Professional Advisors Breakfast 2024
On August 15th the Aoraki Foundation held it’s second annual professional advisors breakfast. 60 local advisors braved a cool South Canterbury morning to share breakfast and hear from one of New Zealand’s leading businessmen Neil Craig. Neil Craig founded Craigs Investment Partners which is one of the largest professional advisory firms in the country.
Aoraki Foundation Chief Executive Richard Spackman shared the stage with Neil as they spend thirty minutes in a Q&A format.
Neil was candid with his answers explaining what life was like growing up in Taumarunui to his student days at Lincoln University. Neil has a fondness for Canterbury having worked on a farm near Mayfield after leaving Lincoln.
Neil’s business career highlighted the importance of taking your chances. He never set out to build a business the size of Craigs but when opportunities presented themselves he was not shy of taking them. The stock market crash of 1987 was a defining moment for Craigs. They were one of the few firms around the country that had the back of house in order. This enabled them to move at pace after the crash while many firms were unravelling their position. The period soon after the crash saw Craigs consolidate a significant number of smaller firms giving them the scale to be a player in the New Zealand market. They were also quick to adapt to new technology and leverage this for the benefit of the business. However, Neil never took his focus of the clients needs as that is what drives any business success.
Along with the history of Craigs the audience was also given an insight into Neil as a person. One entertaining story was how ended up purchasing an orchard so he could turn it into a private cricket ground. Neil having only just seen it was for sale turned up late to the auction and began bidding at the back of the room while all the orchardists wondered who this guy in the suit was. He was successful at the auction but then it dawned on Neil that he had yet to mention this to his wife, so he had some explaining to do when he got home.
We also heard about Neil’s love for philanthropy and community foundations. Neil and Craigs Investment Partners have been long-standing supporters of Hopices throughout the country. Neil was instrumental in establishing the Acorn Foundation in Tauranga, one of New Zealand’s first community foundations, and is now an Ambassador for Community Foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand. Neil was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for his services to business and philanthropy.