Quick Facts
Biography
Sir Neville Jordan is a New Zealand engineer, businessman and philanthropist.
Born in Petone,the only child of a wielder and a laundry worker, Jordan trained as an engineer at the University of Canterbury (where he was a judo representative) and Jordan worked for companies such as IBM and Philips. In 1976 he founded MAS Technology, a microwave technology company whose IPO was on the NASDAQ main board in 19XX.
In 1995 he founded the Jordan Foundation which provides scholarships for higher learning and support for the arts.
In 1998 he founded venture capital business Endeavour Capital, which has invested in more than 35 New Zealand start-ups.
Jordan was President of the Royal Society of New Zealand between 2006 and 2009; proceeded by Jim Watson and followed by Garth Carnaby.
In 2012 he was recognised as Wellingtonian of the year.
In the 2015 New Year Honours, he received a knighthood for services to business, science and the community.
Since 2016 Jordan has been Chancellor of the Victoria University of Wellington, previously he had been on the university council. That same year he was involved in a dispute with Salient, the student newspaper at the university over a satirical article relating to his role.
