Profile of Ysker’s Principal and Director

Barry T Knight

"Barry T" as he is affectionately known in the consulting industry, has held senior executive, leadership and management positions in both New Zealand and Australia following his first appointment as Branch Manager with Woolworths New Zealand at the tender age of 23 years.

Barry is currently the Principal of "Ysker", a boutique, Board Appointment, Executive Search. Management and Leadership Recruitment Consulting Firm which also provides executives, leaders, managers, professionals and business owners and operators with objective, personalised advice, guidance  and support at peer level.

He has been extensively involved in Executive and Management Search, Advertised Recruitment and the Human Capital consulting industry in both the New Zealand and Australian markets for over 30 years, most recently in Perth, Western Australia as General Manager for one of the world's largest international and NASDAQ listed human capital consulting firms.

Barry successfully established and led its predecessor firm, Morgan & Banks, in the South Island during the early part of his 7 years with that group of companies before being transferred to its large Auckland business as joint General Manager.

Barry also founded and led his own Executive Recruitment and Human Capital consulting business, Knight Consulting Group for many years. He subsequently sold it to chartered accounting firm KPMG, continuing to manage it under contract for a further five plus years.

Prior to this he was based in Melbourne as Australasian General Manager of a privately owned multi -branch recruitment and office services training company with 34 offices throughout New Zealand and Australia

Barry has personally consulted on senior appointment work ranging from non-executive and executive directors, chief executives and senior executive/management levels one and two plus specialist roles for large and small companies both public and private, co-operatives, non profit organisations, government, local authorities and state owned enterprises.

He edited, wrote and published a quarterly publication "Knightview" for 12 years. "Knightview" had a circulation to over 5,500 executives and business leaders throughout New Zealand, UK, USA, Australia and South Africa. He subsequently had numerous articles published elsewhere. "Knightview" was recognised within the Australasian executive recruitment and human capital circles as an industry leading publication.

Barry understands the special challenges, isolation and loneliness executives and managers face as part of their success having led both Australasian wide and standalone businesses in his own right. He is widely known and respected within the executive recruitment and human capital industry in both countries.

Barry is a life fellow of the RCSA (Recruitment and Consulting Services Association of Australia and New Zealand), an Associate Fellow on the New Zealand Institute of Management and is also a Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. He currently serves as a committee member on the Canterbury Branch of the Institute of Directors and is also the Chairman in Christchurch for TEC (The Executive Connection) which is part of the world's largest Chief Executive Organisation.

He is currently Managing Director of Ysker Consulting Group Ltd and also a Director Holmsdale Properties Ltd a small privately held property investment company.

Well known in sporting circles, Barry has represented Canterbury, Mid Canterbury, Otago and Southland at senior provincial level in Tennis; he also played competitive Squash for many seasons. Family boating, waterskiing, camping, fishing and golf are his current passions.