Institute of Directors honours four Canterbury business leaders

Health sector visionary Dr David Kerr CNZM, share-broking pioneer and investment banker Brian Kreft, professional director and chartered accountant Sue Sheldon CNZM, and sporting governance giant Bruce Ullrich OBE have been named Distinguished Fellows of the Institute of Directors (IoD).

The four Cantabrians were awarded the IoD’s highest honour at a ceremony on 17 October.

Dr Kerr has a background as a Christchurch GP and more than 25 years’ governance experience, which includes being named best chair in the 2013 Deloitte Top 200 Awards.

He served as chair of Ryman Healthcare Ltd for 23 years, retiring in 2021, alongside extensive charitable governance work encompassing the Life Education Trust, the Christchurch City Mission and disability support organisation the Champion Centre, as well as being a key player in the establishment of Pegasus Health (Charitable) Ltd. Kerr has also served iwi business through his governance work at Ngai Tahu Property. 

Kreft was instrumental in establishing the Market Surveillance Panel of the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX), now known as the New Zealand Markets Disciplinary Tribunal.

He has extensive experience including as a former chair of home building company Generation Group, fitness group Les Mills International (and its property company Les Mills Holdings), investment adviser Hamilton Hindin Greene and insurance advocate the KSL Group.

Sheldon has an extensive governance portfolio that includes chairing transport company Freightways and telecommunications provider Chorus, serving as deputy chair of the Reserve Bank and being the first non-executive director of the Salvation Army.

She has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion and has chaired NZ Global Women and been involved with the governance of Girl Guiding New Zealand. A chartered accountant by training, Sheldon was the first woman to be appointed president of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Ullrich established the Canterbury chapter of the Institute of Directors in 1975 after being admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (UK) in 1973, which became a part of New Zealand’s IoD when it was founded in 1989.

A Chartered Accountant by trade, and a partner in a Christchurch practice which ultimately became a part of KPMG, Ullrich has had a lifetime passion for sport and education. He made an early presence with his role as Vice Chair of the organising committee for the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. Among other involvements, he – at the urging of Sir Edmund Hillary – chaired the Organising Committee for the 1975 Himalayan expedition to climb Mt Jannu, served on the board of the New Zealand Olympic Committee for 20 years, including Vice President and Chef de Mission to three NZ Olympic & Commonwealth Games teams in the 1980s. During this time he sought to improve the status of women in team management, as a team flag bearer and improving their medal count. He was appointed Foundation President for the National Sports Museum of New Zealand.

Ullrich’s governance career of 30 years as an elected member on the Councils of the University of Canterbury and Massey University is unsurpassed in NZ. He was probably also the youngest Chair on the Christchurch Boys’ High School Board and served several years on the Arts Centre Board after it was established. He has also spent many years promoting New Zealand internationally and was as an early pioneer in export education.

IoD Chief Executive Kirsten Patterson says the quartet had between them made an astonishing contribution to the business and community success of not only Canterbury, but New Zealand as a whole.

“Distinguished Fellowship is the IoD’s highest accolade and is only awarded to members who have had a prominent and distinguished career as a director, and have contributed positively to business and society,” Patterson says.

“These four have demonstrated a long-term commitment to excellence in governance and provide outstanding examples of service to the directors who will follow them.”