NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Economy / Employment

Twelve Questions: Paul Brown

NZ Herald
15 Oct, 2014 04:00 PM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Paul Brown thinks it's better to have a big heart than be a big shot. Picture / Chris Gorman

Paul Brown thinks it's better to have a big heart than be a big shot. Picture / Chris Gorman

He had the best private school education and a thriving corporate career but Paul Brown wanted more. For the past 10 years he has been chief executive of ChildFund New Zealand, which works to stop child poverty.

1. You went to King's College: shouldn't you have been a lawyer or a doctor?
I wanted to be an architect but I wasn't artistic enough. I've rebelled against that (King's College stereotype) a bit. I'm a maverick I suppose. Most of my peers were going into law or finance or
medicine but I did engineering and wanted to be a project manager. My parents didn't have a lot of money - Dad was a signwriter - but they really believed in education because they'd both left school early themselves. Mum died last year and one of the things she always said was "it's better to have a big heart than be a big shot". I think she's right. There's enough ego in the world but there's probably not enough love.

2. How did you end up in the corporate world?
When I finished engineering the '87 crash happened. There was all that hedonism and false money and false lifestyles and it was all just gone. I'd seen a lot of families go through the best and worst of times, including my Dad. He'd invested money that was worthless overnight. It made me think there's more to life than money and there weren't any jobs around anyway so I went to Massey and did an MBA for two years.

3. Wasn't that all about money?
No, it was fantastic and opened my perspective. I'd been a very linear, rational person and I was thrown into a room with 25 much older and more experienced people and it was like a two-year debate about everything.

4. And then you got a corporate career?
I joined Ford in the management programme and had an amazing time with them. It was a huge steep learning curve. I had a fair bit to do with the All Blacks. Because I was in marketing we got the sponsorship for them. We were at an All Black camp once when the coach called the newcomers together with a couple of us sponsors and he read out, from a crumpled old piece of paper, what it means to be an All Black. One of their mantras was to never let a teammate fail. I've always tried to bring that into my work.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

5. When did you start looking for something more than a career?
I turned 30 in 2000 and one of my resolutions then was to give back. Mum had always done voluntary work and it was just something I wanted to do. My wife and I were told we weren't going to have kids but I was drawn to them so I volunteered at Starship. I became really interested in the resilience of kids, how children with cancer were coping better than their parents. Then this job came up.

6. Do you have children now?
We had six or seven years of trying and put a huge amount of time and money into that and miraculously on our last attempt we had William. Then there was one egg left in the freezer and so we threw that back in and it split in two and we had twins Michael and Thomas. Tom had severe special needs and passed away at 16 months. We'd been told he could live to 22 but he got pneumonia and died. Unless you've gone through losing a child you can't really understand it. I talk to mothers in Kenya now who've lost children through famine or whatever and every story is different. It changes you. But it does steel you and make you a bit tougher.

7. You travel a lot with ChildFund; how do you cope with seeing children suffering?
You have to be tough. Crying for these people isn't going to help them. I remember going through a camp in the northern border of Ethiopia and Kenya and there'd been a severe famine. They were measuring children's arms to see how malnourished they were. People were living under trees together for safety and all you'd hear was this rattling cough of kids. You don't hear crying. The children were a strange grey bleached colour. They hadn't seen rain in three or four years.

8. Do you feel guilty about your own life and wealth when you're in those situations?
Far from it. That's the funny thing. They know you're there for a short time yet they welcome you like family. They don't judge you. And you don't feel guilty, you feel compassion.

9. Have you taken your own children to the areas you work in?
I haven't yet. It costs a lot. But the boys are really intrigued about what I do and for a while there Michael, whenever we saw an African person or a person of African descent, he would ask if I knew them. Even Usain Bolt.

10. How do you make privileged children grateful for their lives when you've seen what you see?
God knows. I need help with that one. We get so caught up in our fast-paced world of iPads and TV. I think taking time to slow that all down is important. Remove the gadgets. Get back to simpler things. Every night I tell my kids a story about an elf, it might relate to something that happened to them that day, or me. They love it and it slows down the world for just those seven minutes.

Discover more

Entertainment

Twelve Questions: Melodie Robinson

24 Sep 05:00 PM
Entertainment

12 Questions: Dominic Harvey

29 Sep 04:00 PM
Entertainment

Twelve Questions: Michael Guerin

06 Oct 04:00 PM
Small Business

12 Questions: K'Road pioneer

08 Oct 04:00 PM

11. What about child poverty in New Zealand: why doesn't ChildFund work here?
It's a question we're asked more and more. There is a growing inequality here in New Zealand but we have to ask if we'd have any more impact than other agencies working in that field. We work with abject poverty. It's not complaining about how bad schools are, there is no school. It's not hospital queues, it's walking eight hours to a hospital. It's not bad teeth or obesity. It's malnourishment.

12. Are you religious?
I wasn't. And I'm not devout now. But after Tom died it left me asking questions like why? And why us? Why him? They're still not fully addressed but three years ago I started going to the Catholic church at the school my boys were at. It's given me an extra dimension to my life, and a slower pace, I think. I don't bring it up at work at all. None of us do and we're Buddhists or atheists or whatever. For me, it's just a deeply personal thing.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

ChildFund helps New Zealanders to sponsor children in Kenya, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste and Zambia. www.childfund.org.nz

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Employment

Premium
Business|economy

18,800 people booked for NZICC; anaesthetists, ophthalmologists the latest

03 Jul 10:39 PM
Property

Ikea opening ‘around Christmas trading period’, plans for traffic mitigation at Sylvia Park

01 Jul 10:57 PM
Premium
Property

Watch: First look inside City Rail Link’s unique new Te Waihorotiu Station

30 Jun 03:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Employment

Premium
18,800 people booked for NZICC; anaesthetists, ophthalmologists the latest

18,800 people booked for NZICC; anaesthetists, ophthalmologists the latest

03 Jul 10:39 PM

Anaesthetists to meet April 30-May 5, ophthalmologists November 5-9 next year.

Ikea opening ‘around Christmas trading period’, plans for traffic mitigation at Sylvia Park

Ikea opening ‘around Christmas trading period’, plans for traffic mitigation at Sylvia Park

01 Jul 10:57 PM
Premium
Watch: First look inside City Rail Link’s unique new Te Waihorotiu Station

Watch: First look inside City Rail Link’s unique new Te Waihorotiu Station

30 Jun 03:00 AM
Premium
Liam Dann: Never mind the swear words, our politicians need to raise the quality of debate

Liam Dann: Never mind the swear words, our politicians need to raise the quality of debate

28 Jun 05:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP