Rob Fenwick

Sir Robert Fenwick KStJ
Born	Robert George Mappin Fenwick (1951-05-05)5 May 1951 Auckland, New Zealand
Died	11 March 2020(2020-03-11) (aged 68)
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Sustainable business development, Antarctic preservation, New Zealand conservation
Relatives	Frank Mappin (grandfather) George Fenwick (great-grandfather)

Sir Robert George Mappin Fenwick

Fenwick co-founded the organic composting service Living Earth Ltd, the

Fenwick was knighted in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours for "significant contributions to New Zealand’s sustainable development, wildlife protection, waste minimisation, environmental science and Antarctica, and iwi development over the past 30 years".^[3] A year earlier, Fenwick received the 2015 Blake Medal, with the Sir Peter Blake Trust acknowledging him as "New Zealand's foremost statesman of sustainability and the environment, and an exceptional leader and motivator in business and governance".^[4] Fenwick was a finalist for the 2016 New Zealander of the Year Award and was inducted to the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2016.^[5]

Early life and family history

Fenwick was raised in Auckland, New Zealand, son of ophthalmologist George de Lacy Fenwick (died 1994), MD,^[6] (son of ophthalmologist George Ernest Oswald Fenwick (1878–1955) OBE)^[7][8] and Ethel Thorpe, daughter of philanthropist Sir Frank Crossley Mappin (6th baronet).^[9] His great-grandfather was the newspaper proprietor and editor Sir George Fenwick.^[10][11] Fenwick attended King's College.^[12]

Arms

Fenwick was granted armorial bearings from the Royal College of Arms in 2008.

Notes Arms were granted to Sir Frederick Thorpe Mappin Bt on 23 August 1886; and Arms were also granted to Sir George Fenwick on 27 April 1921. Blazon Quarterly first and fourth Fenwick, namely Per fess dancetty Argent and Gules in chief three Martlets Sable; second and third Mappin, namely Azure on a Bend engrailed between two Boar's heads erased Argent three Lozenges Azure. The Crest of Fenwick is Upon a Wreath of the Colours In front of a Phoenix Sable rising from Flames proper four Mullets Argent.

Career

Fenwick began his career as a journalist with the Auckland Star and Radio Hauraki^[10] before co-founding the Public Relations firm Allan, Fenwick, McCully.^[13] In 1987, Fenwick co-founded NZ Natural Water Ltd, bottling New Zealand water for export.^[10] Fenwick (and partners) established Living Earth Ltd in 1994, New Zealand's first commercial organic waste to compost operation and responsible for diverting 1 million tonnes of waste from landfills for re-use as compost (as of 2010).^[14]

In 2000, Fenwick and wife Jennie founded Te Matuku oysters on their

In 1990, Fenwick commenced a series of consulting roles and professional directorships providing corporate strategy, government relations and communications advisory services to a range of organisations, generally focussing on sustainability and environment issues management. ^[citation needed]

Notable positions include:

• Chairman, Mai FM Media (1990–2001). A role Fenwick calls his proudest business success for promoting the Maori language.^[17]
• Senior Fellow, NZ Institute of Directors (1995 – present)^[18]
• Deputy Chairman,
  TVNZ (2004–2010)^[19]
• Chancellor, Order of St John NZ (2006–2008)[20]
• Chairman, Antarctica New Zealand (2008–2015)^[21]
• Director, Whai Rawa Ltd the commercial arm of
  Ngati Whatua o Orakei (2012 – present)^[22]
• Member, Air NZ Sustainability Advisory Panel (2015–present)[23]
• Member, Westpac NZ Sustainability & Community Panel (2016–present)^[24]
• Director,
  Te Papa Tongarewa (2016 – present)^[25]

Fenwick was appointed leader of the Progressive Green Party in 1996 and campaigned to create a Maritime Park in the Hauraki Gulf.^[10]

In 1998, he was a founding member of the BlueGreens, an environmental policy group within the New Zealand National Party.^[11]

Fenwick was involved in the development of New Zealand's waste minimisation strategy and campaigned for the enactment of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008. He was the inaugural chair of the Ministerial Waste Advisory Board, from 2008 to 2014.

