Sir Rod Drury’s legacy will be one of ‘‘vision and generosity — proving that success and service can grow together’’.
The comment was made by the judging panel of the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards after Sir Rod (Ngai Tahu), of Queenstown, was last night named New Zealander of the Year Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa at a gala dinner in Auckland.
The other finalists in that category were Dame Julia Chapman, who leads Kidscan and Pet Refuge, and neuroscientist Sir Richard Faull.
The judges said Sir Rod, a pioneer entrepreneur and founder of Xero, continued to shape New Zealand’s technology landscape through innovation, investment and mentorship.
He was driving sustainable, future-focused innovation while empowering a new generation of New Zealand technology leaders to think boldly and globally.
Recently he had focused on venture philanthropy and funding a significant number of public good projects spanning education, conservation and regeneration, renewable energy, electricity market disruption and public policy advocacy.
Most recently, he established Southern Infrastructure Ltd to support Queenstown public infrastructure projects, including the proposed cable car.
Beyond his business achievements, Sir Rod’s leadership and philanthropy had left a lasting imprint on New Zealand’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the judges said.
Recognised as EY New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year, Business Leader of the Year, and an inductee into the New Zealand Hi-Tech Hall of Fame and the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame, he continued to give back through mentorship, investment, and community initiatives.
Kiwibank chief executive Steve Jurkovich said Sir Rod had a track record for turning ‘‘ambition into action’’.
‘‘What stands out most is his commitment to using his success as a platform to enable others — helping more New Zealand businesses to start, scale and succeed.
‘‘Sir Rod’s mahi is helping build a more productive, confident and future-focused Aotearoa.
‘‘We’re proud to celebrate him as the 2026 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa.’’
Meanwhile, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu New Zealand Sustainability Leader of the Year Te Toa Taiao o te Tau 2026 was awarded to Central Otago’s Mike Casey (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa), an electric farmer and Rewiring Aotearoa’s chief executive.
Judges described him as a driving force in New Zealand’s transformation towards sustainable energy, reshaping conversations on climate justice and electrification and proving that green innovation was not only possible, but profitable.
Other finalists in that category were Russel and Teresa Trow, of Southland (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu), who had led pioneering, community-driven conservation on Kundy Island — part of the Titi/Muttonbird Islands — for more than 40 years, and Auckland’s Valerie Marie Ngaoa Teraitua, who turned Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae into a national model of practical sustainability.