Professor Emeritus Athol Mann CMG
Professor Emeritus Athol Mann has a long standing love of singing and the performing arts.
His professional career began in 1952 as a Partner of Burtt McGillivray and Mann, then as a Partner of Peat Marwick Mitchell (now KPMG), where he was Chairman of the firm from 1979 to 1986. He then spent two years as Executive Vice Chairman of Peat Marwick Mitchell in New York.
Returning to New Zealand in 1987, Athol became Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration at Victoria University of Wellington, until 1997, when he was honoured with the title Professor Emeritus.
In 1992 Athol was elected Life Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of NZ, and in 2007 became a Distinguished Director of the Institute of Directors of NZ.
Athol’s participation in singing saw him as a Member and Secretary Treasurer of the Christchurch Harmonic Society (now the Christchurch City Choir) from 1953 until 1986. He performed in numerous choral works with the NZSO and toured Australia twice. In 1965 he toured to the UK, New York and Boston.
Prior to moving to New York, he served on several Boards including the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Arts Festival, Christchurch Civic Music Council and Court Theatre.
Since returning to New Zealand he has served on the Boards of the NZSO (Chairman from 1988 to 1991) and is currently a Board Member of The NBR New Zealand Opera and Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand.
If you were to ask Athol why he serves on the Board of Choirs, he would tell you that he has a life long interest in choral music as a participator (in and out of New Zealand), as an administrator and as a Board member.
