Rod is passionate about business in Southland. Growing up on a sheep farm in Dipton, he has spent his working life in Invercargill, firstly as a Chartered Accountant and then latterly as an IT Consultant.

He founded Focus Technology Group in 1994 from the IT department of what is now Findex, and in the ensuing years, that business has grown to a team of 50 located across five branches.

He also has a small farm at Tussock Creek where he lives with his wife and three teenage children.