Life Changing

Learning from the Past; Fixing the Future

In Life Changing, Alasdair Thompson outlines the events surrounding his sacking as chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association, New Zealands largest business membership organisation, after twelve years of reorganisation and rebuilding the Association.

He reveals his upbringing, the people and events that shaped him, his views on business, economics and public policy, and outlines a career in local government and in various local authorities and boards. We see the man behind the media target, and he shares his beliefs and values, his crises, as well as personal transformation and newfound faith and peace.

Thompsons was at the centre of a media maelstrom that led to his downfall. This book describes how he and his family coped with the aftermath and ultimately moved on, happier and stronger.

Life Changing learning from the past fixing the future
By Alasdair Thompson

Life Changing is what I have called my book due out early October. It is partly autobiographical and partly a commentary on a wide range of political, business, and media issues including the ethics of some leaders in those fields. It's also about my transformation from having been publicly disgraced and humiliated to a happy new and much better person with a wonderful new life.

Much of what I have written written will be controversial, although I did not write it to be so.

I had some important things to say about business, political even media ethics including those of some important leaders in those field.; The media too rightly comments on such things like the collapse of finance companies and the many billions of dollars that many retirees have consequently suffered, and the increase in the suicide rate among baby boomers.

The media is constantly covering such things but there are some things they do not hear the whole story about. It's a few of these I felt compelled to write about.

I take responsibility for my fall from public grace; for my bad behaviour towards Mihingarangi Forbes, the interviewer from Campbell Live, ;when I lost my cool with her; this was the; bit that Campbell Live producer, Pip Keane, chose to broadcast on that programme on June 23 2011.

Nevertheless I do call Mihingarangi Forbes, John Campbell and Pip Keane for what media commentator, Dr Brian Edwards, at the time called 'dishonest journalism.'

The book, in five parts, covers in parts 2 and 3 my downfall as the Employer and Manufacturers (EMA) CEO in June 2011 which led to my sacking for allegedly bringing the EMA into disrepute on 6 July 2011, even though I had offered my resignation almost immediately.

It covers how my wife Joan and I coped and ultimately dealt with the maelstrom that followed my comment, first made on Mike Hosking's NewstalkZB breakfast show, that some women's 'monthly; sickness' problems affected their productivity and earnings.

This escalated when later that afternoon I ;was interviewed by Mihi Forbes, in a 27 minute interview, the last 4 minutes of which were chosen by producer Pip Keane, as the 'best bits' (most controversial) to be broadcast that evening on Campbell Live.

It is mainly parts 2 and 3 of my 5 part book, ;that are the basis of an in depth TV3 3rd Degree programme to be screened on Wednesday 2nd October. The programme also looks at my life now, my transformation, having researched feminism and Christian theology, leading to me becoming a Christian, travelling extensively overseas and to again become a self-employed business advisor and tourist business operator.

Life Changing is about much more than all this though, although it does reveal so much more than was ever made public at the time of my demise, mainly because I was barred, at the time, ;from talking to the media and my employer