Prominent New Zealanders including the Prime Minister have paid tribute to Infratil founder Lloyd Morrison who died after a battle with cancer, aged 54.
Mr Key described Mr Morrison as a passionate and forthright New Zealander.
“Lloyd was a very successful businessman and, as a friend, I can say that he was also known for not being afraid to voice strong opinions - but he did this because he was totally passionate about New Zealand.”
Mr Key remembered Mr Morrison for leading the campaign to change the flag, supporting the arts and saving the Wellington Phoenix football franchise.
Mr Morrison was known for his support for public causes including pursuing a clean-tech future for the New Zealand economy and for establishing the NZX-listed specialist infrastructure owner Infratil.
At the time of his death, he was still a director of Infratil, which he founded in 1988, but had handed over the chief executive's role to former senior Telecom manager Marko Bogoievski.
In a statement to the NZX, Infratil chairman David Newman described Mr Morrison as a truly passionate New Zealander.
Rugby World Cup Office director Leon Grice remembered him for his advice about family, community and business.
Wellington Mayor Celia Wade Brown described him as a leader.
“He didn’t wait for public opinion but led from the front in expressing his vision for issues such as the New Zealand flag and for world beating architecture like Wellington Airport’s The Rock terminal,” she said.
A staunchly loyal Wellingtonian, whose business empire stretched to regional airports in the UK and Europe, Mr Morrison was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia three years ago.
Under his leadership, Infratil became a Top 50 stock on the NZX, with assets including stakes in Z Energy, Wellington's airport and bus company, TrustPower, and an energy portfolio in Australia.
He was in the United States, attending a cancer treatment centre.
Morrison was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009, the year he was diagnosed with leukaemia.
NZN / 3 News