- Qualified as a chartered accountant and joined the family firm of Hargreaves and Felton in Christchurch in 1964
- 1965 collaborated with Dr Bernard Battersby from Pickles Perkins and Hadlee to establish the Computer Bureau Ltd providing computing services to a group of client companies
- CBL opened offices in Wellington (1968), Hamilton(1969) and Auckland (1970), with Paul becoming a fulltime executive of CBL in 1970
- 1971 national holding company formed - Datacom Group - with Paul as an executive director. He became CEO on retirement of Dr Battersby until the early 1990's and retained his directorship until 2007.
- 1991 Director and Acting Chair of National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited; CEO from 1994 to 2002
- Director and Chair of Antarctica New Zealand 2001-2008
- Chair of NZ HiGrowth Project Trust 2004-2008, charged with developing NZ's ICT industry
- National President of the Institute of Directors 2007-2009 and elected a Distinguished Fellow in 2009
- His Directorships include Software of Excellence International (2003-2007); Gallagher Holdings Ltd (2000-2009); Radio NZ(1991-1996); he is currently Chair of the board for software start-up AllTeams Ltd
- Paul is involved with a number of charities including Shine, Laura Fergusson Trust Canterbury and GI Cancer Institute
- Paul was appointed Officer of the NZ Order of Merit in the 2007 New Years Honours and in 2008 had a mountain in Antarctica named after him; Hargreaves Peak.
Information Technology Industry
Datacom Group Ltd - Cofounder, with the late Dr Bernard Battersby. 1965-
Paul started out as a chartered accountant joining the family accounting firm of Hargreaves and Felton in Christchurch in 1964 after returning from London where he worked in a large firm of chartered accountants in the City. In that same year he developed the concept of a computer bureau having seen a bureau operating at a client company of the firm he worked for in England and based off a small data processing operation which Hargreaves & Felton ran in Christchurch for a major client. He collaborated with the late Dr Bernard Battersby, then a partner in Pickles Perkins and Hadlee (a forerunner of KPMG) in the formation of Computer Bureau Ltd around a group of client companies of the two accounting firms and others. The company was launched in August 1965 and a small team of staff engaged including a General Manager who was brought from England. An order was placed for an ICT 1902 computer which was not delivered until a year later.
Paul played a major part in the subsequent establishment of the company which became known as CBL, in Wellington (1968) and Hamilton (1969) each formed around groups of local companies who became shareholders. In 1970 he left the Hargreaves and Felton partnership to become a fulltime executive of CBL and later that year executed the deal with Fletcher Holdings which saw the company's entry into Auckland through the acquisition of the Fletcher Computer Bureau in Albert St. The Fletcher connection has continued to this day.
This was followed early in 1971 by the formation of a holding company (today's Datacom Group) which took up the shares in the four regional companies forming a truly national organisation. In the same year the company's entry into Auckland was further consolidated by the takeover of Wilson & Horton's computer operations and their introduction as a shareholder. In 1984 the name was changed from CBL to Datacom.
Paul became an executive director of the new holding company and in this role and later as Chief Executive following the retirement of Bernard Battersby, played a major part in Datacom's development and growth over the next 20 years. He was responsible for the introduction of John Holdsworth to Datacom and the merger with CCL in 1989/90 which stabilized Datacom's ownership and laid the foundation for the company's dramatic growth under the leadership of the late Frank Stephenson. In latter years he has continued his close association with the company he co-founded, as a non executive director and shareholder finally retiring three years ago.
45 years on Datacom remains a closely held New Zealand owned company and today is regarded as one of New Zealand's success stories and head and shoulders above all others in the IT professional services field in this country.
HiGrowth Project Trust - Chairman of Trustees 2004-2008
The HiGrowth Trust was formed following the work of the government initiated ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Task Force in 2002/2003 with the object of carrying through the Task force recommendations and initiatives and turning them into reality. These included an overarching goal of accelerating the growth of ICT companies to achieve a 10% contribution to GDP from the sector by 2012.
Paul was appointed Chairman of Trustees in early 2004 and set up the executive management of HiGrowth to enable it to start fulfilling the objectives of the Task Force. This has entailed working closely with both the Ministry of Economic Development and NZ Trade and Enterprise at a senior level. Good progress was made on a range of projects and the Trust was finally wound up in early 2008.
Software of Excellence International Ltd - Director 2003- 2007
In January 2003 Paul was appointed to the board of Software of Excellence, a listed company specializing in software for the dental profession. SOEIL has been very successful in the UK market place and in Australia. During his time on the board SOEIL made a successful turnaround and in late 2007 was acquired by Henry Schein Inc on very favourable terms to shareholders
Gallagher Holdings Ltd - Director 2000-2009
In September 2000 Paul was invited to join the Board of the Hamilton based Gallagher Group which had brought a major software dimension into the traditional electronics and engineering business as consequence of their entry into the electronic building security business internationally. Gallagher's operating revenues are over $120 million. Paul was chairman of the Audit Committee and retired in February 2009.
