Obituary: Graeme Chrystal

Zaicom International CEO Graeme Chrystal, who has died aged 54, was a true entrepreneur and strategist with an immense capability to quickly understand complex information and develop effective and insightful solutions.

He had worked in the pharmaceutical industry all his professional career, starting in field sales before moving agency-side in 1989 to join Dragon Communications.

After stints at Oxford Clinical Communications and the Medicus unit FSP (Franklin Scientific Projects) Chrystal jointly founded Phase II International Communications and then Zaicom. 

A keen tennis player and skier, who enjoyed his wine and cheese, he was a big man with a big heart who always believed in his people and what they could achieve for themselves.

In addition to maintaining and growing this business Chrystal had in recent years became a mentor to several firms and taken up the post of chairman at Qualifa.

Chrystal passed away suddenly at his new home in Auckland, New Zealand, having emigrated there from the UK in late 2013, and he leaves a wife and two children.

His funeral was held in April 2014 in Auckland and a memorial service is planned for July 2014 in the UK, details of which are available from Louise Sharp (louise@makarahealth.com).