Auckland Branch

The Auckland Branch of the Institute of Directors Emerging Director Award is open to Auckland Branch members in the very early stages of their governance journey. Applications for 2025 have now closed. Find out more about the award and past recipients below. 

• Are you newly engaged on a directorship path and aspire to enhance your governance pathway?
• Can you demonstrate a commitment to development and a high level of integrity?
• Are you committed to development of your governance pathway?

The focus of this award is to identify executives, managers and directors with potential and to foster the discipline of good governance through the acquisition of technical knowledge in addition to creating opportunities for networking via branch events and functions. 

Award recipients

Gráinne Troute CFInstD

Gráinne is the IoD’s Auckland Branch Chair and sits on IoD Council. She is currently a director of NZX-listed companies Tourism Holdings, Summerset Group and Investore Property Ltd and is an independent board member of the legal firm Duncan Cotterill and the New Zealand Automobile Association. She is also an appointed member of the NZX’s Corporate Governance Institute. In the not-for-profit sector, she has chaired Tourism Industry Aotearoa (during which time she also co-chaired the government’s Tourism Industry Transformation Plan) and Ronald McDonald House Charities. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Prior to her governance career, Grainne had many years’ experience in senior executive roles, including as General Manager of Corporate Services at SKYCITY Entertainment Group and as Managing Director of McDonald’s Restaurants NZ.

Clayton Wakefield BSc, PG Dip Mgmt, CFInstD

Clayton Wakefield is a Chartered Fellow of the IoD, and a member of the IoD Auckland Branch Committee. Clayton has over 35 years’ experience as an executive and director in banking, financial services, telecommunications and technology. He is a non-executive director of The Co-operative-Bank and Co-operative Life Ltd and chair of the Auckland Tamaki Makaurau Te Araroa Trust.  

Dame Jo Brosnahan DNZM QSO, MA Hons, FCILT, FNZIM, CFInstD

Jo is a Chartered Fellow of the IoD, Chair of Northpower Fibre (ultra-fast broadband), Chair of Maritime NZ, Chair of Rotorua Lakes Audit and Risk Committee, Chair of Harrison Grierson, a member of the Auckland Museum Trust Board and Principal of Leaders for the Future. She is Chair of the Taitokerau Education Trust, supporting digital learning in low decile schools in Northland, a member of the Centre for Brain Research Advisory Board, and of other trusts. She is the Founder and Advisory Trustee of Leadership NZ, was chair for more than a decade and has had an extensive governance career.  She was previously CEO of the Northland Regional Council and of the Auckland Regional Council. 

As a Harkness Fellow and Aspen Scholar, Jo spent a year researching leadership in the USA.

Dr Jim Mather CFInstD

Dr Jim Mather is of Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe and English descent, growing up in the communities of Te Teko, Ōtara and Māngere.

A Chartered Accountant with the Chartered Accountants of New Zealand/Australia and Chartered Member of the IoD , Jim has been a professional director and the founder of a specialist Māori development consultancy. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Henley Business School in England and a Bachelor of Business Studies (Accounting). He also completed a PhD in Māori economic development through AUT University in 2014.

With business management experience spanning 25 years, Jim has held a variety of private sector roles and currently holds numerous governance roles within private, government and iwi organisations.  In 2018 he completed his final Chief Executive role with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (New Zealand’s second largest tertiary institution) after a five-year term. This followed a nine-year tenure as Chief Executive of Māori Television, and before that he was Chief Executive of the Pacific Business Trust for almost three years.

Jim is passionate about Māori development and contributing to the strengthening of all entities that he is entrusted to support in either advisory or governance roles.

Aligned with his commercial background, Jim is also a former officer in the New Zealand Army, and was awarded the Sword of Honour in recognition of his distinguished achievements in Officer training. He served for six years in the NZ Army before leaving to further his career and educational aspirations.

Franky Wang 王俊生, BBS, BBS (Hons), MFin, CMInstD

Franky is the Head of Asia Business Activation for the Bank of New Zealand. He significantly contributes to the development and execution of the BNZ Asia Strategy, an enterprises-wide national role, from the Consumer & Partners to SME divisions as well as Corporate and Institutional Banking. 

Franky volunteers with Cure Kids as the first and only Asian Special Advocate tasked with promoting the Cure Kids brand withinNew Zealand’s Asian community. Franky sits on the Board of Kāhui Tū Kaha to support the diversity and inclusion from culture and ethnical aspects to ensure proper governance is in place for the organisation that is part of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. He is also an ICE Angel Investor growing start-up businesses in New Zealand.

Franky has strong business networks, domestic and overseas contacts, is bilingual and understands ethnic and geographical challenges and opportunities in the business and governance space.

Jonathan Mason MBA, MA, BA, CFInstD

Jonathan is a Chartered Fellow of the IoD, the current Chair of the Auckland Branch Committee and also sits on the IoD National Council.  Jonathan’s experience in financial markets over the past 30 years has had a strong emphasis on emerging markets and he has extensive governance experience New Zealand and the United States. Previous directorships include Air New Zealand and Vector Ltd. He is currently director on the boards of Westpac NZ and Zespri Group Ltd.  In addition to these roles he serves as an Honorary Adjunct Professor of Management at the University of Auckland, with a focus on international finance.

