Canterbury Branch Emerging Director Award

"Receiving the Emerging Director Award was an exceptional first step into the governance experience. The team at Ashburton Contracting Ltd were very welcoming and I instantly felt part of the team. It’s been excellent to see the full year around the board table from strategic planning to budgets to end of financial year results. 

Alongside that, it has been fantastic for my personal development to have a mentor to work through with, as well as being able to attend IoD events in Christchurch and online. A huge thanks to ACL and IoD for the opportunity. "

"The experience and connections made through the Emerging Directors Award has been invaluable and the perfect follow-on from the 5 day Company Directors' Course with the IoD.

I've applied for the Emerging Director Award twice and was successful the second time around in 2022, so my recommendation to those applying is to try again and again, it's well worth the effort. The selection committee was absolutely amazing during the interview and listened to my goals and purpose carefully. I've started my governance journey due to climate change so that I'm better equipped to help with the often difficult decisions that need to be made at board level. As a result of this goal the selection committee chose Dr Rod Carr, the Chair of the Climate Commission, as my mentor and we've been having the most inspiring conversations on both climate change and governance topics. The selection committee has also matched me with my preferred organisation, the Christchurch Foundation where I'm currently serving as an Associate Trustee. The Board of Trustees, the CEO and staff at the Christchurch Foundation come from diverse backgrounds and years of experience on both commercial and not for profit boards. I feel very lucky to be able to learn from these passionate people who are collectively keeping the best interest of our communities at heart.

Another huge benefit of the Emerging Directors Award is the multitude of courses, talks and events that I was able attend during the 12 months period. I've learnt a huge amount at these events and I could take these learnings back to each of the organisations I work with. Connecting with the local community of directors and board members, learning about their work and experiences has also been invaluable.

Huge thank you to everyone involved in my journey during the past 12 months. I can confidently say that the Emerging Director Award provides a lot more benefits than I initially anticipated, and the journey so far has been exiting and enlightening."

“Applying for the Emerging Director award empowered me to step outside of my comfort zone.  I have developed invaluable skills and experiences in governance best practice including strategic planning, audit and risk.  It has been an honour to work alongside and be inspired and mentored by such experienced directors, learning from their hard work and dedication to Akaroa Health Ltd and the wider Banks Peninsular communities. I have built trusted and respected professional relationships and networks with people who have become mentors and great influencers for my future career pathway and journey.

I have attended several Canterbury Branch events over the last year which have all contributed positively to my learning experience, these events are a fantastic way to continue my governance professional development and stay at the forefront of the current governance considerations and climate.  Local events have also been a great way to network with other local directors and expand my knowledge foundation across various sectors. 

Winning the 2021 Emerging Director award has been a defining moment in my governance career and I will always be incredibly grateful for the experiences afforded to me from Akaroa Health Ltd, the Institute of Directors and my mentor Jane Cartwright. I will continue to utilise these experiences to add value and contribute positively to organisations and their stakeholders, particularly in the healthcare setting.”

“The Emerging Director award is invaluable for those looking for a future in governance. It provides a safe learning environment in a real world situation and I would highly recommend it.”

“Being awarded the 2020 Canterbury Branch Emerging Director Award helped unlock so many doors for me in commencing a pathway in governance. The internship on a commercial board is a fantastic opportunity to learn in a live board setting. The directors and Senior Leadership team of EA Networks treated me as an equal director and actively engaged in my development. I was given exposure and the opportunity to contribute, across all areas facing boards as well as some specific projects EA Networks was undertaking. The Mentor provided to me by the IoD has been so generous with his time, his wisdom and his guidance to me. In addition, this award has helped me build a fantastic network of interesting and accomplished people.

I used the funding to contribute towards attending the Company Directors Course which was another amazing experience in itself. The ability to attend Canterbury branch functions was another exciting benefit to help my learning and give me the opportunity to meet people. One benefit I wasn’t directly expecting is how much the experiences gained from the internship have also helped me develop in my executive role. This was through both the exposure to higher level thinking, the exposure to strategic risks and opportunities and the people.

I am grateful to the IoD for the opportunity and thoroughly recommend the benefits offered and gained from the Emerging Director Award programme.”

“My Emerging Director Award experience was exceptional for my personal development and confidence at the board table. Geoff, Jason, Jono and Nigel are excellent directors and their support and encouragement has been brilliant. JT is a wonderful CEO and his senior leadership team is outstanding. The entire team at Connetics is very welcoming and they do a great job at making you feel part of the team. 

The internship at Connetics lasts for 18 months, which is a great length of time as you get to see strategic business plans determined, implemented and reviewed. In addition, you get to see a full financial year through from start to finish. A huge thanks to Connetics and the IoD (Canterbury branch) for this amazing opportunity.”

“Being awarded the 2019 Canterbury Branch IoD Emerging Director Award has given me a wonderful year of benefits both expected and unexpected. The known benefits of funding towards IoD training, a mentor and the director internship have been exactly what I anticipated. The funding enabled training I wouldn’t have otherwise done and a day with the likes of Giselle McLaughlin can only ever benefit your professional career. Access to a mentor has been “gold” as I sought honest and vital opinions on problems that don’t sit well on moral compass and are never found in any manual. Being an intern with the extremely functional board of EA Networks has increased my high regard of great process and being able to witness it first-hand has reinforced that view. The unexpected benefits have been the exposure to a whole raft of people from which to learn from, the Chartered Fellows who attended the dinner after the awards openly sharing their professional career highlights to the award judges who clearly searched for my motivations. This has all led me to develop both my understanding of others and myself, undoubtedly growing more confident in the valuable skills I bring as an individual to contribute to the team around the board table.”

“The Emerging Director award has provided a huge boost to my governance experience and knowledge. The award is multi-layered, not only in the ‘known’ rewards of providing access to a commercial board, a mentor, branch events and funding toward training but also in the relationships and contacts formed. The Connetics board has been fascinating - especially given the events and challenges of COVID-19. The directors, CEO and senior management have been very welcoming and I have learnt a lot. My mentor has been fantastic, providing great insights and questions.  I cannot thank  the Canterbury Branch committee enough for this award and the great events they organise. I strongly recommend anyone interested in a governance career apply for this award.”