Douglas Myers
Sir Arthur Douglas Myers KNZM CBE (29 October 1938 – 8 April 2017)[1] was a New Zealand businessman and one of the country's richest men (#35 on the Forbes New Zealand and Australian Rich list, 2006, with net worth estimated at AU$350 million, and assessed as worth $950m and New Zealand's 9th richest man according to the New Zealand National Business Review).[2][3]
Myers began his involvement with what would become Lion Nathan in 1965, being appointed CEO of Campbell & Ehrenfried, following in the footsteps of his father Sir Kenneth Myers and his grandfather Sir Arthur Myers. A series of mergers and cross shareholdings led to the creation of Lion Breweries and then Lion Nathan. Myers played a leading role in Lion for over 15 years as MD, CEO, and ultimately as chairman in 1997. One year later, in 1998, Myers sold his 45% share holding to Kirin Brewery Company (creating the fourth largest brewing firm in the world) for $312 million.
He moved to London in semi-retirement retaining some business and philanthropic interests, including a stake in Cameron O'Reilly's private-equity group Bayard Capital and regularly donating to the Myers Scholarship.[4] Myers is a graduate of both Cambridge University and Harvard Business School. He remained active in two family businesses, Chiltern International and Downtown Music Publishing.[5]
In late 2015, Myers was fighting cancer with aggressive new treatments, including the latest immunotherapy medicines.[5] He died in London on 8 April 2017.[6]
Honours
In the New Year Honours 1991 Myers was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to business management.[7] In the New Year Honours 2010 Myers was appointed as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and the community.[8][9]
References
- ↑ "Arthur Douglas Myers death notice". New Zealand Herald. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ↑ Forbes list
- ↑ "MYERS Sir Douglas". The National Business Review. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
- ↑ "About Sir Douglas Myers". myersscholarship.ac.nz. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
- 1 2 Phare, Jane (12 December 2015). "Rich-lister turns to unfunded Keytruda". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ↑ "Sir Douglas Myers death notice". Dominion Post. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ↑ "No. 52383". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1990. p. 30.
- ↑ "New Year Honours 2010" (12 Jan 2010) 2 New Zealand Gazette 79.
- ↑ "New Year Honours: New knight fixed on making NZ competitive". The New Zealand Herald. 31 December 2009.