Christopher (62) was the founder of the Southern Opera, an international opera singer and former chief executive of New Zealand Cricket. He was also Chair of the Arts Council of NZ until 2007 and was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June 2011. Prime Minister John Key said “Chris was a remarkable New Zealander – he made a great contribution to our country in both culture and sport. Even in his final days he was helping the people of Christchurch as a driving force behind the Placido Domingo concert." (National Business Review 13 October 2011) A week before his death, the Southern Opera launched The Christopher Doig Scholarship. He had been diagnosed with bowel cancer two years earlier.