The Institute of Directors pays tribute to Sir John Anderson

Institute of Directors Vice-Present Alan Isaac paid tribute to friend and cricket colleague Sir John Anderson, saying that many people in New Zealand and Australia had benefited from the wisdom and counsel over the years.

Sir John, who passed away on Tuesday, was a member of the Institute of Directors for 31 years.

A year ago the Institute of Directors gave Sir John its highest accolade and made him a Distinguished Fellow.

“He influenced a lot of people’s lives and I was lucky to be one of those people,” Alan Isaac said. “I worked with him on the board of New Zealand Cricket for 13 years. He was a significant contributor to business and to cricket in New Zealand and globally.

“He was shy and unassuming, but commanded lots of respect. He won many awards. The big one was being made a Knight Commander for services to business, banking and the community in 1995.

“He worked in the public and private sectors, across many different industries, invariably in leadership roles. He led through wisdom and experience. He was happy when others took the limelight and he was there as wise counsel. There are lots of people throughout New Zealand and Australia particularly in the finance sector who worked for him, and have gone on to have very successful careers.

“His leadership style was inclusive and he was able to motivate people and get the best out of them.

“When he was chair of New Zealand Cricket he saw the CEO as the face of the organisation, and he was happy to be in the background. He wasn’t a person who led from the front, he led from the back.

IoD President Liz Coutts who last year presented the Distinguished Fellow Award to Sir John said: “It was an honour to recognise Sir John’s significant contribution to governance over many years. He was highly respected and an inspiration for many.”