Denford McDonald
{{Short description|New Zealand businessman (1929–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date= February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Denford McDonald
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=100%}}
| image =
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| birth_name = Denford Coll McDonald
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|04|09|df=y}}
| birth_place = Tapanui, New Zealand
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|02|01|1929|04|09|df=y}}
| death_place = Wellington, New Zealand
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Denford Coll McDonald {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=85%}} (9 April 1929 – 1 February 2020) was a New Zealand mechanical engineer and businessman most closely associated with the motor vehicle industry. He served as chief executive officer and then chair of Mitsubishi New Zealand.
Biography
Born in the small Otago town of Tapanui on 9 April 1929, McDonald was the son of Ada McDonald (née Denford) and James Charles Alexander McDonald.{{cite book |editor-last=Lambert |editor-first=Max |title=Who's Who in New Zealand |edition=12th |year=1991 |publisher=Reed |location=Auckland |isbn=0-7900-0130-6 |page=382}}{{cite web |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/35830225 |title=Interview with Denford McDonald |date=20 August 1990 |publisher=National Library of New Zealand |accessdate=6 February 2020}} He was educated at Southland Boys' High School, before studying mechanical engineering at Canterbury University College, and graduating Bachelor of Engineering in 1952.{{cite web |url=http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/university16.html |title=NZ university graduates 1870–1961: Mc |website=Shadows of Time |accessdate=6 February 2020}}
McDonald joined Todd Motors as a graduate trainee engineer in 1952, and rose to become general manager in 1984.{{cite news |title=McDonald on top |date=30 August 1995 |work=The Dominion |page=11}} In 1987, Todd Motors was sold to Mitsubishi Motors, and McDonald became the chief executive officer of Mitsubishi New Zealand. In 1995, he was appointed as chairman of Mitsubishi New Zealand.{{cite news |title=Never stop learning – McDonald |date=30 September 1995 |work=Evening Post |page=19 |first=Phil |last=Love}}
Other corporate and governance roles undertaken by McDonald include serving on the boards of the New Zealand Standards Council, Energy Direct and Television New Zealand, and as deputy chairman of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. He also served as chair of the Wellington Institute of Technology council, and the student hub at that institution, opened in 2009, was named in McDonald's honour.{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/hutt-news/470676/Students-social-information-needs-met-at-The-Hub |title=Students' social, information needs met at The Hub |date=31 January 2009 |work=Dominion Post |accessdate=6 February 2020}}
In the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, McDonald was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the motor vehicle industry.{{London Gazette |issue=51774 |date=17 June 1989 |page=32 |supp=3}} He was also a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management.
McDonald died at this home in Wellington on 1 February 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.tributes.co.nz/ViewMyTribute.aspx?id=15024 |title=In memory of Denford Coll McDonald |website=Tributes Online |accessdate=6 February 2020}}
References
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Category:University of Canterbury alumni
Category:New Zealand mechanical engineers
Category:New Zealand chief executives
Category:New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire