Nigel Walkington and his wife Rosemary are taking a back seat in the aviation business that's jointly owned by their former IT partner Lester Singleton, Christchurch pilot Terry Murdoch and former All Black caption Richie McCaw.
The Walkingtons have an 8% shareholding in Christchurch Helicopters, which operates a fleet of six aircraft and provides scenic tours, pilot training and commercial applications such as spraying and heavy lifting.
Himself a pilot, Walkington co-founded Pacific Jets with Singleton and flew the company's CJ3 Citation jet until the business was sold in 2014.
Walkington's partnership with Singleton dates back to 1991 when the pair combined their computing and treasury skills to create Global Information Solutions, which grew into a multinational business, with 220 staff worldwide, before being sold to SunGard Data Systems in the US for $164 million.
Nowadays, the Walkingtons have a mixed portfolio of investments including dairy farms and private residences, including a 2ha home near Christchurch Airport and a property overlooking the Franklin arm of Lake Wakatipu.