8 May 2000 Banking Group head awarded Lincoln's Bledisloe Medal

ANZ Banking Group's New Zealand Managing Director, Dr Murray Horn, a former Secretary to the Treasury, is this year's recipient of Lincoln University's top prize, the Bledisloe Medal.

Introduced in 1930 and awarded to former Lincoln students and past or present staff members for outstanding contributions in their chosen field and/or advancing New Zealand's interests, the Bledisloe Medal goes to Dr Horn for his achievements in economics.

Dr Horn, of Auckland, graduated from Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Agricultural Commerce degree in 1979, followed by a Master of Commerce with First Class Honours in Economics and the Senior Scholar prize. He completed a doctorate in Political Economy and Government at Harvard University, USA, in 1988.

He worked for the NZ Treasury from 1978-1997 and was appointed a Deputy Secretary in 1990 and Secretary to the Treasury in 1993, the youngest ever appointee to that position.

Dr Horn's period in the top job spanned the tax-cut package implemented by the National Government over 1995-97 and as Treasury Secretary he advised the Minister of Finance on the design of those cuts. He was also Treasury Secretary during the move towards paying off foreign currency debt in 1996, made possible through maintaining strong fiscal surpluses and, finally, by the sale of the New Zealand Forestry Corporation.

Dr Horn's book The Political Economy of Public Administration was described in reviews as a book that should be read by the leaders of all nations undertaking economic reforms. It was the 1997 co-winner of the American Academy of Public Administration Prize for the best academic contribution to public administration.

Dr Horn left the Treasury in 1997 becoming Group General Manager (Strategy and Planning) for the ANZ Banking Group in Melbourne. From there he was appointed Managing Director of ANZ (NZ) Ltd and Chairman of ANZ Investment Bank (NZ).

Board appointments outside of his banking roles include the NZ Tourism Board, the NZ Symphony Orchestra Foundation, the ASIA 2000 Foundation of New Zealand, and the Centre for Independent Studies.

Dr Horn is married with five children.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand