Honour for Sonar Expert

Years spent helping to improve the lives of the visually impaired have finally been recongised for Christchurch businessman and sonar expert Dr Russell Smith.

The self-effacing founder and chief executive of Pulse Data International - itself a multi-award winning company - was made an MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) in this years Queen's Birthday honours list.

Smith, who said the award was made for his work at Pulse Data and not for any extramural involvements, was reluctant to accept the glory as being all his own.  The usually reserved Smith did concede, however, that he was "honoured and flattered' by the gesture. 

"I do see it as being more a recongition for what has been achieved through my efforts and others by the company," he said.

Smith completed a PhD degree in underwater sonar technology at the University of Canterbury in 1972. Four years later, he became the founding manager of a company spun off from the electrical engineering department of Canterbury University to commercialise research into sonar guidance device for the blind. 

In 1988 he led a mangment buyout of that company -Wormald International Sensory Aids-to create Pulse Data International, which is today recongised as the worldwide technology leader in information access for the blind.

The company, which earns around $50 million in exports a year, is a winner of numerous local and international awards.  It took top honours at the influential fourth American Chamber of Commerce Business Awards last year and was 2003 winner of the Winston Gordon Award by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. 

Pulse Data exports to over 30 countries and plans to list before 2005.

"As a company grows, there has to be another level you can take it to, and that is our goal for later on this year."

Article extracted from The Press and written by Michael Herman.