AllTeams Limited
Paul is chairman of this start up company which is working with sports organisations - clubs, schools and teams - and their sponsors, to create social networks and business directories through which they can all be linked. AllTeams is now launched in New Zealand and has been working on trials with schools in the United Kingdom.
Science
NIWA - Director, acting Chairman, 1991-1994
Chief Executive 1994-2002
In August 1991, Paul was appointed to the establishment board of NIWA, the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd which commenced business from 1 July 1992. During the first two years he served as chair of the Audit Committee, Deputy Chair and Acting Chair following the resignation of the initial chairman. In August 1994 he was asked by the NIWA Board to step in as acting Chief Executive following the departure of the first CEO.
At this point NIWA required radical management change if it was to fulfill its purpose a as New Zealand's leading environmental Crown Research Institute focused on the aquatic, atmospheric and marine sciences. In late 1994, Paul led a rapid management restructuring of NIWA which resulted in the emergence of "One NIWA," a project based organization focused on the delivery of successful science, backed by a committed science staff. This structure remains in place today and has been a major factor in NIWA's success.
Following this turnaround, he was asked by the Board to continue for a further 6 months into 1995 to negotiate the transfer of 120 staff and assets of MAF Fisheries Research which included New Zealand's major research vessels Tangaroa and Kaharoa. This followed the breakup of MAF into the present Ministry of Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture. This transition was successfully accomplished and Paul was invited by the Board to take a permanent contract as Chief Executive.
Over the succeeding years NIWA became recognized as the most successful of New Zealand's Crown Research Institutes, employing over 600 staff and with science revenues of over $100 million. Paul retired as NIWA Chief Executive in August 2002.
Antarctica New Zealand - Director and Chairman of Governing Board 2001- 2008
In November 2001, Paul was appointed to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand, the Crown Entity responsible for discharging New Zealand's commitments in Antarctica and meeting its obligations under the Antarctic Treaty. This includes the operation of Scott Base, oversight of NZ science activities on the ice together with all logistics support (ground and air). In addition there are a range of environmental obligations which Antarctica NZ has to ensure are met together with running a variety of educational programmes.
Paul was appointed Chairman in July 2003 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Major achievements over the next five years included the construction of the Hillary Field Centre at Scott Base and a new atmospheric research lab at Arrival Heights on Ross Island. A $US30m project known as Andrill involving the US, Italy Germany and NZ with Antarctica NZ as project managers is now underway to drill 2000 meters at multiple sites through the Ross Ice Shelf and the sea and sediment below to extract data relating to climate millions of years ago. This project has pushed technology limits in one of the harshest environments on earth.
In addition, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NZ Ambassador in Washington Antarctica NZ is working with the US National Science Foundation to resolve resource issues over joint NZ/US access into McMurdo Sound.
In the summer of 1956/57 Paul was one of several Sea Cadets selected to join two RNZN frigates on the first NZ scientific voyage into the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea in company with HMNZS Endeavour carrying the original Trans Antarctic Expedition Party led by Sir Edmund Hillary to establish Scott Base at the commencement of the 1957/58 International Geophysical Year.
In January 2007 he escorted Sir Edmund Hillary and the Prime Minister back to the ice to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Scott Base. A high level US delegation including the Director of the US National Science Foundation and a Deputy Secretary of State were part of this.
Paul also paid a major part in securing $11m of science funding to support New Zealand's participation in the 2007/8 International Polar Year which enabled our participation (utilizing NIWA,s research vessel Tangaroa) in the Census of Marine Life Project in the oceans surrounding Antarctica.
Working with Meridian Energy, Paul also oversaw the successful introduction of wind energy on Ross Island to support both Scott Base and the US McMurdo Station and reduce the dependence on liquid fuels. In 2008 a mountain peak in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica was named after Paul; Hargreaves Peak, the highest point on the Cape Adare Peninsula in Northern Victoria Land.
Other:
Radio New Zealand 1991-1996
Paul was appointed a director of Radio New Zealand in 1991 which at that time was in desperate financial straits. Together with Bryan Kensington who was later appointed chairman and a board of only four, they established a new effective management team and brought it back from the edge of insolvency. They then separated out commercial radio and public radio and finally in 1996 sold the commercial stations into what is now The Radio Network owned by Tony O'Reilly and APN interests for $89m. Public Radio (the National Programme and the Concert Programme) was then reconstituted as Radio New Zealand, crown funded, as it is today.
Institute of Directors
Accredited Fellow
Chairman IoD Auckland 2001-2005
National Vice President April 2005-2007
National President April - 2007- 2009
Elected a Distinguished Fellow in August 2009
Charities
Shine* - Safer homes in NZ every day
(Prevention of domestic violence) - Board Member 2003-
Shine works with Police, courts and social agencies in providing counselling and training to address this appalling problem that runs right through our society
GI Cancer Institute (NZ) Inc
Chairman 2009-
Committed to improving the outcomes for the gastro intestinal cancer patients by supporting clinical research and clinical trials.
Laura Fergusson Trust for Disabled Persons - Canterbury
Founding Chair 1974-79. Led the group which established the Trust in Christchurch and planned and built the present home which has since celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Honours
Paul was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2007 New Year Honours.
