December 31 - 2014 New Years Honours List

Murray Brennan

Professor Murray Brennan is an internationally-acclaimed surgeon and is recognised as a leading figure in the field of clinical oncology.

Professor Brennan was Chair of the Surgery Department at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York for 21 years until 2006. He continues to hold the position of Benno C. Schmidt Chair in Clinical Oncology, and since 2010 he has been the Director of Bobst International Centre and Vice President for International Programs at Sloan-Kettering. He has been instrumental in raising funds and creating opportunities for medical research by New Zealanders, in both New Zealand and the United States. He lectured throughout the world and has authored or co-authored more than 1,000 publications in his field. He has held office in numerous professional associations and received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Award of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences USA. He has received four Honorary University Doctorates and 12 Honorary Fellowships. He has served on the editorial boards of some 30 specialist journals, including the ‘Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery’ since 1985. Professor Brennan led a team which conducted a landmark treatment study of 10,000 patients with sarcoma between 1983 and 2013.

http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/ny2015-gnzm#brennanm

First class Rugby record:

Threequarter. 12 matches for Otago 1964-65.

Doug Heffernan.

Dr Doug Heffernan has contributed to the electricity industry for 40 years.

Dr Heffernan was chosen to help restructure the New Zealand Electricity Department into the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. Appointed Chief Executive of Waitemata Electric Power Board in 1991, he then spent six years as Chief Executive of Power New Zealand, leading it through corporatisation, merger and NZX listing. As Chief Executive of Mighty River Power from 1998 to 2014 he led the company through a period of sustained growth and evolution from a hydro-only operator to a diversified electricity generator and retailer with a significant geothermal business. Mighty River Power is now a multi-award winning company and one of the world’s largest geothermal power station owners. He has led a unique partnership approach to geothermal development with aligned economic, social, environmental and cultural interests and direct economic participation from numerous Māori land trusts and other commercial partners. Under his leadership the company has also worked with community organisations to provide practical solutions for low income customers to help avoid power disconnection. Dr Heffernan has been a director of Tuaropaki Power Company, and Chair of Rotokawa Joint Venture Limited and the Nga Awa Purua Joint Venture.

http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/ny2015-cnzm#heffernanm

First class Rugby record:

Fullback. 27 matches for Canterbury/Canterbury “B” 1975-78.

NZ Universities 1977-80 (5 matches). Part of NZU team that beat the British Isles in 1977.

South Island Universities 1979 (2 matches).

NZ Juniors 1975 (2 matches.

Chris Moller.

Mr Chris Moller has been at the forefront of New Zealand’s key industries since the late 1980s contributing services to sport, dairy, capital markets, tourism, transport, renewable energy and infrastructure.

Mr Moller was CEO of the New Zealand Rugby Union and was appointed a Councillor of the International Rugby Board. He was a driving force behind the 2011 World Cup bid. He was appointed to the Board of New Zealand Cricket in 2008 and was elected Chairman in 2011, becoming a member of the International Cricket Council Board. He worked with Cricket Australia to negotiate a revenue and cost sharing arrangement for the hosting of the Cricket World Cup 2015. He previously worked in the dairy industry for 15 years. He held the position of Deputy Chief of Fonterra and oversaw the merger of the New Zealand Dairy Group, Kiwi Dairies, and the New Zealand Dairy Board’s (NZDB) ingredients business, of which he was previously Managing Director. He served on the Board of NZX Ltd for a number of years and has been Chairman of the New Zealand Transport Agency since 2009. Mr Moller is the current Chairman of Sky City Entertainment Group and was appointed as Chairman of Meridian Energy in 2010.

http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/ny2015-cnzm#mollerc

Garry Hermannson

Professor Emeritus Gary Hermansson has contributed to the field of sport psychology as both an academic and a practitioner.

Over the period 1998 to 2014, Professor Hermansson has been the New Zealand Team Psychologist for nine consecutive Olympic and Commonwealth Games. He has also been the Team Psychologist to the New Zealand Equestrian Team and the New Zealand Blackcaps Cricket Team, as well as providing psychological services to the New Zealand School of Dance and numerous other athletes and performing artists. He has been an advisor in his field over many years to the New Zealand Olympic Committee and High Performance Sport New Zealand, as well as being a mentor to several other professionals working in his field. He has been a longstanding media spokesperson on matters of performance psychology and he has researched and written extensively on the topic. Recently Professor Hermansson was approached to contribute to a soon to be published sport psychology book, on the basis of being regarded as one of the 12 most notable sport psychologists in the world.

http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/ny2015-onzm#hermanssong

First class Rugby record:

Lock/No. 8. 29 matches for Manawatu 1960-62. Wellington 50 matches 1963-66.

Evergreens Club 1963.

NZ Universities 1963-67 (20 matches).

North Island Universities 1963,65,66.

Playing at No. 8 for NZ Universities against the 1965 Springboks, Hermannson, after NZU were reduced to 12 men through injury, filled in at halfback and captain for the concussed Chris Laidlaw. Journalist Terry McLean thought he ‘played with total pluck and a good deal of technical skill”. McLean also recorded some of Hermannson’s aftermatch remarks:

“In his speech after the game, Hermannson said that he had short experience as a captain, he was short with his kicks, he was short with his passes, and he was going to be short with his speech.”

From “The Bok Busters” by Terry McLean. Published A H & A W Reed 1965 p.170.

Neil Wolfe

Mr Neil Wolfe has contributed to community services in New Plymouth and the wider Taranaki region in sports, education and civic leadership for more than 50 years.

Mr Wolfe played as an All Black from 1961 to 1968 and represented Taranaki on 71 occasions. He has continued to support rugby as Vice-President and President of the Taranaki Rugby Union, and Trustee of Taranaki Community Rugby Trust. He has been President of Taranaki Jockey Club, Chairperson of Taranaki Racing District, and Member of New Plymouth Golf Club and of New Plymouth Stadium Board. He has been involved with numerous upgrade projects for sporting facilities. He has served as Chair of the Board of Central School and held executive roles on various New Plymouth Boys High School committees. He is a past member of Massey University’s L.A. Alexander Agricultural Trust Board which provides financial assistance to Taranaki/Waverley students for Tertiary Students, Postgraduate Scholarship and Teaching Scholarship in farming related subjects. He served on the New Plymouth District Council from 2004 to 2010. As New Zealand Community Trust Regional Advisory Committee Chair Mr Wolfe oversees the allocation of gaming proceeds to local community organisations.

http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/ny2015-mnzm#wolfet

First class Rugby record:

Five eight/centre. All Blacks 1961,62,63,68. 14 matches, 6 tests.

Wellington/Wellington “B”/XV 1960-62 (24 matches).

Taranaki 1963-69 (71 matches).

NZ Universities 1960-62 (12 matches).

North Island Universities 1960-62 (3 matches.

Centurions Club 1964.

NZ Colts 1964 (4 matches). NZ Colts trial 1964.

North Island 1961,62,66.

NZ Trials 1961,62,63,65,66,67,68 (11 matches).

Rest of NZ 1966.