Mentoring for Diversity launch event

Overview

The Mentoring for Diversity programme is for experienced directors who have the goal of achieving a non-executive director role on a large private company or public sector board, a NZX listed board or a Trustee for a large not-for-profit organisation.

This programme aims to strengthen, unify, support and enhance the value of governance best practice by connecting the diversity of experienced directors with the expertise of New Zealand’s top directors.

Background

The IoD’s Mentoring for Diversity programme was launched in 2011 to link experienced female directors (mentees) with chairs and senior directors (mentors) from NZX and large company boards.

The programme was expanded in 2015 to promote board diversity in its wider sense, and we welcome applications on the basis of diversity including gender, ethnicity, LGBTI affinity, age, culture, disability, background, sector and experience.

The programme aims to:

• Increase mentees’ understanding of how boards of large organisations work
• Enhance the connections between senior directors, adding to the diversity of the director pool and making board-ready talent more visible
• Assist mentees to gain knowledge and skills to help them achieve director appointments, particularly in large companies or organisations.

We will also provide information on the application process and how the programme will work for the successful applicants.

The session will be hosted by Kirsten Patterson, Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors and include Q&A with a past mentor, James Ogden and mentee, Tracey Bridges.

Tracey Bridges

Mentee 2012

Tracey works in strategy, leadership and behaviour change, with an international reputation for leadership in social marketing. In 2017, Tracey sold her shareholding in SenateSHJ, the trans-Tasman communication consultancy that she co-founded, to focus on a portfolio career combining business directorships and consultancy in the social sector.

She is Chair for The WellingtonNZ board, a Trustee of the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust, and a co-founder and director of The Good Registry. She is a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand, the Chair of the New Zealand Social Marketing Network, and a member of the Board of the Australian Association of Social Marketing.

James Ogden

Mentor 2012

James is an experienced director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Summerset Group Holdings Limited and a director and Chair of Audit and Risk Committee of Vista Group International Limited. He additionally held a number of directorships with New Zealand listed companies which includes, but is not limited to, past directorships of The Warehouse Group Limited and Chair of Tegel Group Holdings Limited at the time of its listing in May 2016.

James’ career in the past 40 years has included financial/accounting, chief executive and investment banking roles. On his return to New Zealand in early 1980s, he was appointed chief executive of the dairy cooperative Wellington Dairy Farmers and, following a period as Financial Controller of the New Zealand Dairy Board, became Chief Executive of Whey Products Corporation for the Dairy Board in 1988.

After his first investment banking role as a Director with Credit Suisse First Boston in 1990, he became a Macquarie New Zealand Director and the Country Manager in 1996. Later he became a consultant to that same firm and many other high profile New Zealand companies under the directorship of his own company Ogden Consulting Limited.

James has been on many boards since 2002, including New Zealand Government–owned bank Kiwibank, AgriQuailty, Powerco, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Council of Victoria University of Wellington.

A natural leader with high integrity, his expertise lies in understanding the commercial drivers of a business, business strategy, stakeholder management, corporate governance and risk management and compliance.