Born in Whanganui on 21 July 1943, Wells was educated at Auckland Grammar School from 1957 to 1961.[1] In 1969, he married Sheryl Jane Gavin, and the couple went on to have two children including broadcaster Jeremy Wells.[1][2][3]
An associate chartered accountant, Wells was chief general manager of NZI Financial Corporation from 1980 to 1986. In 1987, he was appointed chairman of the Auckland-based merchant bank Bancorp Holdings. He has served as a director or non-executive chair of other companies, including Baycorp Holdings, Fisher Funds Management, Vector, and Aetna Health (NZ).[1]
Wells is best known as a sports administrator.[4] He was appointed to the New Zealand Sports Foundation in 1998, and chaired Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) between 2001 and 2009.[1][5] Wells chaired boards organising the 2007 World Netball Championships in Auckland, the Auckland stopover of the 2011–2012 Volvo Ocean Race, and the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series grand final in Auckland. He was a member of the New Zealand bid committee that won the hosting rights for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and subsequently served on the Rugby World Cup establishment board. In 2011, he was appointed to the board of New Zealand Rugby.[6]
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