Sir Arthur Douglas Myers (29 October 1938 – 8 April 2017)[1] 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 ninth richest man according to the National Business Review.[2] [3]
Born in Auckland on 29 October 1938, Myers was educated at King's College, Auckland.[4] He studied at the University of Cambridge, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, and at Harvard University, and completed the PMD course at Harvard Business School.[4]
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 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. In 1998, Myers sold most of his 16% share holding to Kirin Brewery Company (creating the fourth-largest brewing firm in the world) for $312 million.[5] [6]
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.[7] 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.[8] He died in London on 8 April 2017.[9]
In the 1991 New Year Honours, Myers was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to business management. In 2003, he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.[10] In the 2010 New Year Honours, Myers was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and the community.[11] [12]