Emerging Director Awards
Advance on your governance journey. Win recognition for your leadership, integrity, and enterprise.
Applications for the 2024 Emerging Director Awards have now closed. If you’re interested in applying in 2025, find out more about the awards below.
The Emerging Director Award was instigated in 1999 by the Canterbury Branch as one of its contributions to assisting the growth of New Zealand enterprise through the promotion of best practices in company direction and governance.
The award has subsequently been taken up by the other Institute of Directors’ branches, offering members the opportunity to be an Emerging Director Award recipient supported by their local branch.
The award is for those who are in the early stages of their governance career, with fewer than five years governance experience in an independent and/or non-executive role.
Emerging Director Award recipients will not have held a significant governance role to date and must demonstrate a commitment to developing their governance skills.
Award recipients will receive a prize that may include a combination of the following:
- Complimentary membership with the IoD for 12 months
- Complimentary attendance at local branch functions for 12 months
- Mentoring or placement on a board as an observer for 12 months (varies across branches)
- A financial contribution towards IoD professional development (varies across branches and must be used in the award year)
My passion to add value to businesses, to learn and improve myself and to lead motivates me to pursue a career in governance
The 2024 prize package included:
- $2000 in prize money to be spent on courses and national events
- Complimentary IoD membership for 12 months
- Free attendance at all Auckland/Northland branch events
- A mentor for 12 months
The 2024 prize package included:
- Emerging Director position with selected placement board – Bay of Plenty Rugby Union
- $1,500 towards IoD courses
- Complimentary attendance at branch events for 12 months.
- Mentoring with an experience director for 12 months.
The 2024 prize package included:
- Mentoring with experienced director for 12 months from Venture Taranaki and ability to attend Venture Taranaki board meetings as an observer
- Complimentary membership with IoD for 12 months
The 2024 prize package included:
- Complimentary membership with IoD for 24 months
- Complimentary attendance at all branch functions for 24 months
- Mentoring with experienced director for 24 months
$5000 towards IoD professional development
(must be spent in current year) - ‘Emerging Director’ position for 24 months with the Hospice Waikato. The emerging director will have the right to participate in board and audit committee meetings but will not be able to vote on any board resolution. The successful applicant will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement with the sponsoring board. The position will be unpaid.
The Wellington Branch biannually offers the Emerging Director Award (EDA). The EDA will be open to Wellington applicants again in 2025.
The 2024 prize package included:
- $1000 towards an IoD Governance
Development course of your choice to be taken within 12 months of receiving the Award
One year’s complimentary IoD membership - A director internship with a local board for 6-12 months
- Two-six mentoring sessions with an experienced director
- Four complimentary attendance vouchers to Nelson Marlborough branch functions (including the Annual Christmas Dinner) for the 12 months following the Award
The 2024 prize package included:
- A governance internship with either Canterbury Scientific Ltd (Christchurch), The Christchurch Foundation (Christchurch) or Ashburton Contracting Ltd (Ashburton) for one year
- $1,500 towards an Institute of Directors governance development course of your choice to be taken in the 12 month period following the Award
- One year’s complimentary membership of the Institute of Directors
- Complimentary attendance at all Canterbury branch functions for the 12 months following the Award
- Mentoring with an experienced director to plan your governance pathway.
The 2024 prize package included:
- Complimentary membership with IoD for 12 months
- Complimentary attendance at all branch functions for 12 months
- Mentoring with experienced director for 12 months
- $2,000 (GST excl) towards IoD professional development (must be used in the award year)