Queen honours NZICA members
Nine NZICA members have been given awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year. We extend our congratulations to all members recognised in this way.
John Shewan FCA of Wellington
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business.
PwC NZ Chairman John Shewan FCA has been with PwC for nearly 35 years and has had a heavy involvement in tax and broader public policy issues since the early 1980s.
He says his roles at PwC and previously as Chair of the Government’s Tax Education Office and NZICA’s National Tax Committee have provided him with some fantastic opportunities to work on tax reform and to further debate on a range of issues relevant to growing the economy.
He has also worked extensively in the commercial world, and been active in the education sector. Shewan says education is pivotal to New Zealand’s future. He has been heavily involved with Samuel Marsden Collegiate School and Victoria University, where he chairs the School of Business Advisory Board. He is also on the Young Enterprise Trust Supporters’ Council. Shewan says he was staggered to be awarded a CNZM.
“It never occurred to me that projects I love doing could be recognised in this way.”
Shewan is a passionate supporter of Wellington, including the Hurricanes. He enjoys sports and travel and combines these by running a couple of international marathons each year.
John Lewis Spencer FCA of Wellington
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business.
John Spencer FCA is Chairman of KiwiRail Limited and WEL Networks Ltd. He is a Director of Tower Limited, Dairy NZ Ltd, Raukawa Iwi Development Ltd and the Disputes Resolution Service, and an advisor to the Board of Mitre 10 Ltd. He is also the Audit Committee Chairman of Tower and Dairy NZ. He has held a number of other directorships including being the Chairman of Tainui Group Holdings for 10 years until June 2012.
Spencer was Chief Executive of New Zealand Dairy Group prior to the formation of Fonterra and has held a number of senior management positions in New Zealand and overseas. He was honoured with a Fellowship from the Waikato Institute of Technology in November 2010 and received NZICA’s “Valued Contribution to the Profession” award in 2002. In 2011 he undertook an independent review of the Public Prosecution Services for the Government.
Spencer says when he learnt of the award he was extremely humbled, but gratified to be recognised by his peers.
Gary Chapman ACA of Dubai
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to New Zealand-United Arab Emirates relations.
Gary Chapman ACA is President – Group Services & dnata, for Emirates Group. dnata is a global provider of air services with businesses in 38 countries worldwide. He has been a key member of the management team for more than two decades. Responsible for the Group’s finance, human resources, legal and IT functions, in addition to dnata and associated companies, Chapman has overseen the posting of profits in every year of his service.
Chapman is also Chairman of Maritime and Mercantile International LLC. He was instrumental in discussions in 2004 that led to four daily flights to New Zealand from Dubai. He has liaised with Tourism NZ to promote New Zealand as a destination to both the expatriate and Arab communities in the Gulf region. He was also instrumental to Emirates’ sponsorship of Team New Zealand, enabling them to continue competing in the America’s Cup and Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Chapman organised Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai in March 2009 and oversaw the construction of a six-pitch rugby and community sports facility in Dubai. He also provides ongoing support to the New Zealand Sevens team. In addition, he organises and works with various charity events, such as the Kiwi Ball, the proceeds of which are distributed to a number of charities.
He says when he heard he was a recipient of this award he felt very proud and very humble.
“I have been very fortunate to have a role in a fantastic organisation that has given me the freedom and support to make a positive contribution.”
Alfred James Wakefield (Jim) FCA (Hon Retired) of Rangiora
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to harness racing.
Jim Wakefield FCA is now retired, but has been a member of NZICA since 1956. He joined the Christchurch office of what was to become KPMG in 1952. He spent 27 years as a partner in the firm, including three as Christchurch managing partner.
In the 1970s and early 1980s Wakefield was active in Institute affairs at a local and national level, including a year as Canterbury-Westland Branch Chairman. He has been chairman and director of numerous private and public companies. He has also had a variety of sporting interests. In his youth he was awarded a New Zealand University blue for boxing and represented South Canterbury and Buller at cricket. He became a regular golfer in later life.
In recent years he and wife Susan have developed a strong interest in owning, breeding and racing standardbred horses. He has been involved in harness racing since 1999. Though a late starter to the industry, Wakefield has made a large contribution as an owner, breeder and administrator. He was a Board member of Harness Racing New Zealand for 12 years and Chair from 1999-2003. On the board he represented the NZ Trotting Owners Association. He became the industry representative on the New Zealand Racing Board. He was integral to the success of the World Trotting Conference in Christchurch in 2007.
