Business Hall of Fame: Nine Kiwi entrepreneurs honoured

Business Hall of Fame inductees (clockwise from top left): Sir Robert Anderson, Peri Drysdale, Tracy Thomas Gough, John Ryder (L) and Kevin Hickman; James Henry Whittaker, Sir Ken Stevens, Paul Morgan and Brendan Lindsay. Photo / Supplied

From a chocolate-maker to rest home developers, nine New Zealand entrepreneurs have been inducted into the Business Hall of Fame.

They will be joining more than 150 business leaders already in the Business Hall of Fame, including Sir Roderick Deane, William Gregg, Bendix Hallenstein and Sir James Wattie.

Sir Robert Anderson

One of three posthumous inductees, Sir Robert Anderson founded the mercantile firm J.G. Ward with Sir Joseph Ward in 1898. Today, J.G. Ward continues to operate as PGG Wrightson. He was appointed chairman of the New Zealand Shipping Company in 1941 and held many directorships, including the boards of the Bank of New Zealand and the New Zealand Insurance Company.

Peri Drysdale

Peri Drysdale is the founder and chief executive of lifestyle brand Untouched World, the world's first fashion brand to be recognised by the UN for sustainability. A percentage of all Untouched World sales go to the Untouched World Foundation, which runs "Leadership for a Sustainable Future" programmes for young people.

Tracy Thomas Gough

Tracy Thomas Gough established Gough, Gough and Hamer in 1929, alongside Edgar Gough and Harry Hamer. In the late 1930s, Edgar and Harry left the company, leaving Tracy Gough to grow the firm into an engineering and related services group that employs about 1000 people in New Zealand and Australia.

After travelling to the US, Tracy Gough secured the Caterpillar franchise, enabling Gough, Gough and Hamer — later Gough Group — to become one of Australasia's leading infrastructure development companies.

Kevin Hickman and John Ryder

Founded in 1984, Ryman Healthcare is New Zealand's largest retirement village operator and has expanded into Australia. Founders Kevin Hickman and John Ryder began with $10,000 each and by 1999 they had listed Ryman on the stock exchange. Hickman and Ryder ran the company until 2002, and Hickman continued as managing director until 2006, then as a director until his retirement in 2018.

Since leaving Ryman in 2002, Ryder has co-founded audiology chain Triton Hearing and tourism company Tuatara Tours and is chairman of private equity management company Direct Capital.

Brendan Lindsay

Brendan Lindsay sold his successful manufacturing company Sistema in 2016 and has since continued his business career with a variety of investments, including the purchase of Cambridge Stud. Lindsay and his wife Jo have also established the Lindsay Foundation, which is involved with more than 50 New Zealand charities.

Lindsay was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2012 for services to business.

Pāora Te Poa Karoro Morgan (Paul Morgan)

Pāora Te Poa Karoro Morgan (Paul Morgan), of Ngāti Rārua and Te Māhurehure descent, is respected as a Māori leader, lobbyist and entrepreneur who has been at the centre of economic development and political advocacy for Māori for more than 30 years.

He has been on the board of Wakatū Incorporation since 1986 and its chair since 2001, and is a former chief executive of the Federation of Māori Authorities. He holds commercial directorships and is on various government-appointed advisory and industry groups.

Sir Ken Stevens

Sir Ken Stevens is the founder of Glidepath — one of the world's leading producers of baggage handling systems. Sir Ken has a passion for helping New Zealand's aspiring exporters, and is involved with a range of organisations and activities to promote New Zealand business and international co-operation, including as a board member and trustee of the Asia New Zealand Foundation and national chairman of Export NZ. Sir Ken was knighted in 2007 for services to exporting.

James Henry Whittaker

James Henry Whittaker was the founder of chocolate company Whittaker's, which began in Christchurch in 1896. After training in chocolate making, he began making and selling chocolates to locals from his horse and cart. Whittaker moved to Wellington in 1911, with his sons Ronald and James joining him to form J.H. Whittaker and Sons.