I would try to avoid it. I would never kiss back. I would be tense and rigid.
When a society bestows its highest civic honour, it places a kind of collective trust in the recipient — a trust that, once questioned, demands careful reckoning. Sir Rod Drury, founder of Xero and 2026 New Zealander of the Year, has returned that honour as three women allege unwanted sexual contact spanning a decade, from corporate offices to private yachts in Queenstown. Drury denies all allegations and points to contradicting witnesses, yet the weight of formal investigations — both police and an independent review led by KC Maria Dew — now carries the burden of discernment that public life alone cannot resolve. The moment sits at the intersection of institutional integrity, personal denial, and the long, difficult arc of accountability.
- A third woman has come forward, extending the timeline of alleged misconduct from 2015 all the way to late 2025 — a decade-long pattern that has transformed what began as a single complaint into a sustained reckoning.
- One of the accusers is legally constrained by a confidentiality settlement, a clause she resents, leaving her story partially silenced even as she speaks publicly about feeling wronged.
- Drury has moved to protect the awards institution by voluntarily returning the honour, framing the gesture as procedural rather than an admission — a careful act of reputational management under mounting pressure.
- Police are actively investigating, an external King's Counsel review is underway, and Xero's board has opened a confidential submissions channel, signalling that multiple institutions are now simultaneously processing the same unresolved questions.
- Drury has counter-mobilised, telling police he holds witness accounts that directly contradict the allegations — setting the stage for a contested factual battle rather than a quiet institutional resolution.
Sir Rod Drury, the founder of Xero and recipient of New Zealand's most prominent civic honour, returned his 2026 New Zealander of the Year award on Friday — a voluntary act he framed as protecting the integrity of the awards programme while formal investigations proceed. He maintains that all allegations against him are false.
The first complaint came from Ally Naylor, a former Xero employee who alleged that Drury non-consensually kissed and groped her beginning in 2015. She reported the behaviour to Xero in 2017, prompting an internal investigation whose findings were never made public. Drury has described any contact during that period as consensual. Xero has since commissioned an external review led by KC Maria Dew to examine both the original complaint and how the company handled it.
A second woman, referred to as Amy, alleged that a meeting with Drury ostensibly about a job opportunity became inappropriate. A colleague who saw her the following morning described her as visibly and uncharacteristically distressed. Drury's representatives declined to comment on that account.
The most recent allegation comes from Megan Ruddle, who worked as Drury's private chef and later as a residence director at his Queenstown property between 2023 and late 2025. She alleges he kissed her on the lips more than fifty times throughout her employment — contact she described as relentless and unwanted. 'I would try to avoid it. I would never kiss back. I would be tense and rigid,' she said. Ruddle filed a police complaint last month and has been interviewed by investigators.
Her employment ended in a confidential settlement following a personal grievance complaint, an agreement she says she never wanted to sign. She has expressed frustration that the confidentiality clause limits what she can say publicly. Drury denied any physical or intimate contact with Ruddle entirely, and said he has provided police with witness accounts that contradict her version of events.
Xero's board has committed to understanding both the events and the company's own decision-making through the ongoing external review, which has the scope to consider matters beyond the original 2017 complaint. Confidential submissions are being accepted as the inquiry continues.
Sir Rod Drury, the founder of the accounting software company Xero and recipient of New Zealand's highest civic honour, returned his 2026 New Zealander of the Year award on Friday. The decision came as a third woman came forward with allegations of unwanted sexual contact, following two earlier complaints that have triggered external investigations and police involvement.
Drury made the choice voluntarily, he told the Herald, to shield the awards programme from further scrutiny while formal processes unfold. "While I completely reject the recent allegations about me, I do not want the current situation to undermine the integrity of the awards or place further pressure on a great organisation before the relevant investigations and proper processes have been completed," he said. The awards office confirmed the 2026 title will not be reawarded to another recipient.
