Selwyn Cushing

Sir Selwyn John Cushing KNZM CMG (born 1 September 1936) is a New Zealand accountant and businessman.

Sir Selwyn Cushing KNZM CMG
Born	Selwyn John Cushing (1936-09-01) 1 September 1936 (age 88) Hastings, New Zealand
Education	Hastings Boys' High School
Occupation	Businessman
Spouse	Kaye Dorothy Anderson ​ ​ (m. 1964; died 1986)​
Children	2

Early life and family

Cushing was born in Hastings on 1 September 1936,^[1] the only child of a manager at the Whakatu freezing works.^[2] He was educated at Hastings Boys' High School. In 1964, he married Kaye Dorothy Anderson, and the couple went on to have two children. His wife died in 1986.^[1]

Cushing represented Hawke's Bay in cricket,^[1] and is also an accomplished violinist.^[2]

Career

Cushing qualified as a chartered accountant, and became involved in corporate governance as a director and chair of some of New Zealand's largest and most well-known public companies and state-owned enterprises. Such companies included Brierley Investments, Air New Zealand, Carter Holt Harvey, Mount Cook Group, Electricity Corporation of New Zealand, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Skellerup.^[1][2][3] He stepped down from the board of the latter company in 2017.^[3]

In 2018, the Cushing family was estimated to be worth $235 million.^[4]

Honours and awards

In the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours, Cushing was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, for services to business management,^[5] and in the 1999 New Year Honours he was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business, sport and the arts.^[6]