All articles

Directors see NZ economy on the up

Boards are positioning their organisations to take advantage of an expected economic upturn.

• From our sponsors

First Steps in Governance awards for Canterbury directors

Three Canterbury directors have an opportunity to increase their governance experience and skills.

Cultural diversity key for boards

Sanit Kumar CMInstD joined the Company Directors’ Course (CDC) and reflects on the immersive course for directors reporting to boards.

• Diversity
• Leadership

Staying true to our values

Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo says in continuing to do business with the US we need to be clear about our values.

• Human rights
• Leadership
• Supply chains

Back to the future

When anticipating the climate of the future, remember the lessons of Michael J Fox.

• Climate change

A useful last resort: pursuing directors personally for unpaid company debts

What if you are owed money and you believe a director is in breach of their duties?

• From our sponsors

Governance news bites

A collection of governance-related news snapshots you might have missed in the past two weeks. 

Mike McRoberts: “Allow yourself to go there”

A pathway between Māori businesses and investors will help form authentic partnerships, according to Mike McRoberts. Find out more.

• Long-termism
• Te Ao Māori

Bringing startup expertise to the boardroom

Supporter of innovative businesses, Maria King MInstD was thrilled to see startup governance in the IoD Advanced Directors' Course.

• Innovation

Maxine Simmons on finding fresh inspiration at the Advanced Directors’ Course

Experienced director Maxine Simmons found fresh insights at the Advanced Directors’ Course. Read how it re-energised her approach.

Breaches of AML/CFT laws results in serious consequences

AML settlements should prompt directors to consider whether their systems and processes are up to date or require review.

• Accountability
• From our sponsors

IMHO: I don't care where, as long as I'm chair

Can a successful director translate their success to another board? Maybe.

• Board composition
• Board evaluation
• Chairing

Don’t wait for Wellington

Directors are urged to move more quickly than the Government on climate governance.

• Climate change

What I’m Reading – Debbie Ireland

What does it really mean to feel a sense of belonging and how can it boost performance and inclusion in business?

• Leadership
• Organisational culture
• What I'm Reading

Fee boost coming for Crown directors

State Owned Enterprises Minister Paul Goldsmith says a boost to Crown-entity directors’ fees will help the Government attract top talent.

• Director remuneration
• Public sector

Governance news bites

A collection of governance-related news snapshots that you might have missed in the past two weeks.

• ESG
• Liability

Are directors of founder-led companies being set up to fail?

It can be hard to rein in one dominant individual unless boundaries are set.

Challenging your assumptions

Assumptions are a core part of normal life that help us to act and react at pace – but they can also get in our way and stymie innovation.

• AI
• Climate change
• Strategic thinking

Substance over symbols needed in applying work H&S law to mental health

Mental health is a pressing organisational and occupational health concern for many businesses, but uncertainty and ambiguity abound. 

• Organisational culture

What I’m Reading – Kendall Langston

Reading is a way to sharpen the saw, according to Kendall Langston who shares a book this week about the art of negotiation.

• Leadership
• What I'm Reading

Courage and speaking up in board meetings

A culture of asking questions in board meetings, respectfully, is essential for effective governance.

IMHO: AI expertise on boards: real growth or skills inflation?

An increased number of AI experts on boards raises questions about the realities of board composition and the dynamics of skills inflation.

• AI
• Cyber security

Cyber Smart Week must views

There are a range of useful cyber guides, tools and articles with a governance focus here at the Institute of Directors.

• Cyber security

IoD recognises 10 new Distinguished Fellows

Our new Distinguished Fellows have come from backgrounds including energy, education, public health, food and research and more.  

• Leadership

Mentoring – a gateway to opportunity

A new mentoring programme aims to increase Pasifika representation in New Zealand boardrooms.

• Diversity

Is nuclear energy the zero-carbon answer to powering AI?

After decades of stagnation, the world’s biggest tech groups and banks are considering an alternative energy option.

Governance news bites – 17 October

A collection of interesting news snapshots and related material from the past two weeks.

IMHO: Picking your chair – best player or best captain?

Effective board leadership requires qualities beyond professional expertise or industry experience.

• Chairing

IMHO: Is governance a team sport or individual sport?

A high performing board has a lot in common with a successful sports team.

• Board composition
• Chairing

What I’m Reading – Jeff Galt

In this week’s recommendation, the auditing profession is under the spotlight, revealing a need for directors to dig into the numbers. 

• Conflict of interests
• What I'm Reading

How to excel in governance

Jeffrey Broughton CMInstD attended the Company Directors’ Course (CDC) in Queenstown. Hear how he benefits from attending the course.

• Leadership
• Succession Planning

Obstacles real for Pasifika leaders

Unconscious bias and ignorance could be blocking diversity on boards. Find out more about the obstacles faced by directors.