Wakefield says he was honoured and humbled to be nominated for an honour and pleased to see the government recognise the importance of the racing industry to the country.
Gerald (Gerry) Rea FCA of Auckland
The Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community.
Gerry Rea FCA is Chairman of TW Gerry Rea Partners, specialisng in insolvency assignments. Prior to this he was a partner of KPMG for 32 years, focusing on corporate recovery.
His award was based on services to the community for sport and charity events. He organised the Carbine Club Congress in Auckland which was attended by large numbers of overseas people from Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Papua New Guinea. All profits were donated to assist disabled athletes. He is a life member of the Grammar Carlton Old Boys Rugby Club and arranged with the Auckland City Council for the drainage and completion of two rugby fields, which is the home ground of the Grammar Junior rugby teams. He also worked with the Parnell Cricket Club to erect a sports pavilion for the two clubs and the wider community to use.
Rea was appointed the first CEO and later Director of the inaugural Ellerslie Flower Show which saw substantial profits distributed to charities through the Rotary Club of Auckland.
For many years he has been honorary treasurer of the Friends of Eden Park and is involved in a range of charitable and sporting institutions.
Patrick Waite JP FCA of Porirua
The Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community.
Patrick Waite FCA is a JP and is a Past President (2003) of NZICA. He has worked on a voluntary basis for a number of groups for many years, providing financial and practical assistance. This includes Rotary International, the Mary Potter Foundation, the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington, Surf Lifesaving New Zealand, the St James Theatre Trust and Skylight Trust, which supports people going through trauma and loss.
Waite says he was taken aback when he received a letter from Government House advising of his nomination.
“It never occurred to me that anyone would nominate me or that what I was doing in the community would be different than thousands of others.”
He thought about whether or not he would accept the award for quite a while, then decided to do so both for his family who has supported him, and also to recognise the organisations and people he works with.
Waite has helped improve business and business standards by encouraging practitioners to become professionally qualified, and has held office in a number of business organisations including the Board of Financial Services of Australasia and NZICA.
Kuan Cheong Yap JP CA of Auckland
The Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community.
Kuan Yap CA has worked in public practice since 1994.
After gaining his Certificate of Public Practice, Yap set up his own public practice servicing small and medium enterprises and the business community in the wider Auckland region and throughout New Zealand.
He is actively involved in the local community and is a member of a number of charitable organisations.
This began with work for the telephone counselling service Chinese Lifeline in 1993. Other organisations he assists include New Zealand Tzi Meng Charitable Trust, Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation New Zealand, Chinese Mental Health Consultation Services Trust, Citizen Advice Bureau, Auckland Justices of the Peace Association Inc and Business Mentors New Zealand. He is also involved with the New Zealand and China Association Inc and New Zealand Guangdong Association Inc to promote trade and cultural exchange between New Zealand and China.
Yap says he was humbled by this award and accepts it on behalf of all the people he has worked with.
Murray McKinnon JP ACA of Auckland
The Queen’s Service Medal for services to athletics.
Murray McKinnon JP ACA began his career as an accountant at Countrywide Building Society. He then became public relations manager for Countrywide Bank, then property accountant for Countrywide Bank and National Bank after National took over Countrywide. He then spent four years as executive director of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand. For the past six years he worked as electorate agent for MP Tamaki Allan Peachey.
McKinnon’s QSM was awarded for services to athletics. His 50-year involvement has been as a competitor, administrator, official, team manager, statistician, commentator and reporter. He is currently president and Life Member of Athletics Auckland and was twice president of Athletics New Zealand.
He has reported on athletics on radio (Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport) and in the newspapers (Auckland Star and NZ Herald) for the past 42 years and officiated at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games as an athletics announcer. He was also on the organising committee for the 1988 world cross country championships held at Ellerslie Racecourse as press liaison and media director. McKinnon has attended five world athletic championships and four Commonwealth Games in various media and commentating roles and will be attending the upcoming London Olympic Games. He is currently the convenor of records and communications advisor to Athletics New Zealand.
McKinnon says he was pleasantly surprised and “quite chuffed” to hear he had been given this award.
“I enjoy the work I do in giving athletes the exposure in the media that they deserve when they succeed.”
July 2012