Sir Selwyn John Cushing KNZM CMG (born 1 September 1936) is a New Zealand accountant and businessman.

Sir Selwyn Cushing
Born
Selwyn John Cushing

(1936-09-01) 1 September 1936 (age 88)
Hastings, New Zealand
EducationHastings Boys' High School
OccupationBusinessman
Spouse
Kaye Dorothy Anderson
(m. 1964; died 1986)
Children2

Early life and family

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Cushing was born in Hastings on 1 September 1936,[1] the only child of a manager at the Whakatu freezing works.[2] He was educated at Hastings Boys' High School. In 1964, he married Kaye Dorothy Anderson, and the couple went on to have two children. His wife died in 1986.[1]

Cushing represented Hawke's Bay in cricket,[1] and is also an accomplished violinist.[2]

Career

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Cushing qualified as a chartered accountant, and became involved in corporate governance as a director and chair of some of New Zealand's largest and most well-known public companies and state-owned enterprises. Such companies included Brierley Investments, Air New Zealand, Carter Holt Harvey, Mount Cook Group, Electricity Corporation of New Zealand, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Skellerup.[1][2][3] He stepped down from the board of the latter company in 2017.[3]

In 2018, the Cushing family was estimated to be worth $235 million.[4]

Honours and awards

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In the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours, Cushing was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, for services to business management,[5] and in the 1999 New Year Honours he was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business, sport and the arts.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Taylor, Alister, ed. (2001). "New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001". New Zealand Who's Who, Aotearoa. Auckland: Alister Taylor Publishers: 261. ISSN 1172-9813.
  2. ^ a b c "Sir Selwyn could well become a white knight". The Dominion. 31 December 1998. p. 2.
  3. ^ a b "Sir Selwyn Cushing retires from Skellerup board as son joins". Hawkes Bay Today. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  4. ^ Ashton, Andrew (18 August 2018). "Rich list 'highlights gulf'". Hawkes Bay Today. p. 5.
  5. ^ "No. 53697". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 11 June 1994. p. 33.
  6. ^ "New Year honours list 1999". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 1998. Retrieved 31 August 2019.