The realities of school governance; lessons from the Chair

Overview

Join us for an insightful panel discussion featuring three experienced school board chairs as they share their perspectives on school governance. They’ll explore the unique challenges and responsibilities that come with governing a school—where education, community expectations, and regulatory obligations intersect.

How does school governance compare to governance in other sectors? What makes it distinct? Our panel will delve into key governance lessons, the evolving role of school boards, and the skills required to navigate complex issues. Whether you’re a current board member, a school leader, or interested in governance, this session will offer practical insights into what it takes to lead in the education sector.

Geordie Hooft

CFInstD

Geordie Hooft is the director of Hooft Consulting Ltd, a boutique firm specialising in providing constructive and pro-active taxation advice.  He communicates complex issues to clients in a way that they can understand to ensure clarity. He has been a regular media commentator, addressing some of the taxation issues many privately held businesses owners face.  He also enjoys working with business owners to help them understand the financial performance and position of their business, as well as forward planning. More than just annual compliance work, his interests include regular management reporting, strategic planning and cashflow forecasting

Geordie spent 20 years on school boards, including as chair, at Somerfield School and Cashmere High School.  He currently chairs the board of Schooled Ltd and serves on the board of its parent, the CES Foundation.  He is also on the board of the Bone Marrow Cancer Trust, which operates Ranui House.  

He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Chartered Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. Geordie is the South Island Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and is studying part-time at the University of Canterbury.  

Sarah Lewis

CMInstD

Sarah has been leading finance and corporate functions both in NZ and the UK for over 25 years. She made a switch from the corporate world to organisations that make a difference in 2006 when she moved from the UK to NZ.  Sarah is a chartered accountant and chartered director. 

She stepped into school governance in 2017 shortly after completing the CDC course and became a chartered member in the same year.  

In 2019 she was reelected onto the primary school board and took on a second role for the intermediate school holding two positions concurrently including chairing both finance subcommittee. 

Sarah holds other board positions in the NFP sector. 

Kevin Maloney

CMInstD

Kevin holds governance roles as director with Carmel College Auckland Limited and Treasurer with Ambury Park Centre. He is a mentor on the IoD’s Tautua Pasifika Mentoring Programme and has recently joined the Auckland Branch committee for the Institute of IT Professionals New Zealand.

Kevin served for four years as the chair of a state integrated primary school, supporting the school with its strategic planning, risk management, compliance and financial oversight. It was this role that saw him join the IoD to access resources and gain an enhanced appreciation of good governance practices

Day to day, Kevin supports clients in a variety of industries across the domains of digital and IT, risk management, internal audit, finance and programme management. His management experience spans corporate, public sector and for-purpose entities in a wide cross-section of industries.

Kevin is a Chartered Member of Institute of Directors (CMInstD), a Chartered Accountant (CA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Kirsten (KP) Patterson 

CMInstD 

Kirsten Patterson MNZM (known as KP) is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors and is a Chartered Member of the IoD. In 2025 she was awarded the New Zealand Royal Honour, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to governance and women.  She is a qualified lawyer and a Distinguished Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, Chair of the Global Network of Directors Institutes (GNDI), and a member of the New Zealand External Reporting Advisory Panel (XRAP).  She serves on the Boards of the mental health charity, Voices of Hope, is Chair of the Brian Picot Ethical Leadership Advisory Board at Victoria University in Wellington and an Ambassador for the Wellington Women’s Homeless Trust.   

A strong advocate of diversity, KP is a member of Global Women New Zealand and was one of the founding members of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’, a group of senior executives and directors who commit to diversity in the workplace. KP was the founder and is Executive Sponsor for Chapter Zero New Zealand – the New Zealand Chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative - hosted by the IoD NZ to mobilise, connect, educate and equip directors and boards to make climate-smart governance decisions, thereby creating long term value for both shareholders and stakeholders.  

Additional information

Contact

Kristyn Chandler-Yates
National Sponsorship and Events Manager
+64 27 207 2592
Kristyn.Chandler-Yates@iod.org.nz