Wānaka’s Brian Kreft was shocked when he received a phone call recently telling him he had been awarded a Distinguished Fellowship by New Zealand’s Institute of Directors.

Wānaka has been home to Brian for 38 years and his links here are strong.

His family has owned Paper Plus for more than 35 years and his support for local businesses is well known.

“It was something I never expected,” he said.

“Firstly I was flattered; secondly I’ve had a degree of luck in my time, but it was obviously recognised by my peers that I’ve done things the right way,” he said.

The Distinguished Fellowship is the highest accolade from the Institute of Directors.

Institute chief executive Kirsten Patterson said Brian showed exceptional business leadership and commitment in establishing an ethical oversight regime at the New Zealand Stock Exchange. He was instrumental in establishing the Market Surveillance Panel of the NZX, now known as the New Zealand Markets Disciplinary Tribunal.

Obviously a hard worker from early years, Brian attributes his start in business to ‘Mac’ Tulloch (of Tulloch Transport, Gore) who loaned him the money to buy a milk run.

Brian, the milk run lad, rented quarters backing onto Tulloch’s.

“When I got a job at Forsyth Barr, he paid me back the interest I’d paid over that year, saying ‘For someone who’s prepared to work so hard - you deserve a start in life’.” 

Brian is now retired as an investment banker, and a testament to his principles, care and professionalism was the fact that he never had to tout for work; people came to him.

PHOTO: Supplied