He wants them to be Super Rugby contenders again and also be primed for a world club competition when it begins - and he has put his money where his mouth is.
Kean previously held a 10% stake in the Highlanders and now owns 29% of the club, having bought out fellow shareholder Warren Goddard, who was a member of the original ownership group when the club was privatised in 2015.
Kean, Raymond Burke and Shane Drummond each hold 29% stakes in the Highlanders, and the provincial unions (Otago, Southland and North Otago) hold the remaining 13%.
Having been on the Highlanders board previously as a representative of New Zealand Rugby, which held a 10% stake in the club, Kean was eager to help the club progress when he bought NZR’s stake then nearly tripled it.
"There’s been a lot of change in the last sort of 12 months," he said yesterday.
"New chairman, new ownership structure, new vision, new competition, new head coach, new coaching team, new captain and a couple of international players.
"When you look at our roster, it brings a sparkle to my eyes when you see young local guys coming through. It’s a great group, and we need to nurture them."
Kean was born in Dunedin and lives in Cromwell - when he is not in Auckland on various business and directorship duties - and has had a long link with southern rugby since working with sponsor Speight’s.
He loves the region, and knows the buzz the Highlanders can create when they play successful, entertaining rugby.
"I’ve got a passion to try and make a difference for the club.
"People regard the Highlanders as competitive - you always hear that. But I’d like to see us move from being competitive to contenders."
The Highlanders have by far the smallest market of the New Zealand teams in Super Rugby, which begs the question of how they can find consistent success without significant financial input.
It can also be a vicious cycle. The Highlanders need good crowds, but that will always rely on how the team is playing.
"We’re prepared to put money back into the club and into the region.
"The Highlanders have been a humble, hard-working team but I guess a lot of things changed with Covid, and we really do need that fanbase to come back and support us.
"We talk about Super Rugby lighting the fire and entertaining, and that’s part of what we need to do for our fans. We also realise you have to win."
Kean said the club was keen to give back to the community as it asked people to flock back to the stadium.
The Highlanders still had strong support from local sponsors, especially now there was some certainty around the format of Super Rugby, which is locked in until 2030.
A massive carrot for the future is the imminent arrival of a global club tournament that, if done right, could have huge appeal and mean big things for the coffers.
"They’re working towards having some sort of world club competition in 2025, and a full-noise one in 2028 and 2032," Kean said.
"So there are some big goals for us to be a part of that, and play those northern hemisphere teams and see where we are at."
Kean was excited about the coaching resources that have been installed behind new boss Clarke Dermody, and the work being done in high performance at the Highlanders.
