Bruce Edgar’s unbeaten century against the Aussies in 1981 was cruelly overshadowed by the team in yellow’s decision to bend, and then break, the spirit of cricket.
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Now the man known as “Bootsie” is looking to use the lessons learnt from a lifetime of sporting leadership to help drive New Zealand’s investment industry to the next level.
I’ve seen what a dominant, well-financed cricketing nation can do on the pitch to smaller competitors. We responded to the underarm incident not by trying to bring the other guys down, but by building ourselves out and being truly competitive on the international stage. I’ll be bringing that kind of fighting Kiwi spirit off the pitch and into the New Zealand investment market.
As one of New Zealand’s finest opening batsmen, Bruce Edgar is used to building resilient partnerships and being part of a team that punches above its weight. Having faced some of the greatest fast bowlers of all time in Lillee, Holding and Thomson, Edgar is no stranger to playing a straight bat in a sometimes hostile environment.
Once part of one of New Zealand’s greatest cricketing lineups, alongside Martin Crowe, John Wright, and Sir Richard Hadlee, Edgar has built a career out of sporting and business leadership.
Most recently coach of the Wellington Firebirds, Edgar is an example to young New Zealand cricketers of how to balance passion and profession. Along with playing 39 Test Matches and 64 One Day Internationals for New Zealand, Bootsie has a wide experience in the financial sector, mixing corporate governance with sporting leadership.
Bootsie is now swapping his backyard spikes for boardroom shoes, looking to harness his skills in the Booster board room after being appointed Executive Director for Booster, the Kiwisaver provider and financial services company.
“Booster has a unique investment story. They’re nimble, people-focused, and committed to investment in New Zealand companies. Booster is used to competing with larger, more dominant players and getting runs on the board, something I’ve become accustomed to over my professional career,” says Mr Edgar.
