Sir Gilbert Simpson is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jade Software Corporation Limited, an international software company with its headquarters in Christchurch.
Sir Gil was born in Christchurch and educated at Christchurch Boys’ High School. He is the creator of LINC, a mainframe software development tool that has been New Zealand’s most successful software export to date. His company is again achieving international success with JADE, another ground-breaking software programming technology.
He is recognised around the world as an adviser and speaker on information technology, particularly in the area of electronic commerce. In February 2001, Sir Gil was appointed Chairman of the New Zealand Government’s E-commerce Action Team, a body aimed at making New Zealand an e-commerce world leader. Sir Gil also acted as Chairman of the country’s first E-commerce Summit in November 2000.
Awarded a knighthood in 2000 for his services to the computer industry and the broader community, Sir Gil is a fellow of the New Zealand Computer Society, the New Zealand Institute of Management and the New Zealand Institute of Directors. He is also a non-Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, President of the Royal Society of New Zealand, a member of the New Zealand Business Roundtable, Chairman of the Christchurch City Mission Foundation and a Founding Patron of the Royal District Nursing Service in Victoria, Australia.
In October 2000, Sir Gil won the New Zealand Computer Society’s supreme award for the most outstanding contribution to computing in New Zealand over the last century.
Citation authorised as true and correct at April 2002.
