Sir Woolf Fisher
The co-founder of Fisher and Paykel and foundation Chairman of New Zealand Steel, Sir Woolf Fisher (1912-1975) was passionate about education, and believed that secondary teachers and principals weren’t given enough recognition. He established the Woolf Fisher Trust in 1960 to fund overseas travel fellowships for deserving teachers so that they would become more broadly knowledgeable and bring back ideas which would continuously enrich education in New Zealand.
Sir Woolf was known to gain great pleasure from awarding Fellowships and created an element of surprise for the recipients by conferring the awards as opposed to inviting applications.
His kindness and generosity were also reflected in his emphasis on staff welfare in his companies.
In 1964 Woolf Fisher was knighted for his outstanding contribution to industry and education in New Zealand.
Woolf Fisher Trustees
Mr Mark Robinson, Chair
Mrs Claudia Arieli
Mr Peter Masfen
Sir Noel Robinson
Mark Robinson, Chair, is Sir Woolf’s great-nephew. He is also chair of the Sir Woolf Fisher Charitable Trust. He was the former managing-director and sole shareholder of Avery Robinson Ltd which he co-founded in 1997. They were the New Zealand distributors for Dyson Appliances.
He has a Bachelor of Social Science from the University of Waikato, majoring in political science and sociology, and was a member of the board of trustees of Cockle Bay Primary School for 6 years.
He has wide interests including hockey and technology and he competes in motor racing.
Mrs Claudia Arieli is one of Sir Woolf’s great-nieces. Following completion of a BA/LLB at the University of Auckland, she worked as a commercial property lawyer at a large firm in Auckland. She subsequently joined a legal recruitment company and worked as a recruitment agent placing candidates in suitable roles. More recently, she has been raising her two young children and this experience in itself has reinforced to her the value of education.
Mr Douglas Armstrong is a former member of the Auckland City Council and a former president and CEO of UNITEC.
He is a distinguished fellow and past president of the Institution of Professional Engineers NZ and a former member of the Prime Minister’s Enterprise Council and many other boards and national committees associated with tertiary education and engineering.
Dr Nigel Evans is a director of Buckley Systems.
He obtained his doctorate in physics at the University of Cambridge and was invited back to New Zealand in 1968 by Mr Woolf Fisher to manage and develop the technology at the newly-established company, New Zealand Steel. In 2013 he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and the steel industry.
Mrs Deborah George has spent the past thirty years working in education in a variety of roles across commercial, government and not-for-profit organisations.
She was one of a team of three which expanded the Duffy “books in Homes” programme nationwide. Her long involvement with Auckland Grammar School has included leadership roles in enrolment and external relations and development and service on the Board of Trustees. She is currently Executive Chair of the InZone Education Foundation and a trustee of Teach First NZ which she co-founded in 2011 and was its first Chair. In 2017 she became a member of the judging panel of the Prime Minister’s Excellence in Education awards.
Mr Derek McCormack, Secretary completed his MSc (hons) in biochemistry at Otago University.
He worked briefly at DSIR before taking up lecturing and research at Otago University and Otago Polytechnic. In the 1980s, Derek was involved in the extensive reforms of our national tertiary education sector. Later he joined the senior management team at Auckland Institute of Technology and was involved in its establishment as a university, the Auckland University of Technology. He was appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2000 and from 2004 to 2022 he served as Vice-Chancellor. Outside of education, Derek has served as chair of The New Zealand Academy of Sport and the New Zealand Stroke Foundation.
Mr Peter Masfen is chairman of Masfen Holdings and Property for Industry and past chairman of the Montana group of companies.
He is a director of the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greymouth Petroleum and Mount Linton Station. He is a trustee of King’s College Auckland and King’s School Auckland and The Northern Club. In 2016 he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and philanthropy.
He has won seven national rowing titles and represented New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics.
Sir Noel Robinson is Sir Woolf’s nephew. He founded Robinson Industries in 1970 and was managing director and chairman until his retirement in 1999. He was chairman of the Counties Manukau Pacific Trust and several private companies. He was appointed to a Knighthood in 2006 for services to business and the community.
Sir Noel retired as chairman of the Woolf Fisher Trust and the Sir Woolf Fisher Charitable Trust, effective 31 December 2023. Sir Noel joined the Woolf Fisher Trust in 1993, nominated by Mr Maurice Paykel, then chairman. Following Maurice’s death in 2002, Sir Noel was elected chairman. The Trust was founded in 1960 by Mr Woolf Fisher, later Sir Woolf.
Dr Nigel Evans also retired on 31 December 2023, after 31 years as secretary. He and Sir Noel worked closely together over these years. Among their significant contributions was the establishment of the Woolf Fisher Scholarships at Cambridge University in 2004, each year sending up to three outstanding graduates from New Zealand universities to study for a PhD. The scholars must demonstrate academic excellence, integrity, leadership and a bold vision for their future career in New Zealand – values deeply admired by Sir Woolf.
They were also pivotal is setting up the Woolf Fisher AUT First-in-Family Scholarships in 2014. This initiative aims to break the cycle by providing students from families with no history of degree-level study with opportunities for a university education despite financial or cultural challenges.
In 2017, they were instrumental in establishing the Woolf Fisher Police Fellowship programme which rewards service excellence and, through overseas study travel, promotes ongoing development in policing practices throughout New Zealand.
At their retirements, the Trustees expressed their gratitude for their unwavering commitment, visionary leadership and transformative contributions to education and community development. Their legacy will continue to inspire future generations.