Meet the board: Trish Oakley
What was your first governance role?
Like many others, my first was a voluntary position inside a community group as trustee of the Fortune Theatre Trust in Dunedin.
Community groups, especially in the arts, come with a great deal of passion, multiple stakeholders and small budgets. It was a great introduction to governance.
What is the best advice you received as a young director?
While not specifically advice, an experienced director once commented on one of my governance articles, saying: “How easy it would be (and is) to fall into the trap of working through board packs as if they are the answer, rather than the question.” I reflect on this each time I pick up a board pack. It reminds me of the importance of creating time to think about what you are reading and not just look at the words and charts on the page. It is also a reminder to, between meetings, scan the environment and consider your own entity against all you see and read.
What has given you the greatest satisfaction in your boardroom career?
Someone gave me a chance once and I have never forgotten it. The work I have done supporting other governors early on in their journey remains the most satisfying thing about governance. That, and watching graduates cross the stage at capping ceremonies. It reminds me about why we do everything we do at Otago University and just how much promise the future holds. Engaging with young people provides a fresh perspective and a reminder of why, rather than all the reasons why not.
What would be the title of your biography, and why?
“Life Lessons”. If you haven’t learnt lessons you either haven’t been open to learning, tried hard enough or pushed boundaries. Life lessons humble you, grow you and define you. Sometimes, it’s also just important to reflect on where you have come from to reorient and know where you are going.
Who would you like to invite to dinner and why?
An influential leader or historic figure would be fun, but it would be my family, (blood and adopted). They ground me. They call me out when necessary and, given their diverse perspectives and lifestyles, they challenge my thinking and broaden my horizons. Constancy in key relationships can never be overrated. Much can be solved by breaking bread together.
What keeps you awake at night?
Where to start – the risks and opportunities in governance are ever-changing, but perhaps what I am thinking about most is the division in communities, societies and countries. We have enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace, and the world has flourished accordingly. Now as we stand opposite each other, voices strong, rhetoric loud, divisions growing, we must be sure of our purpose, values and the standards we set for ourselves and entities we govern.
Also see Trish's governance experience.