Harrison Lyon (Attended 2006-2013)

From Scots College to the Big Apple: Harrison Lyon's Uber Journey

Published July 2025

From House Music performances and Junior Basketball Championships to launching Uber in New Zealand from the back of a car, Scots Collegian Harrison Lyon (2006–2013) has followed a remarkable path.

His journey began with a firm handshake from Peter Cassie in the Prep School and now sees him managing global operations for one of the world’s most recognisable tech companies from a high-rise office in New York City.

“Some of my most vivid memories of Scots include the Year 8 camp at Abel Tasman and serving as Deputy Head Boy of the Prep School,” says Harrison. He recalls the thrill of winning the Junior A Basketball Championship in Year 10 with a last-minute win over St Pats, and helping plan the 2013 Leavers’ Ball including designing posters and selecting DJs.

Many staff played a strong role in shaping his school years. Peter Cassie in the Prep School left a lasting impression, instilling a strong sense of tradition, discipline, and attention to detail – values that still resonate in his professional life. And Miss Gandhi made Economics come alive with her practical, real-world approach. “She made a huge impact, both in and out of the classroom.”

“Scots offered me a breadth of academic and extracurricular opportunities that shaped me in ways I didn’t fully realise at the time,” he reflects.

“I never saw myself as a singer, but I performed in House Music. I learned badminton in Year 7 and ended up representing New Zealand internationally.” It was this exposure to a wide range of experiences that sparked a passion for variety and versatility, traits that have proved invaluable in his career.

That career took a major leap in 2014 when he heard about Uber just as it was preparing to expand into Australia and New Zealand. “An Ops Manager from Australia showed me the launch roadmap
from an Airbnb. I was hooked,” he says.

The early days in Christchurch were fast-paced and saw Harrison signing up drivers from car parks, and issuing texts like, “Collect your phone mount and mints – we’re about to launch!” Today, he is still in touch with many of those early drivers, who have since completed tens of thousands of trips. He couldn’t have imagined then that Uber would become what it is now, or that he’d still be with the company. But more than a decade later, his role has evolved alongside the company.

“Before Uber Eats even existed, we ran a one-day promotion in 2016 called ‘Uber Ice Cream,’ where we filled drivers’ back seats with tubs of ice cream as a fun marketing stunt. It’s pretty incredible
to see how far we’ve come – from that single-day experience to now being able to order almost anything through Uber Eats.”

In 2019, Harrison and his fiancée – now wife (who he took to the Year 13 Ball) – moved to the US. “I love the diversity here,” he says. “The city’s energy is contagious, and I’m constantly inspired by the ambition around me. That said, we do miss New Zealand, especially our families, the relaxed lifestyle, and the food. One day, I’m sure we’ll be back.”

His advice for today’s Scots students? “Play to your strengths and follow your passions. There are so many careers out there that you won’t encounter at a high school job fair. I started out studying calculus, physics, and chemistry, thinking I’d be an engineer, but those weren’t my strengths. It wasn’t until university that I went back to Economics and discovered Operations and learnt excel, which I loved and was good at. When you enjoy what you do, you’ll put in the work to succeed.”

Do you have a story to tell? We'd love to hear from you. Contact us at collegians@scotscollege.school.nz.