This CEO scraped through accounting. Now he runs a $6b company

by · Australian Financial Review

Sally PattenBOSS editor
Sep 10, 2026 – 5.00am

Arriving home after a flight, many executives recover by going for a walk or a run, or lifting a few weights to get the blood flowing.

But not Blair Vernon. Instead, the New Zealand-born chief executive of AMP, the $6 billion wealth management group, reaches for one of his skateboards when he lands back in Auckland.

Loading...

Save
Log in or Subscribe to save article
Share

Copy link

Copied

EmailLinkedInTwitterFacebook

Copy link

Copied

Share via...
Gift this article

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber? Login

License article

Read More

Sally PattenBOSS editorSally Patten edits BOSS, and writes about workplace issues. She was the financial services editor and personal finance editor of the AFR, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. She edited business news for The Times of London. Connect with Sally on Twitter. Email Sally at spatten@afr.com

Executive Education

Powered by

Latest In Leaders

Fetching latest articles