Social cohesion in New Zealand — what boards need to know

Overview

Join economist and commentator Shamubeel Eaqub, co-author of the Helen Clark Foundation’s latest report Social Cohesion in New Zealand, as he shares the findings and implications for Aotearoa’s boardrooms.

This thought-provoking webcast explores how well New Zealanders feel connected to their communities — and why it matters for directors. With a comparative lens on Australia, the research reveals that New Zealand is lagging behind on every dimension of social cohesion, from belonging and inclusion to trust and participation. Eaqub will unpack the data, discuss the risks of polarisation, and offer practical ideas for how leaders can help strengthen the “social glue” that binds our society.

Whether you're chairing a listed company, a not-for-profit, or a Crown entity board, this session is a must for understanding how directors can respond to the growing cohesion gap.

Key themes include:

• What the five dimensions of social cohesion mean for boards
• The business risks of social division
• Small steps directors can take to help rebuild trust

This webcast is brought to you in partnership with the Helen Clark Foundation.

Shamubeel Eaqub

Shamubeel Eaqub makes economics easy and fun. Shamubeel is the Chief Economist at Simplicity. He is also an author, media commentator and a thought leading public speaker and provided the analysis and commentary pro-bono (in conjunction with Rosie Collins) for the Social Cohesion in New Zealand report. 

He graduated with Honours in Economics from Lincoln University and is also a CFA Charterholder.  

He has over two decades of experience as an economist in Wellington, Melbourne and Auckland in leading international banks and consultancy (ANZ Bank, Goldman Sachs JBWere, NZIER, Sense Partners and Simplicity).  

He balances a portfolio of economics, consulting, public speaking, governance and family duties. He lives in Auckland with his wife and two sons. 

Kirsten (KP) Patterson 

CMInstD 

Kirsten Patterson MNZM (known as KP) is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors and is a Chartered Member of the IoD. In 2025 she was awarded the New Zealand Royal Honour, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to governance and women.  She is a qualified lawyer and a Distinguished Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, Chair of the Global Network of Directors Institutes (GNDI), and a member of the New Zealand External Reporting Advisory Panel (XRAP).  She serves on the Boards of the mental health charity, Voices of Hope, is Chair of the Brian Picot Ethical Leadership Advisory Board at Victoria University in Wellington and an Ambassador for the Wellington Women’s Homeless Trust.   
A strong advocate of diversity, KP is a member of Global Women New Zealand and was one of the founding members of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’, a group of senior executives and directors who commit to diversity in the workplace. KP was the founder and is Executive Sponsor for Chapter Zero New Zealand – the New Zealand Chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative - hosted by the IoD NZ to mobilise, connect, educate and equip directors and boards to make climate-smart governance decisions, thereby creating long term value for both shareholders and stakeholders.  

 

Additional information

Event cancellation policy

Regrettably, registration fees cannot be refunded when cancellations are received within two working days prior to any event.  See our standard terms and conditions for more information.

Contact

Kristyn Chandler-Yates
National Sponsorship and Events Manager
+64 27 207 2592
Kristyn.Chandler-Yates@iod.org.nz