It was a great honour to have Colin Crombie and Nelson Spiers present to receive their Alumni Awards on Friday, 13 October. Unfortunately, Steve Lockwood was overseas and unable to join us in person.

We have so many incredibly successful and talented Old Boys in our alumni community and it was a privilege to be able to induct three more of our finest into the Business Alumni. It was also fantastic to see so many of our Old Boys come along in support, especially our previous inductees Don Trow and Barry Clevely who travelled for the evening function.  We were also treated to an amazing performance by our incredibly talented MANifesto, who performed three songs for us; thank you so much.

Mr. Colin Crombie

Colin started at Boys’ High in 1960 and he was a fine all-round pupil. He began in Form IIIB, was in Albion club, and had a fellow Business Alumni member, Bruce Lambie, in the same form class.

Colin did well academically, achieving School Certificate in his 5th form year in 1962, University Entrance and Endorsed School Certificate the following year, followed by Higher School certificate when he was in the Upper VIth in 1964 – that’s Year 13 to those of you of a younger generation.

While at Boys’ High, Colin was fully involved in school life. In his 3rd form year, he was in the Eighth-Grade Red rugby team which under the guidance of Mr Doel, went through the season unbeaten to win the Eighth-Grade championship. In fact, Colin enjoyed a successful rugby career at school – in his five years playing rugby, his teams played 60 games, for 49 wins, five draws and only six losses. Two unbeaten seasons – the Fourth Grade A team went through the 1963 season without a loss – the year before the 5th Grade A team had lost just once, to Wanganui Collegiate. Colin was captain of the 2nd XV in his final year, coached by Errol Brookie, and in his team was future All Black Ian Stevens. In the Palmerstonian, Mr Brookie remarked that “Crombie was rarely out hooked”.

Colin was also a good tennis player and athlete. He was runner-up to Ian Bevins in the junior tennis championship in 1962, in a three-set thriller, and he would go on to play for the Senior A tennis team. He was a regular member of the Albion 4x100 yards relay team.

Colin was in the cadet force; he was platoon corporal of B company in 1962, rising to be the Regimental Sgt Major Warrant Officer 1 of the School Battalion. In 1964 he was the school’s Deputy Head Prefect.

Upon leaving PNBHS, Colin began working in the insurance sector. He subsequently qualified for both the New Zealand and Australian Insurance Institutes, and he would go on to become a Life Member of the Corporation of Insurance Brokers, NZ.

Colin was a founder of insurance brokerage firm Crombie Lockwood in Napier in 1978 from the basement of his house. Crombie Lockwood grew to become one of the largest insurance brokers in New Zealand, and today the company employs around 900 staff operating from 31 offices throughout the country. Colin retired as chairman of Crombie Lockwood in 2008 after 30 years at the helm.

In 2014 Colin was awarded the QSM (Queen's Service Medal) for philanthropy and services to the community. He said he was "stunned but absolutely pleased and honoured to have been considered" for the QSM. In what Colin considers to be his most rewarding project, he and his wife Diana have spent 15 years providing academic scholarships for tertiary study to the sons and daughters of hard-working families through the Penzance Charitable Trust.

Colin and Diana have also supported the restoration of the Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery. Colin's philanthropic work is not limited to New Zealand, either: he helped establish the Rose Charity Eye Clinic in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The clinic has become the leading eye clinic in Cambodia, assisting people in rural areas with sight difficulties.

Colin lives in Hawke's Bay, and he has continued his interests in business as joint founder and director of a telecommunications company, a security company, and currently an innovative stock food business. He has been a member of the Iona College Council for more than 10 years and is a member of the College Foundation. Colin is also a life member of Outward Bound.

Colin's love of sport continues, and he says when the rivers of Hawke's Bay finally clear from the ravages of Cyclone Gabrielle, he will resume his passion for fly fishing.

It is a privilege to be able to recognise Colin’s success. 

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 Mr. Steve Lockwood, who unfortunately couldn’t be with us this evening as he is overseas.

Steve came to Boys’ High in 1973 and, like Colin, had in his form class another young man who would go on to become a member of our Business Alumni – Mr Ross George. Steve was in 3L2 with Mr John Lee as form teacher. Steve was in Gordon Club and played for the 5th Grade White rugby team in 1973. He would also play chess and be involved in the Duke of Edinburgh programme during his time at Boys’ High.

Steve gained School Certificate in 1975 but left school part-way through his 6th form year. When entering the work force, Steve was given a choice – forestry or state insurance. He chose insurance and he worked for State Insurance until 1980 when he moved to Marsh Insurance as a broker.

