Long-time Auckland cricket stalwart Denis Currie has been named as the new President of New Zealand Cricket.
Currie’s appointment was confirmed today at the 115th Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Board, held in Auckland. He succeeds Don Neely, who had served the maximum three one-year terms as President.
The Board also appointed two new Directors – broadcasting pioneer Bill Francis, and former High Court Judge Sir John Hansen.
These positions were created by the retirement by agreed rotation of current Directors Steve Riddell and Denis Currie, who had indicated his decision to retire as a Board Director and was not available for re-election.
In addition, Stuart Heal, who joined the Board last year to fill the casual vacancy created by Sir John Anderson’s retirement, was reappointed.
Denis Currie has been on the Board of New Zealand Cricket for 19 years, and has a long career as a contributor to cricket in New Zealand and an active supporter of grassroots cricket. He has served as a member of the New Zealand Cricket National Coaching Committee, Director of Eden Park Management Board and a member of the New Zealand Cricket Foundation Committee.
He was Auckland Cricket Association Chairman for six years up to 1996 and is a Life Member of the Association, and of the Papatoetoe District Cricket Club.
Earlier this year he was one of 50 New Zealand recipients of the ICC Centenary Medal for voluntary service to the game.
Mr Currie also has a strong business background. He was managing director of nationwide transport operator Halls Refrigerated Transport from 1973 to 1997, and managing director of Masonry Distributors (Auckland) Ltd from 1997 to 2007.
New NZC Director Bill Francis is General Manager Talk Programming with the Radio Network, a position he has held since 1993.
Mr Francis has an extensive background in sports broadcasting, having been an Editor of Sport with Radio New Zealand, attending seven Olympic and Commonwealth Games as a commentator or producer.
He was also a cricket commentator for 14 years in Hamilton, Dunedin and Auckland. Mr Francis has been a director of Auckland Cricket Association since 2005, and is a trustee of the Auckland Cricket Development Fund and an Academy Member of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.
Sir John Hansen KNZM is an internationally respected lawyer and judge. After a career as a barrister and solicitor in Dunedin, he served as a Judge in the Hong Kong Judiciary in the 1980s, then as a Judge of the High Court of New Zealand from 1995 to 2008.
In 2007 he served as the Chairman of the final appeals committee for the Rugby World Cup, and in 2009 was appointed to the NZRFU Appeal Council and the IRB Judicial Panel. He was appointed Code of Conduct Commissioner by the International Cricket Council in 2007.
Sir John has been president of the Willows Cricket Club in Christchurch since 2003. He was made a Distinguished Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit in 2008 and reinvested as KNZM earlier this year.
Today’s AGM also awarded a life membership to Sir John Anderson, who was Chairman of New Zealand Cricket from 1995 to 2008.
