WELL KNOWN NORTH SHORE BUSINESSMAN HONOURED

North Shore business and sportsman David Charlesworth is 2008’s Business Hall of Fame laureate.

 

The Milford yachtsman, who directs telecommunications supply company Comworth Systems Ltd, will be officially inducted into the Business Hall of Fame at the Westpac Enterprise North Shore Business Excellence Awards on August 28.

 

A North Shore resident since 1963, Mr Charlesworth (70) is a past Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, involved with keel boat racing and a major player during New Zealand’s America’s Cup reign.

 

Enterprise North Shore chief executive Terry Hoskins says Mr Charlesworth is an extremely well-known and well-regarded businessman and resident of the North Shore.

 

“David thoroughly deserves to take his place amongst the other laureates honoured by the business community in the past four years,” he says.

 

“What makes David even more suitable as this year’s laureate is his wide-ranging activity base. People not only recognise him for his business activities, but his community work that has included school committees, boards, church, Plunket, service clubs and sailing. He is indeed a tireless worker for the North Shore community over many decades.”

 

Married to Bronwen with four adult children and 11 grandchilden, Mr Charlesworth has been a member of East Coast Bays Rotary Club since 1997, and is a past president. He is a director of several companies, as well as the New Zealand National Maritime Museum.

 

“I am deeply honoured to become a North Shore Business Hall of Fame laureate,” he says. “When you look over the list of names that have been inducted since 2004, it’s a ‘who’s who’ of North Shore business excellence and I am extremely proud and humbled to have my name added this year.”

 

With a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Hons) from Canterbury University, Mr Charlesworth is a fellow of the NZ Institute of Professional Engineers. During university, he played senior rugby, and was awarded a two-year graduate apprenticeship scholarship with GEC in England. 

 

In 1983, Mr Charlesworth and his wife set up Comworth Systems Ltd in Mairangi Bay, representing Oki Electric of Japan. The company has now expanded into a group of four main companies employing more than 150 people nationwide, with offices in Auckland, Lower Hutt and Christchurch.

 

The company also boasts a software development team which has designed software for call centres in the global market and enjoys more than 2500 major corporate customers worldwide. Products and services are exported to the Pacific Islands.

 

In his community service, Mr Charlesworth has been chairman of the Murrays Bay Primary School board, on kindergarten and Plunket committees, and deeply involved with Murrays Bay Baptist Church (now Windsor Park Centre) with his wife for more than 40 years.

 

A senior member of Rotary, Mr Charlesworth has been involved in many fundraising events and is a double Paul Harris Fellow which recognises his contribution to fundraising through the Rotary sailing regattas.   He has been a longtime supporter of community facilities, including the Mairangi Bay Arts Centre and the Sovereign Athletics Stadium project at Rangitoto College.

 

When his children were young, Mr Charlesworth served on the Murrays Bay Sailing Club committee and was instrumental for 20 years in sponsoring the iconic Oki 24-hour race, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for sailing on the North Shore.

 

His involvement in the National Maritime Museum Trust Board extends beyond being a board member. He has been involved in the Blue Water Black Magic Project, which has raised $9 million towards the Sir Peter Blake Memorial display.

 

Mr Charlesworth is currently the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s representative on the International Council of Yacht Clubs, which involved many senior clubs around the world. 

 

Other laureates inducted since 2004 are Ian Calderwood, Ian Watson, Peter Menzies, Diane Foreman, Peter Maire, David Levene, Maurice Boland, Graeme Avery, Geoff Smale, Jim Smale, Ralph Roberts and Stephen Tindall.