He has just raised the bar for the family again, becoming a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Sir Rod, 59 (Ngāi Tahu), has been recognised for services to business, the technology industry and philanthropy, but said the honour was yet to sink in. After graduating high school, Sir Rod moved to Wellington where he studied accounting and information systems at Victoria University. He also helped drive digitization initiatives such as online GST and the New Zealand Business Number. Sir Rod was also proud the culture he created within Xero had enabled the business to keep growing "and do what’s right for people in the business", citing its mental health advocacy as a prime example.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 30, 2025 17:59 UTC