Technology entrepreneur Rod Drury, best known as the founder and chief executive of online accounting software provider Xero, has become a director of NZX from today.

His first official role as an NZX director will be to address the final 2009 Global Entrepreneurship Week event at the NZX Centre on 20 November.

As well as Xero he has been involved in a number of other technology ventures.

He co-founded USA-based Context Connect and in 1995 established Glazier systems, a software development and consulting company that continues today as Intergen.

He also founded AfterMail, which was bought by Quest Software in January 2006 and won Best Exchange Product at TechEd 2006.

Mr Drury was named as a Kea World Class New Zealander in 2008 and was New Zealand Hi-Tech Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006 and 2007.

“Listing on NZX - our national stock exchange - should be an aspiration of all New Zealand business owners,” he said after the announcement.

“Our businesses need the capital to grow, and create attractive investment opportunities for other New Zealanders to be part of that growth.”

NZX chief executive Mark Weldon said Mr Drury’s belief in what New Zealand companies can achieve is evidenced in the success of his own businesses - AfterMail and Xero.

Xero had been strongly supported by the market since it was listed with NZX in 2007, he said.

“Technology is the great 21st century enabler for businesses in all sectors, regardless of their scale, and for timely and transparent access to markets here and around the world.

“This is the right time for NZX to add a technology expert and entrepreneur to its board and we're excited by the possibilities of what we can achieve.”