Leadership
The Interview - Sir Stephen Tindall
The retailer, philanthropist, angel investor and patriotic Kiwi flew into town to launch the Nelson Bays Community Foundation. by Sue Farley, photograph by Daniel Rose
“Just call me Stephen,” he said as we fussed around with sound and light checks before sitting down to interview this tall, no-fuss, Kiwi giant of a man. ‘Sir Stephen’ was already sounding very formal and clumsy, and we hadn’t even we’d not yet begun to get got down to business yet.
Stephen Tindall has become, over the years, one of this country’s outstanding personalities, – both in the business and philanthropic worlds. First sStarting work for the long-standing Auckland department store, George Courts Ltd, in the early 1970s, he founded The Warehouse chain in 1982 where, as we all know, everyone gets a bargain.
In Nelson town to launch the Nelson Bays branch of the Charitable Community Foundations group, he was happy to give time to talk to Wild Tomato, in between luncheon engagements, photo shoots and other meetings. “We were the ones that kicked off the idea for these foundations in New Zealand. We solicited a few regions and provided seed funding-funded them to help get them get started. We approved a grant to tThe Nelson Bays branch Community Foundation received a grant through our own from the Tindall Foundation to help them get about their business.”
Although the model has been around for a long time overseas, it’s is fairly new in this country. “The groups are run by volunteers, but they often have people who are paid for working maybe 20 hours a week. We never saw how the early overseas ones started, so we’ve have had to adapt, as we do in good Kiwi style.”
The basic idea behind the community Charitable Ffoundations is that money is donated, or more commonly bequeathed, by locals, and the proceeds from that money isare then returned to the local community, based on needs and requirements. The Acorn Foundation in Tauranga is a shining
The retailer, philanthropist, angel investor and patriotic Kiwi flew into town to launch the Nelson Bays Community Foundation. by Sue Farley, photograph by Daniel Rose
“Just call me Stephen,” he said as we fussed around with sound and light checks before sitting down to interview this tall, no-fuss, Kiwi giant of a man. ‘Sir Stephen’ was already sounding very formal and clumsy, and we hadn’t even we’d not yet begun to get got down to business yet.
Stephen Tindall has become, over the years, one of this country’s outstanding personalities, – both in the business and philanthropic worlds. First sStarting work for the long-standing Auckland department store, George Courts Ltd, in the early 1970s, he founded The Warehouse chain in 1982 where, as we all know, everyone gets a bargain.
In Nelson town to launch the Nelson Bays branch of the Charitable Community Foundations group, he was happy to give time to talk to Wild Tomato, in between luncheon engagements, photo shoots and other meetings. “We were the ones that kicked off the idea for these foundations in New Zealand. We solicited a few regions and provided seed funding-funded them to help get them get started. We approved a grant to tThe Nelson Bays branch Community Foundation received a grant through our own from the Tindall Foundation to help them get about their business.”
Although the model has been around for a long time overseas, it’s is fairly new in this country. “The groups are run by volunteers, but they often have people who are paid for working maybe 20 hours a week. We never saw how the early overseas ones started, so we’ve have had to adapt, as we do in good Kiwi style.”
The basic idea behind the community Charitable Ffoundations is that money is donated, or more commonly bequeathed, by locals, and the proceeds from that money isare then returned to the local community, based on needs and requirements. The Acorn Foundation in Tauranga is a shining