Sir Ian Taylor

Ian Taylor (Ngāti Kahungunu) has had a fascinating journey, from growing up in a house without electricity in the 1950s, to being part of a company recognised as a global leader in technology and innovation.

In 1990, he established Animation Research Limited (ARL), which quickly became one of the top computer animation companies in New Zealand and known internationally for its work, particularly in television advertising and sports graphics. Its sports division, Virtual Eye, has provided award winning graphics globally across a wide range of sports for the past 30 years. 

Most recently, Ian and his ARL team joined forces with AgResearch to create HyperFarm, a tool to help landowners design a new future while also understanding the trade-offs in water quality, finances, carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

He was named a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to television and business and won the Creative sector of the World Class New Zealander Awards in the same year.

Ian was named Outstanding Māori Business Leader of the Year in 2013, Innovator of the Year at the 2019 New Zealander of the Year Awards, and Deloitte 200’s Visionary Leader of the Year in 2020.

It may come as a surprise then that Ian, who claims to have no skills whatsoever, is at a loss to understand why anyone would want to hear his story and believes that the reason he has received the accolades he has is because he lives at the bottom of the world where no one has been able to check him out. That, and the fact that he has had the amazing good fortune to have worked alongside some of the cleverest people in the world.