Although his work involves a lot of globe trotting from his Côte d’Azur home, Adrian Thompson maintains solid, tangible links with Dunedin by refurbishing a 100 year-old bond warehouse.

His role as vice president of global marketing for the major global computer graphics company Sapphire Technology involves leading a “virtual” marketing team of around 80 staff in 18 countries. That means traveling extensively, living and working half-a-world away from his old home town.

After leaving Otago Boys High School he began studying marketing at Otago but the desire to get hands-on saw him head overseas, working in various roles before moving into the computing field in the mid-90s.

Since then Adrian has worked for some of the major computing companies such as Nvidia – another major graphics company – and as a consultant for computer components manufacturer ASUS.

He tries to get back to Dunedin about three times every year, visiting his father Mike, who is the project manager on the Milne and Bremner building in Cumberland St.

But Adrian sees the project as a way of putting something back into Dunedin.

“I wanted to do something that will last longer than I do. It should be there for another 100 years with the amount of steel strengthening, high quality materials and workmanship that’s gone in. It’s a legacy I can leave.”

The fine old building has three basic levels: There is retail, light industrial and storage space on the ground floor, professional spaces on the second and two spacious luxury apartments on the third.

“You need to have mixed tenancy in a building,” says Adrian. “You invest in the future and the vision you have.”

Both apartments feature spacious master bedrooms with ensuites up on a mezzanine floor which sits snugly under the peak of the roof.

The main floor below features two large bedrooms, a luxury bathroom, modern kitchen, a dining/living area and an ‘entertainment’ room all hardwired for high-speed Internet and a complete home theatre package.

Clever design has allowed for an atrium between the two apartments to bring natural light down into the reception area shared by the spacious second floor offices below. As well as lighting, Dunedin’s ample sunlight is also harnessed by solar panels that provide water heating.

Other modern adaptations include a lift and a suitably industrial looking steel staircase designed to meet current building standards.

But many of the bond store’s original features have been cherished, such as the original strong room and some fascinating Chinese graffiti, seemingly the work of one Hung Chang, which appears to date back to 1914.

At the time of writing the building was ready to accept new tenants.

While Adrian has had properties in other parts of New Zealand it is the Dunedin one that has been closest to his heart.

“There is something about Dunedin – it’s in your blood. It gets in and it stays in.”

His hope is that with endorsement from his French wife Magali, at least some of his children will go to University at Otago, even though they are growing up so far away.

Adrian is bullish about Dunedin’s prospects because of its still untapped potential and the way people here go about their business.

“It’s the Scottish influence – they ferret away money for hard times.”

But his bullishness also comes with a timely warning.

“Dunedin needs a lot more investment put into it,” he says.

“The city has a real soul to it – but you have to put things back, you have to invest.”

Adrian believes that the key to the city’s future lies in developing the waterfront.

“Dunedin needs to capitalise on that beautiful harbour. Anywhere else in the world they would spend millions developing it,” he says.

“You need to capitalize on what you have now, while at the same time looking 20 years into the future. Investment in the long-term assets is like people – it sometimes takes time to materialize, but if done right secures the future.”

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 3:12 pm and is filed under OBHS Alumni Profile, Profile. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.