Mr Brown, who served as chancellor of the University of Otago for five years, met BNZ Partners Otago-Southland managing partner Clark Taylor and was intrigued by the suggestion he could adopt a "challenging role" as a mentor and a coach for senior business banking staff in the region.
"This role is different from anything I have done before and I didn't take long to decide this would be great for me."
Mr Brown is one of 12 recently-appointed business partners chairmen and women around New Zealand.
It was up to Messrs Brown and Taylor to develop their own level of understanding and build their working relationship. The term chairman implied Mr Brown was part of a board but he described himself as a "committee of one" although he and Mr Taylor did have the traditional chairman-chief executive relationship.
For instance, if Mr Taylor and his team were working on strategic planning for the year ahead, or beyond, Mr Brown would be part of the discussion.
He also was part of regular meetings with senior staff to help identify opportunities he might be aware of for the BNZ, he said.
"Clark and his team have a high level of empowerment and they can make decisions without having to go back to head office.
I am very enthusiastic about the role."
Mr Taylor said he approached Mr Brown to take on the mentoring role because he was well regarded in business circles and was connected with organisations in the public eye, privately and with community good at heart.
"He brings something different than the typically banking industry people I would deal with."
The BNZ had been a sector-based business until recently.
Mr Taylor now had 65 staff covering aspects such as agribusiness, property, business and corporate. Staff numbers had increased recently as BNZ aimed to grow its business in the South, he said.
Mr Brown, a partner in Deloitte Dunedin for 30 years, spent the past 11 years as a self-employed professional director and trustee. He is chairman of Otago Innovation, Technology Holdings, a board member of Mercy Hospital and a trustee of Ashburn Clinic.
