Governance, oversight and director risk: When geopolitics meets operations

Panel Discussion

Speaker(s): Hayden Wilson , Sophie Haslem, More speakers announced soon
Date: 5:00pm — 7:00pm, 18 August 2026
Venue: Dentons Wellington
Location: Level 4, 40 Bowen Street, Wellington 6011
Price members: $20.00 incl GST
Price non-members: $45.00 incl GST

Overview

How should boards respond when geopolitical risk is no longer a background issue, but a live factor shaping strategy, regulation and operations?

Geopolitical developments are increasingly affecting the environment in which organisations operate. Trade restrictions, sanctions, data controls and diverging regulatory expectations are influencing access to markets, supply chains, contractual arrangements and cross-border decision-making. What once may have seemed remote or hypothetical is now creating practical governance challenges for boards and their advisors.

For directors, the issue is not simply the existence of these evolving risks, but whether they are being identified early enough, tested rigorously enough, and governed well enough. Boards need to be confident that their organisations are legally and operationally positioned to respond.

Join us for a practical discussion on the legal and governance levers that underpin organisational resilience in a volatile global environment. Drawing on both legal and director perspectives, this session will explore:

Where exposure typically sits, including across supply chains, regulatory regimes and data flows
How geopolitical risk is being reflected in contracts, compliance obligations and governance frameworks
What this means for director oversight, risk identification and decision-making
How boards can better test and manage risks where legal obligations are evolving or inconsistent across jurisdictions

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how geopolitical developments translate into legal risk, and the practical steps boards can take to strengthen resilience through contracts, compliance and governance.

Hayden Wilson

MInstD

Hayden Wilson is Global Vice Chair of Dentons and the Chair of Dentons in New Zealand. He plays a key role in the firm’s key relationships and is a Partner in the firm’s Dispute Resolution and Public Law team, specialising in public, regulatory, and commercial litigation. As a specialist in dispute resolution and crisis management, Hayden regularly works with clients to navigate complex disputes, regulatory investigations, and cross-border issues. Hayden has a particular focus on assisting clients with issues that have a political dimension. In addition to his governance roles with Dentons, Hayden is a Board member of Tika, a technology enabled legal service for people who have experienced sexual harm.

Sophie Haslem

CMInstD

Sophie is a chartered member of the NZ Institute of Directors and has a BCom and Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from The University of Melbourne. Over her executive career, Sophie has worked with a diverse range of companies across New Zealand and Australia developing extensive M&A, innovation and growth strategy experience.

She held senior positions at Citibank NA, ANZ Investment Bank, Ernst & Young and New Zealand Post. Sophie is also Deputy Chair of CentrePort and an Independent Director of Livestock Improvement Corporation (NZX:LIC), Rangatira Investments, nib NZ and Payments NZ.

Additional information

Should you have any dietary, mobility, cultural or other requirements, you can let us know on the registration form.

By registering for this event you are confirming that you agree to adhere to our event terms and conditions.

Branch event cancellation policy

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