Michael Fahey
Michael was born in Ashburton and lived in Nelson before coming to Christchurch in 1969. He attended St Thomas’s College playing for the 1st XV and representing the college at athletics. He went on to Canterbury University where he finished with a first class masters degree in business psychology. He went on to become a registered psychologist.
Before heading to the UK in 1985, he worked for an international consulting firm. In the UK he was in executive search with Ernst and Young and then a leading European company of French origin. He started his own business in 1992. Michael managed large scale projects for the French company including supporting the start-up of British Telecom’s sales and marketing organisation throughout Europe post deregulation of the telecoms industry therein.
Michael’s own business became a highly successful boutique operation supporting major clients such as British Telecom, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, Toshiba, ViaSystems, Pace, Rudolf Wolff, JP Morgan, Ricoh, Whittingdale and Motorola. Most of the work over the period up to 2000 focused on executive search to board level, although for example he sat on the main board of Whittingdale, the remuneration committee of Toshiba and carried out organisational reviews of several small to medium sized businesses. Then things changed as the global economy slumped and the technology bubble burst. Michael moved on to support his clients in different ways and provided mentoring and coaching services to several clients including Motorola’s top executives in their 5 businesses across Europe. He also carried out market evaluation work for Motorola in various segments.
In addition to sitting on the main board of Whittingdale, a fixed income fund manager, Michael joined the board of a London based advertising agency and that of GJ Pearce, a craft baker supplying wholesale clients and its own retail chain located north of London. Michael was also a shareholder of GJ Pearce and with a colleague who chaired GJ Pearce, was engaged in evaluating other acquisition targets.
Michael came back to New Zealand in 2006. It was time to give his two London born sons the chance to grow up as Kiwis. They attend school in Christchurch. Since returning Michael and his fiancée have a young daughter.
Michael’s sporting career has been varied. He represented Canterbury at under age rugby and also sprinted for the province at junior and senior levels, having won various Canterbury and south island titles at junior levels. In the UK, he sprinted for Thames Valley Harriers and was coached by Ron Roddan in the company of various Olympians including Linford Christie. Sprinting gave Michael the chance to represent New Zealand in world cup Bobsleigh events in 1988 and 1989. His experience saw him invited to join the management team of the free weights gym of London’s Imperial College. So, in his spare time he had to qualify as a weightlifting instructor and became a life member of the British Weight Lifting Association.
Since returning to New Zealand, Michael’s main sporting activity is road cycling. Usually riding 200 to 300 kilometres each week and he has started road racing. Otherwise he rides a soft tail Harley – the Fat Boy.
Michael moved his membership of the IoD from the UK to the IoD New Zealand. Since returning to New Zealand, he has worked with several smaller businesses on a range of issues including: developing strategy, operating in overseas markets, raising funds and improving organisational effectiveness.
Other interests of possible note
Film
Art
Antiques
