint managing directors. The Progressive Enterprise Story was one of imagination, cooperation, thrift, energy and teamwork – all of which helped develop a world class supermarket operation.

Brian served 13 years as chairman of the board and in addition has served as managing director of E. Ellingham & Co. sales director of Bond & Bond Ltd, chairman of Philips NZ Ltd, director of S.C. Johnson, Auckland Uniservices Ltd, South British Insurance – NZI and NZ Forest Products Ltd. He has also chaired the taskforce to review NZ Education administration and was president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

Denis Greville Thom

Denis Thom studied Law at Victoria University of Wellington while working as a law clerk with Phillips Hollings and Shayle-George which later became the Australasian law firm Phillips Fox. After becoming a partner in the firm he specialised in commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, and commercial property law. He retired in 1992 to become a full time professional director.

Currently Denis is chairman of Strategic Finance Ltd and Webby Holdings Ltd and a director and former chairman of Wellington International Airport Ltd, Lumley General Insurance (NZ) Ltd, British American Tobacco (Australasia Holdings) Pty Ltd and Kirkcaldie and Staines Ltd.

He is a former chairman of Phillips Fox New Zealand, the NZSE Market Surveillance Panel, Rembrandt Suits Ltd, Shortland Properties Ltd, Urbus Properties Ltd, Victoria University Foundation and the New Zealand Young Persons and their Families management board. He was deputy chairman of the Waterfront Restructuring Authority and has been a director of a number of private and public companies.

ENDS

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