Richard Hudson
I am honored and humbled to be speaking today on behalf of Richards IHG family many of whom are here today but all of whom will be raising a glass of red in Huddo’s honor.
For all of us past and present from IHG there was no such thing as being a colleague of Huddo’s and there was certainly no such thing as being a boss, that is not how Huddo saw us and that is certainly not how we saw Huddo... put simply, we were friends.
Huddo had this extraordinary ability to charm and disarm making everyone feel equal, important and most of all cared for. No conversation ever started with work nor did it end with work, you were always totally engaged from the first word and usually in hysterics by the second; how's the family, how's you, how are the kids, how's your love life, did you watch the game on weekend, how big was that fish you caught on the weekend and so on. Inevitably conversation would always turn to his family for as much as Huddo cared for others he was also just as open with the love he had for his wife Meripa, family and how immensely proud he was of his daughter Natasha. More often than not there was no work discussed at all he was simply checking in, showing he cared, in true Huddo style.
On those occasions when we did get down to work the conversation would be no less hilarious. Annual goals was a document that got printed once a year and used as the desk coffee coaster for the rest, targets were those bags full of sand and performance was the routine on the dance floor in the bar the night before. Huddo had no use for or reason to conform to the typical corporate way of working and for my part that is what I loved most about him, his ability to bring his genuine, caring and humorous approach to all he did, when they built Huddo they broke the mould.
And like his IHG friends there was also no such thing as a client in Huddo’s world again there were only friends, many of whom are here today. Huddo's care and love for those he did business with was extraordinary, he worked tirelessly to balance the needs of the business and those of his clients, and in a rapidly changing environment Huddo stayed true to what I think would be one of his defining principles, look after your friends and they will look after you...you only had to be on the tradeshow floor at TRENZ New Zealand's major industry event when Richard Hudson, aka Huddo, aka the Rock walked into the room...it was then you truly knew you were in the presence of an extraordinary man... I swear I could hear a murmur Rock is in the house, Rock is in the house and I swear you could feel a wave of fun and laughter move through the hall... I honestly don't think there was anyone more loved across our industry nor will there be again.
When it came to putting down in words a closing paragraph it was just too difficult, tears would start flowing and I couldn’t get past the first few words. So I decided not to write one.......but then some words sprung to mind, I then realised the words belonged to a song, a movie soundtrack in fact..... That then led me to think about that movie and the video clip to the song....and that made me smile and think of Huddo.....
So here are my closing words....
To know him, is to love him!!!!!!!
With love from Jenny Morrell and the entire IHG Family. xxxx