The allegations span a decade. In April, Ally Naylor, a former Xero employee, alleged that Drury non-consensually kissed and groped her beginning in 2015. She formally reported the behaviour to Xero in 2017, triggering an internal investigation whose findings remain confidential. Naylor has stood by her account, describing the contact as "unwanted and inappropriate." Drury denied her allegations, stating that any relationships he had during that period were "consensual and mutual." Xero subsequently opened an external investigation led by KC Maria Dew to examine both the original complaint and the company's handling of it.
A second woman, identified as Amy in media reports, told Stuff last week that Drury invited her to his apartment under the pretence of discussing a job opportunity, but the meeting became inappropriate. A colleague who spoke with Amy the following morning described her as visibly distressed, noting that such a reaction was uncharacteristic of her. Drury's representatives declined to comment on this complaint.
This week, the allegations expanded further. Megan Ruddle, who worked as Drury's private chef aboard his luxury yacht and later as a residence director at his Queenstown property, alleged he repeatedly kissed her on the lips throughout her employment from 2023 to late 2025. She described the unwanted contact as relentless and obvious. "I would try to avoid it," she told Stuff. "I would never kiss back. I would be tense and rigid." She estimated Drury kissed her on the lips more than fifty times over the course of her employment, a pattern she said former colleagues also witnessed. Ruddle made a police complaint last month and has been interviewed.
Ruddle's employment ended in a confidential settlement following a personal grievance complaint she filed against Drury and his company Oto60 in 2025. The agreement contains no admission of liability. She has expressed frustration with the confidentiality clause, saying she believes the public should know what occurred. "I never wanted to settle and sign an agreement in the first place," she said. Drury confirmed her employment was terminated and a settlement reached, but denied her allegations entirely. "At no time was there any form of intimate or physical relationship, nor did I ever try to initiate one," he told the Herald.
In response to Ruddle's claims, Drury said he has contacted police with accounts from multiple people with "first-hand knowledge" who contradict her allegations. He also referenced information suggesting Ruddle discussed her motivations for pursuing a claim in the presence of witnesses willing to cooperate with police. Xero's current board and leadership said they are committed to understanding the events and the company's response through expert assistance. The external review led by Dew will examine Xero's handling of the 2017 complaint and related decision-making, with the ability to consider additional matters that emerge during the inquiry. The company is accepting confidential submissions through review@xero.com.
Citas Notables
While I completely reject the recent allegations about me, I do not want the current situation to undermine the integrity of the awards or place further pressure on a great organisation before the relevant investigations and proper processes have been completed.— Sir Rod Drury
I think it's in the best interests of people knowing what actually happened. I don't think that should be able to legally be covered up by an agreement.— Megan Ruddle
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did Drury return the award himself rather than wait for the awards office to strip it from him?
He said he wanted to protect the integrity of the awards programme and the organisation itself. By stepping back voluntarily, he's arguing he's preventing further damage to an institution that shouldn't be caught in the middle of his legal battles.
But doesn't returning it look like an admission of something?
Not necessarily—and that's the tension. He's denying all the allegations. He's saying the award office shouldn't have to deal with matters that don't involve them while investigations are ongoing. It's a strategic move dressed as principle.
Three women across a decade. How does that pattern change the picture?
It suggests this wasn't isolated. The first allegation goes back to 2015. The second involves a job interview that turned inappropriate. The third spans two years of repeated unwanted contact. That's not a misunderstanding—that's a pattern of behaviour.
What about the confidentiality agreement Ruddle signed?
That's the thing that troubles her most. She settled a personal grievance complaint, but the agreement silences her. She can't speak publicly about what happened without legal consequences. She's trying to break that silence now, but the settlement still constrains what she can say.
Is there any chance Drury's witnesses actually contradict the allegations?
Possibly. He says multiple people have come forward with accounts that materially contradict Ruddle's claims. But we haven't heard from them yet. Right now it's his word against hers, and the police are investigating.
What happens next?
Maria Dew's external review will examine Xero's response to the 2017 complaint and consider whether the new allegations are relevant. Police are investigating Ruddle's complaint. And Xero's board is trying to figure out what actually happened and what the company got wrong.