Rodney Kenneth Drury is a New Zealand technology entrepreneur. He is the founder and former CEO of the online accounting software companyXero. He also is a former director of Trade Me, and was a key player in the now-defunct Pacific Fibre project.
Early life
Drury is the son of a tradesman and an executive assistant. He grew up in Hawke's Bay, where his father traced a lineage to Ngāi Tahu. He was raised in a middle-class family and had only a vague idea of his Māori ancestry. Drury attended Napier Boys' High School, where he developed an interest in computer programming. He went on to study commerce and administration at Victoria University of Wellington. After university, he worked at the accounting firm Arthur Young, which became Ernst & Young in 1989.
Career
In 1995, Drury established Glazier Systems, a New Zealand software development and consulting company. Glazier Systems was acquired by Advantage Group in 1999 for approximately $7.5 million. Drury subsequently co-founded Context Connect and then founded and served as CEO of AfterMail which was acquired by Quest Software. In July 2006 Drury founded Xero, a publicly listed software as a service accounting-software company, and served as its CEO. In October 2007, Drury was a judge for the New Zealand Open Source Awards. Drury co-founded Pacific Fibre, a company which attempted to build an internet cable between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The cable would have cost around $400 million but the venture was ultimately unsuccessful. In November 2017, he sold $95 million worth of shares in Xero, leaving him with a 13 per cent holding in the company. He stated the sale would support his "future plans to pursue a range of philanthropic and social endeavours." He stepped down as CEO of Xero in March 2018, continuing on with the company as a non-executive director.
Awards
Drury was awarded the Hi-Tech New Zealand "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in 2006 and 2007. In August 2008 Drury was conferred the title of Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Computer Society during the 2008 NZ Computerworld Excellence Awards. He is only the 21st person to be awarded the title in the Society's 48-year history. In 2012, Drury was awarded NZ Herald Business Leader of the Year. In 2013, Drury was named Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2014, Drury was honoured with an award for the Outstanding Contribution to Technology in NZ at the CIO Awards 2014.
Personal life
He has two children from his first marriage. He lives in a "high-tech townhouse" in Havelock North, Hawke's Bay region. He also enjoys surfing and skateboarding in his free time.