Conservation, sustainability and humanity initiatives

Fenwick was highly regarded in the New Zealand conservation space.^[17] He was credited with inspiring the Predator Free New Zealand 2050 movement^[26] and was chair of the Predator Free New Zealand Trust – an organisation committed to supporting volunteers involved in pest control. He also chaired The Kiwi Trust, a group dedicated to protecting the kiwi bird from extinction and sat on the board of Predator Free 2050 Ltd,^[27] the company overseeing crown investment as it pertains to Predator Free 2050 research and project support.

Fenwick also undertook conservation efforts specific to his home town of Auckland, New Zealand. In 1992, he and others founded the Motutapu Island Restoration Trust^[28] and in 2008 the Fenwick family covenanted their 360 hectare coastal property to expand the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park,^[29] of which Fenwick was a key proponent.^[15] A forested portion of the Fenwick property was also donated to the Auckland Council as a public walkway.^[29]

From 1998 to 2007, Fenwick was director and chairman of the Crown Research Institute

In 1997 Fenwick and businessman colleague John Beattie bought Queen Mary Hospital in Hanmer Springs after the local health authority wanted to close it.^[32] Fenwick's motivation was because he had had a close family member treated at Queen Mary, which was a national residential treatment centre for alcoholism and addictions.^[32] While the hospital continued to receive government funding Fenwick and Beattie also hoped to attract private fee-paying patients from within New Zealand and overseas. They set up outpatient clinics in other cities and a company which offered addiction and alcoholism treatment programmes to corporate clients. The hospital continued to sustain financial losses going into liquidation and closing in 2003.^[32]

Fenwick's other notable conservation, sustainability and humanity work included:

• Trustee, World Wildlife Fund New Zealand (1985–2005)^[33]
• Trustee, Air New Zealand Environment Trust (2010–present)^[33]
• Special advisor to the Director General, New Zealand Department of Conservation (2010–2015)^[34]
• Chairman, Fred Hollows Foundation (2010–2014)^[35]
• Trustee, Motu: Economic and Public Policy Research (2011–2015)^[36]
• Board member, NEXT Foundation (2014–present)^[37]
• Chairman, Sustainable Seas
  National Science Challenge (2015–present)^[38]
• Board member, Deep South National Science Challenge (2015–present)[39]

Antarctica

North & South Magazine wrote that “Rob Fenwick has had more impact on Antarctica than possibly any other New Zealander”.^[40]

In 1993, Fenwick launched an international campaign to preserve the Scott and Shackleton Antarctic huts. He was later elected and served as chairman of the Antarctic Heritage Trust from 1996 to 2007. Following the completion of the project, Fenwick was invited to chair the board of Antarctica New Zealand. During his term the agency constructed wind powered turbines to supply energy to the New Zealand and US research stations and the Hillary Science Centre was completed at Scott Base.^[41] In 2012 he established the privately funded Antarctic Research Institute – partnering with research agencies to expand climate change research on the continent.^[4]

The

• Knight of the Order of St John (2005)[43]
• Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to conservation and the community, in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours^[44]
• Honorary doctorate, Lincoln University (2009)^[45]
• Sir Peter Blake medallist (2015)^[4]
• Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit – for services to business and conservation (2016)^[46]
• Finalist, New Zealander of the Year (2016)^[2]
• Inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame (2016)^[5]
• Winner, Kea World Class NZ Awards (2017)^[17]

Personal life

In 1974, Fenwick married firstly Juileen Adams; they had a daughter and, later, divorced in 1986. He married secondly Jennifer ("Jennie") Anne Beatty, a yoga teacher, with whom he had two more daughters.^[9][17] He and his family lived on Waiheke Island.^[47]

References