The tournament was a success, on and off the field. Sir Brian told the Herald standing at Eden Park in the last five minutes of the final was a great memory.
"That's why it has been a real privilege to do the things that I have done, and they have all been, in my view, important to New Zealand, and that's an important thing to me."
Sir Brian has headed NZ Post since 2010 and will step down as chief executive in April having overseen a time of change for the organisation, including introducing alternate day mail delivery.
He worked with NZ Post chairman Sir Michael Cullen in developing the proposed new ownership arrangements for Kiwibank, that will see a partial sale to ACC and the NZ Super Fund.
In the 1990s the former PricewaterhouseCoopers partner was chief Crown negotiator on Treaty of Waitangi settlements, which involved a major role in the successful outcome of the landmark Ngai Tahu settlement.
"Those things require a lot of character from all parties, and when you get up close to it you see how people behave and respond," he recalled. "Ngai Tahu was a profound moment for me, personally and professionally."
Sir Brian has been an independent chairman of Hurricanes Rugby since 2013, and currently chairs Antarctica New Zealand, Tait Electronics, and the Wellington Gateway Project (Transmission Gully).
He said he felt both humbled and awkward about his knighthood - the latter because his work had always been as part of a team. He paid particular tribute to his wife, Maree.
There are still more jobs to come - two days before Christmas Sir Brian was named as the chair designate of City Rail Link Limited, the company created to deliver the crucial piece of Auckland infrastructure.
