Joan Withers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1953 (age 71–72)
- Business executive
- professional director
Dame Joan Withers | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Withers in 2020 | |
| Born | Joan Blinkhorn 1953 (age 71–72) Manchester, England |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse | Brian Withers |
| Children | 1 |
Dame Joan Withers DNZM (née Blinkhorn; born 1953) is a New Zealand business executive and professional director. Currently the chair of The Warehouse Group, her previous roles include being deputy chair of the board of TVNZ, chair of Mercury Energy, and a member of the advisory board of the New Zealand Treasury. She has also served as chief executive officer of Fairfax New Zealand and The Radio Network.
Withers was born Joan Blinkhorn in Manchester, England, in 1953, the second of three daughters of Lilian and Jack Blinkhorn.[1] The family moved to New Zealand in 1959, eventually settling in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe.[1][2] A self-described rebellious teen, she left school aged 16, after gaining School Certificate, and found work at the Bank of New Zealand in Queen Street.[1] When she was 19, she married Brian Withers, an electrician, whom she had met at a rugby club dance when she was 15 years old. The couple went on to have a son two years later.[1] After marrying, Withers began writing restaurant reviews, "Out and About with Joan and Brian Withers", for her local newspaper, the South Auckland Gazette. Following the birth of her son, she worked from home, making jerseys on a knitting machine.[1]
