David Kirk

David Kirk MBE, MB ChB, BA(Oxon). Captain of Industry and former Captain of the All Blacks.

David Kirk has excelled in everything he has put his hand to. A medical doctor, a Rhodes Scholar with a PPE degree from Oxford University and a stellar career as CEO of two of Australasia's largest companies. In NZ he is probably most famous as an All Black Captain, and currently the only New Zealand Captain to lead his team to win the Rugby World Cup.

David Kirk is currently CEO of Hoyts and from 2005 was CEO of Fairfax Media Limited, Australasia's largest media company. Fairfax Media publishes, amongst some 300 newspapers and magazines in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Australian Financial Review, The Dominion Post and The Press in Christchurch. Fairfax Media is the largest online media company in Australasia, operating over 100 websites, including Trade Me and stuff in New Zealand.

In the early 1990’s he worked as Executive Assistant and Chief Policy Advisor to the then Prime Minster, Rt Hon. Jim Bolger and before that in London for McKinsey & Co. Earlier in his working career David worked in the energy, pulp and paper, printing and media services industries. David represented New Zealand in rugby union from 1983-1987. He played for the Otago and Auckland provinces, captained New Zealand Universities and, in 1986 and 1987, he captained the All Blacks. In 1987, under his leadership the All Blacks won the inaugural Rugby World Cup. In 1987 he was awarded an MBE for services to rugby. In the same year, he took up a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics. His first degree was in Medicine and he graduated from the University of Otago in New Zealand in 1985. David is President of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association, an honorary ambassador for the World Food Program and is a Trustee of a number of charities. He is also the author of two books “Black and Blue” and “The Road to Cardiff” (with Graham Hutchins) and has been a regular contributor to newspapers around the world.