Sir Ronald Ramsay Trotter (9 October 1927 – 11 August 2010) was one of New Zealand's pre-eminent business leaders. He was knighted for his service to business in 1985.

Early life and family

Born in

Hāwera Hāwera is the second-largest centre in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of . It is near the coast of the South Taranaki Bight. The origins of the town lie in a government military base that was establishe ...

on 9 October 1927, Trotter was the son of Annie Euphemia Trotter (née Young) and Clement George Trotter. He was educated at

Wanganui Collegiate School Whanganui Collegiate School is a state-integrated, coeducational, day and boarding secondary school located in Whanganui, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. Affiliated with the Anglican Church, it is the third oldest school in ...

, and went on to study at Victoria University College from 1945 to 1947, graduating

Bachelor of Commerce A Bachelor of Commerce (BCom or B Com) is an undergraduate degree in commerce, accounting, mathematics, economics, and management-related subjects. The degree is mainly offered in Commonwealth nations. Structure Bachelor of Commerce The Bac ...

, followed by a year at Canterbury Agricultural College where he completed a Certificate of Agriculture. In 1955, Trotter married Margaret Patricia Rainey, and the couple went on to have four children.

Business career

Trotter was instrumental in the formation of Fletcher Challenge Corporation in 1981, where he was the chief executive and chairman.

Directorships and management roles

*managing director and Chairman of Wright Stephenson and Co (1958–72) *Chairman and managing director Challenge Corporation (1970–1981) *Chairman and Chief Executive of Fletcher Challenge (1981–87) *Chairman Fletcher Challenge (1987–90) *Trustee and Chairman of the

New Zealand Institute of Economic Research The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) is the largest independent think tank in New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () ...

(1973–86) *Chairman of Telecom Corporation of New Zealand *Director of Air New Zealand (1989–93) *Director and Chairman of Toyota New Zealand (1964–2001) *Inaugural Chairman of the New Zealand Business Roundtable (1985–1990)

Public sector roles

Trotter made substantial contributions to the public sector. His roles included: *Chairman of the Steering Committee of the New Zealand Economic Summit Conference of 1984 *Director of the

Reserve Bank of New Zealand The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) () is the central bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1934 and is currently constituted under the ''Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 2021''. The current acting governor of the Reserve Bank, Christian ...

*Chairman of the State-owned Enterprises Advisory Committee (1987–88) *Chairman of the

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. Usually known as Te Papa ( Māori for ' the treasure box'), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand ...

*Chairman of Post Office Bank (1989) *Member and Chairman of the Oversees Investment Commission (1974–77) *Chairman of the Interim Provider Board

Honours

In the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours, Trotter was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

, for services to business management. In 1999, he was inducted into the

New Zealand Business Hall of Fame The New Zealand Business Hall of Fame is a figurative hall of fame dedicated to New Zealanders who have made a significant contribution to the economic and social development of New Zealand. The hall was established in 1994 by the Young Enterpri ...

Other activities

Trotter was also an art collector and, along with his wife Margaret, Lady Trotter, played an instrumental role in the formation of the Fletcher Challenge Art Collection.

References

1927 births 2010 deaths Lincoln University (New Zealand) alumni New Zealand businesspeople People from Hāwera Deaths from cancer in New Zealand New Zealand Knights Bachelor Businesspeople awarded knighthoods People associated with the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa People educated at Whanganui Collegiate School Victoria University of Wellington alumni {{NewZealand-business-bio-stub