While Rod has an honours degree in law from Otago University, one of five degrees including a PhD in insurance and Risk Management, he has never practiced law. Most recently he completed a five year term as inaugural chair of the Climate Change Commission and continues to be a director of ASB bank. He previously held roles as Vice Chancellor of University of Canterbury, chairman of the Board of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and was for five years chair of the National Infrastructure Advisory Board. His governance roles have included being director or trustee of Lyttelton Port, Taranaki Investment Management, Christchurch Arts Centre, Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust, Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce and Rhodes Scholarship Nominating Committee. He has run 23 marathons on five continents including most recently in 2019 in Pyongyang North Korea and Greenland inside the Polar Circle. He is married with four children and four grandchildren, all living in New Zealand. His current projects include mentoring small enterprises in the clean tech and sustainable fibre business.