Peri Drysdale
{{Short description|New Zealander entrepreneur (born 1953)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Peri Drysdale
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MBE|size=100%}}
|image = Peri Drysdale 2021 (cropped).jpg
|alt =
|caption = Drysdale in 2021
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|03|18|df=y}}
|birth_place = Christchurch, New Zealand
|death_date =
|death_place =
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname = Perilyn Richards
|party =
|spouse = {{marriage|Alexander Drysdale|1973}}
|relations =
|children = 2
|known_for = founder and CEO of "Snowy Peak" and "Untouched World" brands; founder of "Untouched World Foundation"
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|signature =
}}
Perilyn Drysdale {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MBE}} (née Richards, born 18 March 1953) is a New Zealand entrepreneur and business owner. She is the founder and CEO of the fashion companies "Snowy Peak" and "Untouched World", which produce ecologically sustainable clothing, and the founder of the Untouched World Foundation, which runs programmes in sustainable leadership.
Early life and family
Born in Christchurch on 18 March 1953, Drysdale grew up on a sheep station near the Rakaia Gorge in the South Island of New Zealand.{{Cite web|title = Anew NZ|url = http://anewnz.org.nz/vision.asp?id=1050|website = anewnz.org.nz|accessdate = 2015-11-12}} She was educated at Craighead Diocesan School in Timaru and St. Margaret's College in Christchurch.{{Cite news |title = Peak Performance|last = Hoyle|first = Jon|date = 12 March 2008| work = The Dominion Post}} She went on to train as a nurse, specialising in cardiology. In 1973, she married Alexander Drysdale, and the couple went on to have two children.{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |authorlink1=Alister Taylor |authorlink2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=127}} She gave up nursing in 1979.{{Cite news|title = Peak performance|url = http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/312692/Peak-performance|work= Stuff.co.nz|date = 2008-03-12|access-date = 2015-11-12}}
Business career
While her children were young, Drysdale decided to start a home-based garment manufacturing business. She called it "Snowy Peak" and employed outworkers to knit luxury clothes such as jumpers, hats, scarves and gloves for supply to a few Christchurch stores. She started with 10 outworkers,{{Cite web|title = Sustainability before|url = http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/71954449/less-is-more-for-snowy-peaks-peri-drysdale|website = Stuff|accessdate = 2015-11-12}} and by 1985, after four years operation, she had 500 working for her.{{Cite book|title = 101 Incredible Kiwis|last = Williams|first = Tony|publisher = Reed|year = 2007|isbn = 9780790011783|location = Auckland, New Zealand|pages = 180–182}}
Drysdale experimented with certified organic, eco-friendly wools and cottons. In 1996 she launched the world's first yarn that blended possum fur with merino wool, calling the new yarn "merinomink".{{Cite news |title = Fashion queen weaves good yarn|url = http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/luxury/64328090/fashion-queen-weaves-good-yarn|website = Stuff|accessdate = 2015-11-12}} She also began to export her clothes to Australia, Europe, Japan and Canada, expanded operations in Christchurch with a cafe and retail store, and opened stores in Auckland and Queenstown.
In 1999 the brand received international attention when it was chosen to provide garments for world leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Auckland. President Bill Clinton particularly admired his sweater, and he and his family became fans and customers.{{Cite web|title = Untouched World's Peri Drysdale named NZer of year {{!}} Scoop News|url = http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0512/S00081/untouched-worlds-peri-drysdale-named-nzer-of-year.htm|website = www.scoop.co.nz|accessdate = 2015-11-12}}
In 2014, Drysdale began using a second new textile which she calls "kapua" - a mixture of cashmere, silk and possum - which had been in development since 2000.
Charity foundation
In 2000, Drysdale founded the "Untouched World Foundation", a charitable trust which is focused on developing sustainable leadership in young people.{{Cite web|title = charitable trust|url = http://www.untouchedworld.com/charitable-trust|website = www.untouchedworld.com|accessdate = 2015-11-12}} One percent of the retail sales from Untouched World contribute to the foundation.
Since 2002, students involved in the programme have worked on a nature programme based at Blumine Island in the Marlborough Sounds.{{Cite web|title = How Peri Drysdale risked it all to build Untouched World|url = http://idealog.co.nz/venture/2008/10/peri-possum|website = Idealog|accessdate = 2015-11-12}} After several years' work the island achieved predator-free status and kiwi were released there in 2010.{{Cite web|title = History, Awards, Achievements|url = http://www.untouchedworld.com//Information/6085|website = www.untouchedworld.com|accessdate = 2015-11-12}}
Recognition
- 1993 – appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1993 New Year Honours, for services to manufacturing and export{{London Gazette |issue=53154 |date=31 December 1992 |page=30 |supp=2}}
- 1999 – included in list of 100 New Zealanders who have made the most significant contribution to the economy.
- 2002 – South Island Businesswoman of the Year Award
- 2002 – Snowy Peak won Most Ethical Company Award
- 2004 – Snowy Peak won Best Retailer Award
- 2005 – North & South magazine's "New Zealander of the Year" Award
- 2007 – honorary doctorate from Lincoln University (New Zealand)
- 2008 – Supreme Award at the World Class New Zealand Awards for her business achievements, work in showcasing New Zealand overseas and in recognition of her leadership in social and environmental sustainability issues.{{Cite web|title = Meet Peri Drysdale, our tallest poppy {{!}} btob|url = http://www.btob.co.nz/article/meet-peri-drysdale-our-tallest-poppy|website = www.btob.co.nz|accessdate = 2015-11-12}}
- 2020 – inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame{{cite web |url=http://www.businesshalloffame.co.nz/past-laureates/ |title=Past laureates |website=Business Hall of Fame |access-date=19 February 2023}}
References
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Category:Businesspeople from Christchurch
Category:New Zealand businesspeople
Category:New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:People educated at St Margaret's College