Honorary doctorates for policewoman, diplomat, chief exec

A policewoman, a diplomat and a chief executive to be awarded honorary doctorates

February 12, 2015

A policewoman, a diplomat and a chief executive will be awarded honorary doctorates at the University of Canterbury graduation ceremonies in April.

Superintendent Sandra Manderson, a graduate of the University of Canterbury, will be awarded a Doctor of Laws. She was the first female District Commander to be appointed in New Zealand and served as Canterbury District Commander from 2002-2007.

She served three and a half years as Director of the Crime Prevention Unit in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and then went on to become a Shift Commander in the Wellington District. She was later appointed the National Manager of Organisational Performance at the Office of the Commissioner.

Superintendent Manderson was a Contingent Commander during Operation Phuket following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. In 2007 Superintendent Manderson was appointed to the role of New Zealand police representative to the United States, Canada and South America. She became the first woman in New Zealand to achieve the rank of superintendent. She is presently National Operation Commander for New Zealand’s involvement in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2015.

The award to Manderson is a welcome recognition not only of her services to the University of Canterbury, where she served on the University Council, but of the links between policing, academia and the community. It gives concrete recognition of the ties developed between the university and the police.

Diplomat Rosemary Banks, who has recently held the position of New Zealand's Ambassador to France and Permanent Representative to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, will be awarded a Doctor of Literature. She was formerly New Zealand's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

As a deputy secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, she launched New Zealand’s successful campaign for a seat on the Security Council. She re-shaped and coordinated inter agency responses to crises ranging from the attacks on the World Trade Centre to the Bali bombing and the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Earlier appointments included directing New Zealand’s international development assistance programme and New Zealand’s diplomatic engagement in North Asia including China, Korea and Taiwan. She was deputy high commissioner in Australia and Solomon Islands while earlier postings included Geneva and New York. Banks graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Russian from theUniversity of Canterbury. She also holds a Master of Science from the London School of Economics.

Arguably one of New Zealand’s most influential business leaders of his generation, chief executive of clothing manufacturer Icebreaker and former Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe will be awarded a Doctor of Commerce.

Fyfe has been Icebreaker chief executive since June last year and he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering honours (Mechanical) from the University of Canterbury in 1982. He was appointed to the board of Antarctica New Zealand in 2013 and was also appointed to the Board of Michael Hill International in 2013. He was previously general manager of the Bank of New Zealand and is renowned for his successful implementation of customer centric marketing and services campaigns.

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