Julian Smith LLB, BCom, CMInstD

Julian is an experienced professional director, currently serving on the boards of Watercare, Northport Group, MetService, CDL Investment and the Look Good Feel Better Trust. He chairs the Institute of Directors (IoD) Te Tai Tokerau Committee and is a member of the Northland Corporate Group.

With over 16 years of governance experience across the technology, utilities, and not-for-profit sectors, Julian brings specialist expertise in digital and business transformation, customer strategy, and corporate affairs. He is a Chartered Member of the IoD.

Julia Steenson LLB, BBus, MInstD, Ngati Whātua | Tainui | Ngāti Hine | Pākeha

As a director, trustee, lawyer, and former Royal Commissioner, Julia brings a broad range of skills to the Auckland Branch Committee, including a wide range of networks to assist with organising diverse events.

She currently sits on Youth Horizons/Kia Puawai Trust and is a director of Whai Manawa Holdings Group for Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua.  She is also on the board of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei Trust.

Among her former roles, Julia has been chair of the Kia Puawai Charitable Trust Waikato, and General Counsel for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (TWoA). She founded the NZFreeLaw Podcast providing better access to legal services for New Zealanders.

Kim Goodhart, MInstD

Kim is an experienced entrepreneur with extensive financial, business, and commercial acumen. She is the founder and director of Real TV – a successful video production company.  
 
She is a skilled storyteller with a degree in psychology. For the past fifteen years, her video production company has produced some of the most effective customer engagement, national and international marketing, culture change, digital transformation, and health and safety campaigns for New Zealand's most notable organisations, including Mitre 10, Mainfreight, Sistema, Freightways, Genesis, and Southern Cross, as well as many government agencies. 

Kim has an extensive network of prominent directors and CEOs. She created a free online video series featuring New Zealand’s most visionary CEOs talking candidly about leading with purpose. She has coached leaders and developed and led eight original sessions to help managers connect with their purpose, align their teams, and put them on the front foot heading into the future. They said it was the most important work they’ve done to date. 

She has partnered with Pasifika and Māori to support their social and economic well-being, and is passionate about using business, innovation, and psychology to improve New Zealand's economic, environmental, and social outcomes.

Ravi Nyayapati, CMInstD

Ravi is a proud Chartered Member of the institute, committed to upholding and raising standards of governance. He holds a master's degree in technology and is active in the digital transformation domain, with a 30-year corporate background. In his governance roles, he currently sits on boards of Auckland Regional Amenities Fund, Te Wananga o Aotearoa Risk & Audit Committee (Te Arai Tupono), Badminton New Zealand and Eventfinda Stadium. A well-rounded future-focused and commercially astute director, he is recognised for his passion for being a problem-solver and delivering successful outcomes.  

He has deep-rooted community involvement across ethnic diversities. He uses his EQ skillfully to represent a broader viewpoint and connect well with people, especially across communities. Having spent over two decades in Asia and Africa, he is multi-lingual with a varied and distinct cultural upbringing and perspective. He is an alumnus of the IoD Mentoring for Diversity programme. Ravi advocates strongly for ethics, values, and good conduct, and brings sound judgment and a fiduciary mindset to the boards he serves.  

Ross Buckley CMInstD

Ross is Chair of the IoD Board and sits on  the Auckland Branch Committee. He  has a variety of directorships including ASB Bank, Stride Property, Investore Property and chairs the Board of Service Foods. Ross is also a member of the Massey University Council and before that role spent nine years on the Massey Business School Advisory Board.

Ross had a 38-year career with KPMG, 27 years as a Partner and has managed the firm’s Audit, Risk and Tax practices in addition to the firms’ People, Performance and Culture function. During his last nine years Ross was the Executive Chair of KPMG New Zealand and a member of KPMG’s Asia Pacific Board and KPMG’s Global Council.

Ross was brought up in the Wairarapa and attained a Bachelor of Business from Massey University. He joined KPMG in 1983 and has seen the world from many different perspectives having worked in KPMG’s Amsterdam, Toronto, International and Wellington offices before moving to Auckland in 2008.

Ross is married to Irma and father to 21 year old triplets Zachary, Michaela and Jordan. In his free time, Ross is an active family man and enjoys road cycling, mountain biking and social running.

Suneil Connor BCom (DipGrad), CA, MInstD

Suneil Connor is the Group Chief Financial Officer for Service Foods. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, chair of New Zealand Food Network, director of KiwiHarvest, and board member of Auckland Foundation. Suneil is Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for KiwiHarvest, New Zealand Food Network and Auckland Foundation. Suneil joined the Auckland Branch Committee in February 2018 and has been a judge on the Emerging Director award since 2019.

MJ Daly CFInstD