Tim Calder

Forsyth Barr today announced the appointment of David Kirk to the Board of Forsyth Barr.

David Kirk is appointed as an independent director to the company.

Forsyth Barr Chairman Eion Edgar said, “We are delighted to be able to announce David’s appointment to our Board. David is well-known to most New Zealanders from being captain of the successful 1987 World Cup winning All Black team. He brings to our Board considerable experience and business acumen gained from a wide range of professional roles and public activities. David has enjoyed many achievements in his professional career and we are delighted that he has accepted the invitation to join our Board.”

David Kirk said, “I am delighted to be joining the Board of New Zealand’s pre-eminent locally-based financial services company and I very much look forward to working with a highly regarded Board and management team.”

David Kirk was most recently Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fairfax Media Ltd for 3 years. Fairfax Media is the largest media business in New Zealand and is the owner of Trade Me. Prior to that David had been Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of PMP Ltd, Regional President Australasia for Norske Skog and in senior executive roles with Fletcher Challenge Paper and Fletcher Challenge Energy. David was also Chief Policy Advisor to the Rt Hon Jim Bolger, Prime Minster of New Zealand for 3 years.

Amongst his many other achievements, David enjoyed a highly successful rugby career playing for Otago and Auckland and captaining the All Blacks in 1986-87, before heading to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He has been President of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association since 1999.

He was awarded an MBE for services to rugby in 1987.

This excellent news comes as Boys Club Limited agrees to conmence trading with Forsyth Barr, the new stadium in Dunedin recieves its new name (Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza), and the Otago University Rugby Football Club Inc. prepare for their 125th Jubilee celebrations over Queens Birthday weekend this year.

John Gardener has today launched his new ‘Dance Dunedin‘ Ballroom Dancing School website. John is a first class, certified ballroom dancing teacher and has been teaching Dancing in Dunedin for over 30 years. John’s new website will now take over the old (and inadequate) Finda.co.nz and with the ability to offer more photo images his new site will be far more interesting. I am now into my third year of dancing under John’s guidance and have learnt far more types and styles of dances than I ever thought possible.

Boys Club Limited has just been launched! Although the official shareholding of this investment company will not take affect until the new financial year next month the wheels are in motion. Boys Club was originally formed by Terry Metcalfe and Luke Bache back in 2005 with the purpose of bringing together a group of friends of a common interest. All of us started the University of Otago back in 2002 and have since graduated and started different careers round the country. Boys Club Limited is a way to continue the legacy, keep in touch, and pool knowledge to speculate on the shock exchange.

The Department of Economics in conjunction with the newly established Visiting Executive Programme present John McDermott, Assistant Governor and Head of Economics at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand as he presents “Conducting Monetary Policy in Turbulent Times”. This seminar will be held on Friday 13 March at 12noon in room CO2.03.