Future-focused governance: Gavin Mark Fernandez on the value of the IoD’s Advanced Directors’ Course

Experienced board director Gavin Mark Fernandez CMInstD strongly supports ongoing professional development in governance, so undertaking the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) Advanced Directors’ Course was a natural progression.   

“All board members should be trying continual education,” says Fernandez. “It is important to keep current and look at what the future might hold, what the future board might look like and what the world might look like. The IoD courses are laser-focused on that.  

“The Advanced Directors’ Course (ADC) was clearly valuable. The governance pathway can be quite difficult but the programme makes you take stock of what you have done, what you are doing now and what you want to change – and to actually make those changes.” 

The ADC was created for skilled directors as a progression after completing the IoD’s Company Directors’ Course (CDC).   

The immersive three-and-a-half-day programme is based around three key themes – board leadership, cultural intelligence and climate awareness. Each day focuses on a different facet of being a director – you, your board and practical governance.  

Fernandez began his career as an avionics engineer and by the early 2000s was working in Hong Kong running the jet fuel and oil business for Cathay Pacific and the Swire global business group.

That included representing his employers on boards of fuel companies – “thrown in at the deep end” without formal governance training. He was also vice chair of the fuel committee of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).   

Recognising the industry’s impact on climate, he lobbied for sustainable fuels for airlines, winning an ally in Richard Branson. After Fernandez returned to New Zealand, Swire rehired him as GM of its sustainable fund pursuing the acquisition of sustainable aviation fuel companies.  

He did that for nearly two years before moving into further governance with boards or organisations focused on sustainability.   

“The most important things for me in governance are passion for what you are doing and honestly believing that you will add value to the organisation,” he says.   “I am from a diverse background, of Māori heritage – Ngāti Maru and Ngāti Porou – and a proud member of the rainbow community.  

“Part of my values and culture is openness and focus on diverse thinking because that enables a board and makes it much more valuable in the end for sharing and being open to other views. It translates to better performance for the company and is better for staff.”  
  
 Fernandez is a director of ‘green bank’ New Zealand Green Investment Finance, Airways New Zealand and Wolga New Zealand, his family business through which he runs his governance activities and consulting projects, including assistance to airlines with jet fuel management and sustainable initiatives.   

On returning to New Zealand he had looked to the IoD for further development and found significant value in the CDC and completing the pathway and exams to become a Chartered Member of the IoD (CMInstD).   

So, he was eager to take the next step with the ADC. Each cohort is selected via the application process to ensure the right mix of skill sets and experience to create a strong and vibrant learning experience.  

Most participants will be IoD Chartered Members with at least three years’ board experience, have already undertaken the CDC or an international equivalent, and held positions on multiple boards of qualifying organisations for at least five years.  

“How to be an effective director is a major target of the programme,” says Fernandez. “Also what future directors might look like and they use adaptive and board scenarios to feed that. It was right up my street. I am a futurist – what the world is going to be, that was an attraction for me and it delivered.”   

The programme is facilitated by a team of highly experienced directors who share their experiences, facilitate discussions and work through challenging board scenarios. The curriculum is tailored to suit the skill set, experiences and sectors of each cohort.   

“The people were so valuable, from the facilitators, such as Craig Rust, to the amazing guest speakers, such as Tipa Mahuta and Jim Mather. It also resonated with me from a Māori perspective. Also, the connections you make with other participants. I’ve already been in contact with some. That helps governance because is it looking at what is happening around the place, not just your world view of where organisations are at.  

“The structure is to have key learning. There was a lot of self-reflection work that was valuable – to look back at history and yourself and your values and what steps you can take towards better emotional agility.   

“On the last day we were asked what we would be doing in the next days as a result of the course. So, I booked a session with the CEO of Airways and it was good to discuss their world view and how they see we are doing as a board and senior management team.”  

Fernandez will feature as a guest on season three of the IoD Board Matters podcast, airing on Wednesday, 2 October. 

Subscribe on Apple podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts. 

If you are interested in knowing more about the Advanced Directors’ Course, and whether this development opportunity is right for you, contact our team on 0800 846 369.