• Board composition
• Board dynamics
• Talent

Congratulations to our 2024 Emerging Directors

Members nationwide have been honoured by their branches with Emerging Director Awards.

Board dynamics and the power of three

Women’s perspectives add value to boards but also contribute to investment efficiency, according to new research from Lincoln University.

• Board composition
• Board dynamics
• Diversity

Nurain Janah: “We cannot visualise the path ahead”

The weight of the concrete ceiling is confounding for women leaders of colour. Find out more about the obstacles that block the path ahead.

• Board composition
• Board dynamics
• Organisational culture

Building the foundation for Pasifika leaders to thrive

Pacific voices needed on boards as Aotearoa’s cultural landscape evolves. Find out more about the IoD’s Pacific Advisory Group.

• Board composition
• Diversity

Governance insights from the Directors’ Fees Report 2024/25

Directors’ fees have not been keeping pace with inflation, even after recent years of low (or no) increases.

Don’t knock opportunity

Climate change reporting is challenging, but provides a unique opportunity for boards to add value.

• Climate change
• From our sponsors

Have your say: influence the review of health and safety legislation to improve ...

Directors and board leaders are vital in shaping the future of health and safety, so we’re seeking feedback on IoD proposed changes.

In business we trust

Hard won yet easily lost, trust is a critical component of business success, and earning it starts from the top.

• Leadership

Real estate collapse: the Du Val Group

The Du Val Group’s collapse offers boards a cautionary tale about governance, investor relations and financial oversight.

Equipping Kiwi boards for robust conversations

How you communicate at the board table matters. Find out why Kiwi boards might be more open to diverse views.

• Board management relationship

When tech goes wrong

Boards need to understand an organisation’s capability and maturity to deliver technology programmes. 

How to align group dynamics

The chair needs to harmonise personalities and communication styles, so the sum of the whole is greater than its parts.

Wealth creation: the mandate of the marketer

Professional marketers are a crucial, and often missing, component in board decision-making.

Bringing clarity from chaos

In small to medium-sized entities, directors add value by testing assumptions and not being encumbered by limitations.

Chalk and cheese – or same but different?

Comparing the complexities of governance in the private and public sectors.

Get active for your health (and safety)

Start with the right mindset – health and safety is an outcome of work – then establish best practice. 

Valuing H&S on the bottom line

Health and safety does not make it onto the accountant’s radar. 

How high-performing boards stay ahead

Evaluating large volumes of data using technology is a major differentiator in effective oversight and governance.

• From our sponsors

Getting the best out of senior leaders

When a board pushes a vision or ambition, the organisation becomes inspired. 

• From our sponsors

A biotech pioneer translating science into business

Maxine Simmons CMInstD says being open to different ideas is the source of innovation and good decision-making.

When the time is ripe for change

An advisory board challenges family garlic growers to ‘look at things from a different perspective’.

Disrupting the status quo for a sustainable future

Oliver Bruce MInstD sees a golden opportunity for New Zealand to develop and export technologies that reduce emissions worldwide.

Believing and achieving – a Future Director on the rise

Monique Forbes CMInstD, the first Future Director on the IoD Board, finds her zone – being her best version and making an impact. 

Finding the right fit

In making room for diversity, boards must look in the mirror, no matter how confronting that might be, says Barb Long MInstD.

Growing diversity through diversity

From mentee to mentor, Melanie Templeton MInstD cuts to the chase over the demands of being a director.

The master of the Moanaverse

Don Mann MInstD, CEO of multimedia entity Pacific Media Network, is drawn to change and disruption.  

Modern companies, modern rules

The proposed reform of company law in New Zealand should be advanced promptly to modernise the 31-year-old Act.

• From our sponsors

Five things boards can do to help combat cyber crime

Identifying, quantifying and treating cyber risk can be a complicated undertaking.

• From our sponsors

How to keep your board match-fit

From ‘seeking the truth’ to ‘I’ve been thinking’, there are ways to improve performance.

A picture of poor health

Shocked by the data, a charitable trust is trying to find ways for rural communities to access healthcare.

How to test your value

To fully understand if you are adding value, you need to evaluate yourself through four lenses.

When the music stops

Removing a problematic or underperforming chair is one of the more challenging tasks a board may face.

Listen up, here’s the problem

It may be considered ‘soft’, but the skill of listening is hard, exhausting work.

How to win the (board) game

The right mix of skills is critical for a board to bring value, says Westpac and a2 Milk chair Pip Greenwood MInstD. 

The ‘missing link’ to good governance

Have I, and my board, added value today (and yesterday and into the future)? 

