Eric Watson

Eric Watson, a business person by profession, from New Zealand, was born in 1959, and currently, he resides in London. In 2011, he was listed as the 30th richest New Zealander by the National Business Review. Watson obtained his schooling from Xavier’s College, in Christchurch. Watson’s immediate job after his schooldays was as a butcher apprentice, later he joined the sales department of Whitcoulls, where he had been made the manager. After that, he was appointed as a manager at Xerox.

In 1992, Watson resigned from Xerox to start his company Blue Star Group. In 1999, Watson and his business partner, Mark Hotchin, created a Hanover group composed of several Finance businesses that include Elders Finance Company. In December 2009, all the debentures, notes, and bonds of the Hanover group were swapped to the Allied Farmers Limited; this had been done by the respective debenture holders, note holders, and bond holders, this became the underlying cause of the decline of the Hanover. Small investors suffered losses; Hanover group had lost its financial position, and it came to an end. Watson in 1995, founded Cullen Investments, a private investing company, of which he is currently the Executive Chairman.

The company revolves around a wide variety of sectors, which include, agricultural, fashion, real estate, and financial services and entertainment and sports. The firm focuses onto build up international portfolio across United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Watson is the owner of Bendon lingerie, through the firm and the sales have extended all across UK, US, UAE, and Europe. It has also got channels of sales across Australia. With his developing business, Watson has invested in the sports sector.

In 2000, he bought 75% stake in the New Zealand Warriors, which is the top-profile sporting franchise, it has been privately owned, and it competes in the Australasian National Rugby League. He had once sold his shares to Owen Glenn, to a New Zealand billionaire, but later, in 2015, he adopted the sole ownership of the Vodafone Warrior’s franchise, after buying all the shares. Watson also owns a charitable trust which helps to enrich the lives of the poor and aids them with their needs and also provides the unprivileged and the needy with the basic requirements.

The charity is named The Watson Foundation, which was an initiative of the Cullen Investments. The foundation also provides sponsorship to charities like The First Tee of New Zealand. In his course of life, Watson got married twice; his ex-wife was named Nicola Watson, who is a model, now known as Nicola Robinson, and his current wife is named Lisa Henrekson, who belongs to Sweden. Watson has fathered two sons from his wife, Lisa.