Football: Shaw laces up boots for top job

Deryck Shaw says seeing the game grow through good management and governance will be a big goal during his time as NZ Football president. Photo / Stephen Parker

When Deryck Shaw was playing indoor football during his university days, little did he know one day he'd be elected as New Zealand Football president.

The Rotorua businessman was elected as the new boss of New Zealand Football during their annual congress two weeks ago in Auckland.

Shaw has an impressive professional background - especially in governance roles - and is the Lakes District Health Board chairman, Te Puia deputy chairman, and owner/director of APR Consultants in Rotorua.

Shaw has enjoyed a rapid rise within New Zealand Football during the past nine months, being elected on to the executive committee late last year before being appointed president on a four-year term last month.

"I felt honoured to be elected president. But I am also a believer in you never rest on these sort of roles ... so it is a great honour but we have to deliver for the game," he said.

Shaw first started playing football at Lincoln University.

"I always enjoyed playing football but I was a pretty average player to be honest, although I remember one year we did actually win the indoor comp [at uni]," he said.

"Then when I started working, after leaving uni, I stepped back from a lot of sport and only got back into it when our boys started playing."

He said his three sons, Nelson, Olly and Jeremy all played football at Glenholme Primary School and he and his wife, Sally, became involved with the running of the junior club.

He then became president of Rotorua United for about seven years before stepping down last year, and also became a WaiBOP Football board member in 2009.

During his time at WaiBOP Football, he was nominated for a position on the New Zealand Football executive committee and the rest is history.

Shaw said seeing the game grow through good management and governance was his main aim during his time as NZ Football president.

"I think my personal goals relate to how we operate as New Zealand Football."

Shaw said they had a great team on the executive committee, which included eight members, many of whom were new, plus good management and staff at NZ Football.

While reaching high performance goals was important, they also wanted to see young children enjoying the game, parents who felt football was working well for them, plenty of volunteers who had support, referees turning up at games and being respected, and seniors who still had a love for the game.

Shaw said he would be stepping down from his roles at WaiBOP Football and WaiBOP United to make time for his new commitment, but would continue in all his other professional roles.

As president, Shaw said he would be in regular contact with the chief executive at NZ Football and would travel to Auckland for board meetings. Neither Shaw nor the executive committee are paid by NZ Football.