The New Zealand chief executive of a top construction company died suddenly and unexpectedly within hours of contracting an aggressive meningococcal infection at the weekend.
Fulton Hogan chief executive Bill Perry - a father of three - was rushed to Christchurch Hospital with the aggressive infection on Saturday morning and died hours later.
Nick Miller, managing director for the Fulton Hogan Group, today said the sympathies of company staff were with Mr Perry's wife Nicole and his three children Sam, Eliza and Angus today.
He said Perry had steered the company through tough economic conditions and had shown outstanding leadership in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake.
"Bill was a charismatic leader who led from the front. He was a big man, with a big heart, totally committed to his family and who was always at his best in a crisis.