Peter Shirtcliffe

George Peter Shirtcliffe CMG (born 28 July 1931) is a New Zealand businessman. He was the chairman of Telecom New Zealand, New Zealand's largest listed company, from 1990 to 1999.^[1]

Peter Shirtcliffe CMG
Shirtcliffe in 2021
Born	(1931-07-28) 28 July 1931 (age 93) Palmerston North, New Zealand
Occupation	Businessman
Spouse	Margaret Cecilia Bryden ​ ​ (m. 1966; died 1999)​
Children	3
Relatives	George Shirtcliffe (grandfather)

Early life and family

Shirtcliffe was born in Palmerston North on 28 July 1931, the son of Nancy Vida Catherine Shirtcliffe (née Lyons) and Geoffrey Shirtcliffe (1906–1948).^[2] Sir George Shirtcliffe (1862–1941) was his grandfather.^[3] He received his primary education at Wellesley College and Huntley School, and his secondary education at Wanganui Collegiate School. He graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in 1955 with a Bachelor of Commerce. In 1966, he married Margaret Cecilia Bryden, and they had one son and two daughters.^[2]

Career

Business career

• Director, Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited 1999–2001
• Chairman, Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited 1990–1999
• Deputy chairman, Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited 1987–1990
• Founding chairman, New Zealand Trade Development Board 1986–1990
• Chairman, Venture Pacific Ltd 1986–1989
• Chief executive/managing director – Goodman Group Limited, and as a Director of its publicly listed associate companies 1976–1985
• Member Wellington Stock Exchange 1970–76 (Partner Harcourt Longuet & Co.)
• Non-executive director/deputy chairman – A.S.Paterson & Co. Limited 1968–1976
• Directorships at various times of companies engaged in wholesale and retail distribution, food processing, transport, tourism, banking, life insurance, manufacturing (plastics and textiles, agribusiness, telecommunications and airlines

Other organisations

• Young Enterprise Trust – trustee 2000–2008.^[4]
• Founding chairman, Enterprise Education Trust 2000–2003
• Australia & New Zealand Business Council 1985–2001 Chairman 1988–1990
• Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Board 1981–1987
• Manufacturing Development Council 1981–1984
• Wellington Rotary Club 1973–1977
• Wellington City Mission Board 1973–1995

Shirtcliffe was the founding chairman of the Enterprise Education Foundation and later a trustee of the Enterprise New Zealand Trust.^[5] He was an active member of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve from 1953 to 1967, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander.^[6]

Electoral reform

During the debate over electoral reform in New Zealand in the early 1990s, he led the Campaign for Better Government which unsuccessfully opposed the Mixed Member Proportional system. In the late 2000s, he campaigned for changes to the format of the 2011 referendum.^[7][8]

Honours and awards

Shirtcliffe was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to marketing and business management.^[9] He received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.^[10] In 2001, he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.^[11] He is also a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (honorary retired) and a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors.^[12]

References

1. "Telecom Chairman to be Succeeded by Chief Executive". 16 February 1999. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
2. Lambert, Max, ed. (1991). Who's Who in New Zealand (12th ed.). Auckland: Reed. p. 575f. ISBN 0-7900-0130-6. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
3. "Personal". The Northern Advocate. 14 September 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
4. "Enterprise Matters" (PDF). 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2009. ^{[dead link]}
5. "Enterprise Matters" (PDF). 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2009. ^{[dead link]}
6. Palmer, Rebecca (3 August 2009). "Tired, hungry but happy on national service". The Dominion Post.
7. Shirtcliffe, Peter (20 October 2008). "A Political Priority". The New Zealand Centre for Political Research. Archived from the original on 10 September 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
8. Watkins, Tracy (7 September 2009). "MMP may be back for debate". The Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012.
9. "No. 51367". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 11 June 1988. p. 33.
10. "DPMC - New Zealand Honours: Distinctive NZ Honours". Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
11. "Past laureates". Business Hall of Fame. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
12. "Home". iod.org.nz.

External links

• Peter Shirtcliffe's anti-MMP campaign on YouTube