In 1983 Steve joined Colin and as a result Crombie Lockwood opened an office here in Palmerston North, which was the company’s second office, with the New Plymouth, Wellington and Christchurch offices opening soon after – as I mentioned earlier, Crombie Lockwood has grown significantly since those early days, with 31 offices throughout the country and employing over 900 people.

Steve was a majority shareholder and Chief Executive Officer for Crombie Lockwood until 2006 when the company was acquired by ASX listed company Wesfarmers. He was the Executive Chairman of Wesfarmers Insurance Broking until 2014 when the company was sold to Gallagher, a global leader in insurance and risk management services. Since then, Steve has been Managing Director of Gallagher Global Brokerage New Zealand, Australia and Asia, incorporating Crombie Lockwood, Pen Underwriting and Elantis Premium Funding.

Steve has several business interests outside of the insurance industry, including hotels, carbon farming and commercial property and tourism businesses. Steve heads the Lockwood Property Group which has property investments throughout the country.

Steve has two sons and in his spare time he skippers his own boat and with Simone he enjoys fishing and diving. He is also an avid car collector, and in 2017 he bought a rare 1934 Bugatti that was once owned by a member of Louis Vuitton’s family from the estate of Central Otago man Bob Turnbull. The 1934 Type 57 Gangloff Roadster, which is a thing of rare beauty, was bought by Steve to display at car museums around the country.

Steve also operates and supports a number of conservation projects throughout the country.

Mr. Nelson Speirs

The third recipient is a name known to all of our young men, and in fact to all those who have been through the school since 2002, thanks to his support of the wonderful performing arts building that bears his name – the Speirs Centre.

Nelson began at Boys’ High in 1951, where he was in form IIIA with Ron Eglinton, a future Chairman of the PNBHS Board of Trustees, and Jonathan Hunt, future Minister of the Crown and High Commissioner to the UK.

Nelson was a fine all-round pupil at Boys’ High: he was a regular in the Albion 4 by 100 yards relay team and he was runner-up in the Junior 100 yards in 1951. He won the 75 yards in 8.25 seconds in 1955 and was awarded a School Blue for athletics in his final year, 1955. He also played rugby: 4th XV in 1954 and in the 2nd XV in 1955, along with one of our guests this evening, and fellow Business Alumni member, Mr Barry Clevely. Nelson has a noteworthy performance against Napier BHS: “In the second half”, the Palmerstonian tells us, “Speirs scored two magnificent tries near the touchline” in the team’s 9-3 win. (To the young chaps - Gents, tries were worth only three points in those days).

Nelson was also an accomplished musician, playing the trombone in the school band for several years. He was a Sgt. Major of the Band, Headquarters company in the School Cadet Battalion. He achieved School Certificate, University Entrance and Endorsed School Certificate as well as Higher School Certificate in 1955 and was a College House as well as a School Prefect.

Nelson joined his father's timber and joinery business after leaving school, and he was the joint CEO of that business from 1958. From 1963-79 he was CEO and Director of MSD-Speirs Ltd (sawmillers, builders' suppliers, housing construction, property developers) which was listed on NZX in 1976. In 1976 the company partnered with Canterbury Timber Products Ltd, pioneering a fibreboard product known as "Customwood'.

In 1976 the company received a successful takeover bid from NZ Forest Products. Nelson established and became the Director of Speirs Group Ltd in 1966. From 1967-80 Speirs Foods had a chain of 12 fast-food restaurants branded 'Big Tex', which were sold in 1980 with arrival of McDonald's in New Zealand. Since 1980, Speirs Foods has produced and distributed fresh salads across the country to both New Zealand supermarket chains, for retail sale in delicatessens and produce departments, and to the industrial market.

Speirs Finance was established in 1978 to provide finance to small and medium scale business enterprises, primarily to fund vehicle fleets. Funding was provided largely from borrowings from the public and financial institutions, supported by an A1+ credit rating granted by Standard and Poor's.

In 2008 Speirs Finance was sold to an NZX company but was repurchased by Speirs Group in 2012 in partnership with three merchant banks. Speirs Group maintains a minority shareholding. Speirs Finance continues to provide facilities to business enterprises, large and small, primarily for their funding of vehicles and heavy machinery and equipment. Speirs Finance is a significant participant in the NZ commercial asset financing sector. Nelson is a director of the parent company, Equipment Leasing and Finance Holdings Limited, also encompassing AB Equipment, a nationwide heavy, mobile equipment supplier.

Nelson has been active in the community for many years and has been a member of Lions International since 1964 and has been a great supporter of PNBHS - the Speirs Centre being testament to this. He married Mary Bibby, and has three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.