KEY POINTS:
When Tony Gibbs ran away to sea at the age of 15 seeking adventure on a ship carrying frozen lamb carcasses, it is unlikely he ever thought about a career as a company director.
But more than 40 years on he is one of this country's best-known businessmen
with 25 years' experience at the helm of over 40 Kiwi companies.
Born in Romford, England, Gibbs' parents emigrated to New Zealand when he was just 4 years old and settled in Auckland's Titirangi.
Never fond of school, it didn't take long for Gibbs to leave Kelston Boys High School and head off back to England to seek his fortunes.
There he gained valuable experience and met wife Val before deciding to settle back in New Zealand after the birth of his daughter. A son followed four years later.
With no formal education, Gibbs worked for a few businesses before setting up a sporting goods import-export company, dealing in everything from slate to balls for billiards tables.
In 1978, just before his 30th birthday, he sold the business and made his first profit. With it he bought a house and began investing in property and the stockmarket.
His investing brought him into contact with Brierley Investments and Sir Ron Brierley - and what was the start of a long-term business relationship between the pair.
Now Brierley's right-hand man and the New Zealand chief of the Guinness Peat Group, Gibbs is often described as a corporate raider.
He has battled the Government on overseas tax investment and won, and made a stand where he has seen it to be necessary, departing the board of Vector after he called it dysfunctional.
At the same time he has committed himself to the development of New Zealand companies such as ENZA, Fletcher Forests and Tower Insurance.
So it comes as no surprise that the colourful and eminently likeable Gibbs has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2009 New Year Honours for his services to business. But to Gibbs it was a bolt from the blue.
"It came as an enormous shock in a lot of ways," he says.
It had been suggested a few years ago but nothing had come of it and he thought his time had passed.
But now that the award has been made he is over the moon.
"It's a huge honour and I feel very humbled. I feel incredibly lucky and honoured by my country to get it."
He is looking forward to celebrating with his daughter, who marks her 10th wedding anniversary this New Year.
He also hopes to hold a function soon to mark the award.
"I'll have a bit of a party in about a week's time."
Gibbs says 2008 was a hard year and 2009 is "probably going to get harder".
But in keeping with his positive mantra, he says if there is a deep recession he believes people will be better off being in New Zealand.
"We have to count our lucky stars for living in a great country, in a great environment."
