Lessons on Courage, Service, and Integrity

We had the absolute pleasure of hosting Alistair Davis ONZM (WC Class of 1974) in the Girvan Library today for our latest Tuakana Talk. Alistair reflected on his school days in the early 1970s, his transition out of university, and his extraordinary 40-year journey at Toyota New Zealand – where he started out painting walls and worked his way up to CEO.

After leaving Wellington College, Alistair earned a double degree in Law and Commerce from Victoria University. Upon graduating, he received a dozen job offers but turned them all down – much to the horror of his parents and recruiter – because none aligned with his core values. The Wellington College motto, Lumen accipe et imperti, Receive the light and pass it on), was something Alistair reflected on constantly. He was determined to find a role where he could use his talents to make a positive difference.

His recruiter eventually sent him to Johnsonville to meet with a small team at Consolidated Motor Distributors/Toyota (a relatively unknown car brand at the time). Alistair duly accepted their “terrible” job offer because he saw an opportunity to make a genuine impact.

His first three months saw him painting the offices as the company couldn’t afford to pay a decorator. Frustrated at the lack of appetite from the company to invest in computing, Alistair took out a 7k personal loan (with an annual salary of 10k) from a bank so he could buy a computer for the company to use. Alistair taught himself programming and showed how it could improve business efficiency. The company then bought the computer off him, Alistair repaid the loan, and the business started investing in computing from then onwards!

Reflecting on his career, Alistair left the boys with four key takeaways:

1. Seek to contribute rather than seek what you want

2. Have the courage of your convictions

3. Perseverance pays off

4. Be open to unexpected opportunities

When asked what advice he would give to students aspiring to leadership roles at school, his message was simple: “Go for it.” He highlighted that school is the perfect environment to gain real-world experience, lead people, and be of service to others.

Finally, when asked what single attribute is most crucial when leading large organisations, Alistair’s answer was immediate: “Integrity.”

We sincerely thank Alistair for volunteering his time to return to Wellington College and inspire our boys.

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