Stephen Tindall


Sir Stephen Robert Tindall is the founder of New Zealand retailer The Warehouse, The Warehouse Group, and the Tindall Foundation.

Early life and education

Tindall attended Takapuna Grammar and has a Diploma of Management from the Auckland Institute of Technology.

Business career

Tindall founded The Warehouse in 1982 after 12 years with retailer George Court & Sons as Merchandise Director and Farmers retailer. He held the position of Loss Prevention Manager of The Warehouse until January 2001, when he became known as the Founder. In 2009 The Warehouse Group had sales of NZ$1.72 billion. In 2018, The Warehouse Group had 251 stores throughout New Zealand, The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery, Noel Leeming and Torpedo7 stores.

Philanthropy

In 1995 Tindall and his wife, Margaret, set up The Tindall Foundation to provide help to New Zealanders in need.

Honours and awards

The New Zealand Herald named Tindall their Business Person of the Year for 1997, and the following year he was named the Deloitte–New Zealand Management magazine Executive of the Year.
In the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours, Tindall was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and the community. In the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and the community. In 2009, following the restoration of titular honours by the New Zealand government, he accepted redesignation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He was elevated to Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business, the community, and the environment, in the 2019 New Year Honours.
Tindall has been conferred honorary doctorates by AUT and Massey University.
In 2006, Tindall was awarded the Blake Medal on behalf of the Sir Peter Blake Trust in recognition of his leadership contributions to New Zealand. In 2015, he was named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.