Colin Beyer
| Colin Beyer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Colin Andrew Nielsen Beyer 10 September 1938 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Died | 21 August 2015 (aged 76) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Occupation | Lawyer, director |
| Organization | Simpson Grierson |
| Known for | Past chairman of Tower Ltd; Securities Commissioner |
| Children | Georgina Beyer (stepdaughter) |
Colin Andrew Nielsen Beyer (10 September 1938 – 21 August 2015) was a New Zealand lawyer. He was a partner and then consultant with Simpson Grierson in Wellington. Also prominent businessman with many governance positions, Beyer was a securities commissioner on the Securities Commission of New Zealand from 2001 until 2010. He was the stepfather of former Member of Parliament Georgina Beyer.
Of Danish descent, Beyer was born in Wellington on 10 September 1938 to Knud Johan Nielsen and Carla Emilie (née Pallesen) Beyer. His father worked on the wharves in Wellington and his mother worked for the Education Department. Together with his younger brother Trevor and his sister Olga, they lived in Island Bay. Both brothers attended Wellington College.
Beyer was educated at Victoria University of Wellington. He graduated with an LLB and was admitted to the bar in 1962. His specialities are corporate law and mining law. He was a partner with Simpson Grierson for ten years until 2003, when he became a consultant (the term that Simpson Grierson uses for former partners). As of December 2010, Beyer is no longer listed on the Simpson Grierson website as a consultant.
Beyer was a prominent businessman with considerable governance experience. He was made a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors in 2006. He served as Chairman of the Accident Compensation Corporation, Government Property Services Ltd., Capital Properties New Zealand Ltd, Tower Ltd and Summit Resources Ltd, and a director of Capital Power Ltd and TrustPower Ltd. He was a ministerial appointee on the Wellington Area Health Board and the Wellington Polytechnic Board.
He was chairman of the Tower Corporation from 1990 until his resignation in 2003. The sacking of managing director James Boonzaier in 2002 under his chairmanship caused some controversy. Beyer was widely criticised in financial circles for publicly blaming Boonzaier for Tower's poor financial performance, and Beyer's decision not to stand for re-election prior to the 2003 AGM is described as having prevented the "possibility of a humiliating defeat". Bruce Sheppard, the founder of the New Zealand Shareholder's Association, criticised the board of Tower under Beyer's chairmanship over the setting of directors' fees and the payment of retirement allowances. Sheppard described the practices of the board as "the most outrageous gaming by the most reprehensible group".
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