Name Douglas Myers | Role Businessman | |
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Education Harvard Business School, University of Cambridge | ||
Billionaire beer baron sir douglas myers
Sir Arthur Douglas Myers KNZM CBE (29 October 1938 – 8 April 2017) was a New Zealand businessman and one of the country's richest men (#35 on the Forbes New Zealand and Australian Rich list, 2006, with net worth estimated at AU$350 million, and assessed as worth $950m and New Zealand's 9th richest man according to the New Zealand National Business Review).
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Myers began his involvement with what would become Lion Nathan in 1965, being appointed CEO of Campbell & Ehrenfried, following in the footsteps of his father Sir Kenneth Myers and his grandfather Sir Arthur Myers. A series of mergers and cross shareholdings led to the creation of Lion Breweries and then Lion Nathan. Myers played a leading role in Lion for over 15 years as MD, CEO, and ultimately as chairman in 1997. One year later, in 1998, Myers sold his 45% share holding to Kirin Brewery Company (creating the fourth largest brewing firm in the world) for $312 million.
He moved to London in semi-retirement retaining some business and philanthropic interests, including a stake in Cameron O'Reilly's private-equity group Bayard Capital and regularly donating to the Myers Scholarship. Myers is a graduate of both Cambridge University and Harvard Business School. He remained active in two family businesses, Chiltern International and Downtown Music Publishing.
In late 2015, Myers was fighting cancer with aggressive new treatments, including the latest immunotherapy medicines. He died in London on 8 April 2017.
Honours
In the New Year Honours 1991 Myers was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to business management. In the New Year Honours 2010 Myers was appointed as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and the community.