Honorary degree for David Mace FCIS

Congratulations to Governance NZ Fellow (Retired), David Mace ONZM ,on his honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree conferred recently by the University of Auckland.

A long-term member of Governance NZ, David was granted Associate membership in 1997 and was admitted as a Fellow in 1985.

Honorary degree for prominent philanthropist

The University of Auckland has conferred an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree on David Mace ONZM, long-time Fellow of Governance NZ. The graduation ceremony was held on 21 January.

Honoris Causa degrees are one of the highest honours the University can bestow and recognise those who have made a significant contribution to its own work and the communities they serve.

As a Doctor of Laws, Mr Mace joins a list of distinguished graduates including the former Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand, the former Prime Minister, Helen Clarke, and businessmen Douglas Myers and Hugh Fletcher. Just fifty have been awarded by the University since 1963.

He studied accounting and commerce at the University of Auckland, and is a chartered accountant and former senior partner with Ernst & Young in both New Zealand and Hong Kong/China, where he was responsible for major corporate restructures and liquidations.

He then served as a Commissioner of the United Nations Compensation Commission who were responsible for overseeing reparations for the 1991 Gulf War. The Commission, who reported directly to the UN Security Council in Geneva, dealt with $US330 billion worth of claims.

The Degree recognises the role Mr Mace has played on behalf of Freemasons New Zealand in the 30-year partnership between the Freemasons and the University beginning with the establishment of a Chair of Geriatrics to commemorate the centennial of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand in 1990 . During this time not only was he Grand Master of New Zealand (2004 – 06) but has been chairman of the masonic charitable trust, Freemasons Foundation, for the 12 years since.

His contribution has also been a personal one, working with senior staff in the faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. He is currently Deputy Chair of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Brain Research and a member of the Board of Dementia Prevention Trust. He was a founding member of what is now Starship Children’s Hospital. He has been involved in many charitable organisations and activities, particularly in health and education, both here and in Asia for decades.

In the early 2000s he established Mace Consulting. The company provides market research, business opportunities and advice to investors and traders with relationships primarily between New Zealand, Hong Kong, Macau, and the People’s Republic of China.

David Mace was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community in 2011.

Media Release
Freemasons NZ
1 February 2019