What I’m Reading – Jon Batt

Could there be a need to return to simple solutions? Find out why details might be missed if we rely too heavily on technology.

• What I'm Reading

Future-focused governance: Gavin Mark Fernandez on the value of the IoD’s Advanc...

Gavin Mark Fernandez shares how IoD’s Advanced Directors’ Course sharpened his leadership and prepared him for the future of governance.

• Diversity

IMHO: ‘We need to disrupt ourselves’

When traditional operating models are being challenged, why should NFP boards step outside of their comfort zone? Find out more.

• Not for profits

Debi Boffa: Diversity feeds innovation

Being an outsider can be an asset – how US-based Kiwi Debi Boffa applies her unique lens at the board table. 

• Leadership
• Productivity

Sam Hill: Adaptation required to stay ahead

Behind in the climate challenge, but ahead in technology. Find out why governance in Singapore requires change at the board table. 

Reforming transparency

Impending changes for director address requirements will maintain transparency while enhancing privacy.

• From our sponsors

Climate disclosures coming to Australia

The countdown to climate reporting in Australia has started.

• Climate change
• From our sponsors

The pathway to leadership is service

Boards need to consider diversity as a key element of succession planning and setting their organisations up for success.

• Diversity
• Succession Planning

AI regulation in Australia: the implications for New Zealand directors

Australia is discussing AI regulation. Should New Zealand follow? 

• AI

Get climate reporting right

A new podbite series explores the evolution of climate disclosures.

• Climate change
• From our sponsors

What I’m Reading – Hilary Walton

Find out why thinking strategically about digital technology and transformation will help you remain at the forefront of innovation. 

• Innovation
• What I'm Reading

Awareness of others creates safety in the boardroom

Directors need to navigate risk and identify opportunities, but if board members aren’t listening, will this be lost? Find out more.

• Board dynamics
• Board meetings

Severe weather and a changing climate

A national climate adaptation framework could clarify the risks, and support accessible for recovery, due to severe weather events.

• Climate change
• From our sponsors

Protecting your business and the climate

How can boards prioritise economic resilience while creating a climate strategy that will have a positive impact on the environment?

• Climate change

Insurance is increasingly top of mind for directors

The latest D&O insurance report argues now is a good time for boards to review and renew the terms of their coverage.

More work – but fees treading water

Directors are working longer for little, or no, increase in pay.

Governance news bites – 5 September

A collection of interesting news snapshots and related material from the past two weeks.

A guide to privacy in the age of AI

The rise of AI demands a renewed focus on privacy. 

• AI

Longer hours, fees flat as pressure on directors continues to increase

Directors’ fees were little changed from 2023 to 2024.

Avoiding dysfunction at the board table

A dysfunctional board will disempower, create a lack of transparency, and an imbalance of power. Is there a way to avoid or repair this?

• Board dynamics
• Purpose

What I’m reading – Aimee Blake

A life-changing book helped to steer Aimee Blake towards a governance path and led her towards her purpose. Find out more. 

• Not for profits
• Purpose
• What I'm Reading

Trust and respect build better boards

Find out why having the right conversations within the right environment is needed for effective decision making.

• Board dynamics
• Due diligence

Corporate governance law reforms include changes to residential address publicat...

Reform of the Companies Act and removing the requirement to publish directors’ addresses are things we have long lobbied for.

• Compliance
• Director duties

School boards delivered a lesson by the Ombudsman

The Ombudsman warns school boards to follow the law and the spirit of the law in enrolment and discipline decisions. 

Governance news bites – 22 August

A collection of interesting news snapshots and related material from the past two weeks.

• Climate change

Creating a thought partnership

The chair/CEO relationship is a critical partnership that is crucial to an effective, well-functioning board.

• CEOs
• Chairing
• Leadership

Cheers for board chairs

The board chair has to balance the dual roles of being a member of the board and being the chair.  

• Chairing
• Leadership Conference

IMHO: The perils of chairing NFPs

Pretending to be dead shouldn’t be the only escape plan.

• Chairing
• Not for profits

What I’m reading – Josh Maniam

How can rethinking your resourcing benefit your board in a complex operating environment? Josh Maniam has the answer.  

• Decision making
• Leadership
• Organisational culture

And you thought directors in New Zealand had issues

Global directors face common and diverse issues: learn from their insights and challenges.

Explainer: Understanding the role of lead director in US corporate governance

What is the role of a ‘lead director’ in US corporate governance and why don’t we see it here? 

• Board composition
• Chairing

Lessons from the Qantas governance review for New Zealand directors

A review has revealed problems with governance at Qantas and recommended changes.

• Leadership
• Stakeholders

Governance news bites – 8 August

A selection of governance news and related articles from the past two weeks.

• Climate change
• Decision making