IoD chief executive appointed to global leadership role

The Global Network of Directors Institutes (GNDI) has appointed Institute of Directors New Zealand (IoD) CEO Kirsten Patterson CMInstD as its new chair.

Launched in 2012, the GNDI comprises 21 director institutes and represents more than 150,000 individual directors and governance professionals. Its role is to foster closer cooperation between its members, who are recognised as the leading institute for directors and governance in their respective countries.

Patterson takes over the role from Rahul Bhardwaj, whose term ended 18 July. Bhardwaj is the president and CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) in Canada.

The GNDI has also appointed a new Deputy Chair, Pedro Melo from Brazil, who is CEO of the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (IBGC) and who will support Patterson in her role as the GNDI Chair for the next two years.

Patterson says the ultimate aim of GNDI is to help directors around the world stay abreast of emerging governance issues.

“It is also about strengthening the voice of directors in their advocacy of good governance policies and practices, and I am delighted to be given this opportunity,” said Patterson who has been in the co-deputy chair role over the past two years – an experience that has given her invaluable insights into pivotal governance shifts happening in an international context.

“It has been a privilege to see things through a global lens while sitting on the GNDI board and to have a greater awareness of the different challenges that other countries are facing, many of which aren’t too dissimilar from our own,” Patterson said.

She adds that the rigour and processes around good governance are more important now than ever, in particular, around climate change and reporting, now required by boards if businesses are to reach their goals to lower carbon emissions by 2050.

As part of its role of assisting directors to address climate issues, the IoD hosts Chapter Zero NZ, the local chapter of the global Climate Governance Initiative founded by the World Economic Forum.

Patterson, who is also the co-host of Across the Board, which won silver for Best Business Podcast at the New York Festivals Radio Awards 2023, says good governance is important not just for business, but for everyone.

“No company can thrive without putting people first. While profit is still a necessity for businesses to ensure their survival, companies have to also look after the wellbeing of their people. That feeds into the health of communities and society at large and, ultimately, this is now part of best-practice governance,” Patterson said.

In conjunction with her new role, Patterson has been appointed the GNDI representative to the Institute of Internal Audit International Professional Practices Framework Oversight Council.