For close to 30 years, John Christophersen has been a permanent fixture at AIG. “I met him on my first day working at AIG” said CEO Steve Smith. “He was the deputy chair of the board and my first impression of him was a grumpy old man, highly intelligent who had a very clear vision about how to support Aboriginal people. As we got to know each other better I would greet Christo as ‘grumpy old man’ and he would always reply ‘hey go easy on the old, mate’ ”.
As an organisation we have a strong culture of pushing hard and doing the best we can do, and John has played an important role in cultivating that culture. “He was absolutely principled in his approach and unwavering in his support for Indigenous people” said Steve.
John could be challenging to work with because he always wanted to push the boundaries further than we thought we could go. He wanted us to do better for his people. It’s this sentiment that keeps us trying and pushing hard for change, despite the challenges.
“His passing leaves a hole that will not be filled” said Steve. “A person like John comes along once in a generation. He was a wise and intelligent man who wasn’t afraid to say what needed to be said and that’s what made him a great person. He did things without fear or favour. People certainly found that challenging, but I loved and respected that about him. If there is no honesty there is no value and he was always honest and upfront with me and I valued our relationship”.
John had an ability to look at both the small and the large scale and that made him an outstanding leader and true advocate for his people. He had a unique ability to create and share his vision of a better future for his people. John has been critical in creating the AIG vision and on a personal level for Steve, John’s vision is something he works tirelessly to create.
“In my opinion the thing that sets John apart from others was his agility. He could be instrumental in the design and delivery of high level multimillion dollar social enterprise projects while also being acutely aware of the needs of individuals at the grass roots level. He was an incredible fighter for his people at all levels, and while he became battle weary, he never stopped fighting. He will be missed at AIG and I hope he is now at peace”.
