Women in Governance: An Honest Conversation

Panel Discussion

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Speaker(s): Anne Urlwin, Melissa Clark-Reynolds, Suse Reynolds
Date: 12:00pm — 2:00pm, 4 June 2024
Venue: Rydges Wellington
Location: 75 Featherston Street, Wellington
Price: $50.00 incl GST

Overview

Melissa and Anne will discuss their extraordinary careers in governance and the changes they have seen as female directors across various types of entities.

Key themes will include diversity culture and the role of female directors, why female directorship is important, with the conversation underpinned by the realities of juggling directorship with day jobs, family responsibilities and financial commitments.

Are we making progress? How much has changed if anything and how far do we have left to go? Join us at this lunchtime session to find out.

Anne Urlwin

CFInstD, BCom, FCA, ACIS, MAICD, ONZM

Anne Urlwin is a Chartered Fellow of the IoD and a representative on the National Council. A professional director, Anne divides her time between Wanaka and Wellington.

Her governance experience is in a diverse range of sectors including infrastructure, energy, construction, health, telecommunications, regulation and financial services, and in different types of organisations including private, publicly listed, Crown and local authority companies and statutory entities.

She was awarded the ONZM in 2022 for services to business.

Anne is Chair of Precinct Properties New Zealand Ltd and a director of Infratil Ltd, Ventia Services Group Ltd, Vector Ltd and City Rail Link Ltd. Previous governance roles include directorships of Summerset Group Holdings Ltd, Queenstown Airport Corporation Ltd, Tilt Renewables Ltd and Chorus Ltd. Anne previously served as the independent chair of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu’s Audit & Risk Committee, and she is also a former chair of national commercial construction group Naylor Love Enterprises Ltd and of the New Zealand Blood Service.

Melissa Clark-Reynolds

CFInstD, ONZM

Melissa became a Professional Director after 25 plus years’ experience as an entrepreneur and CEO of a number of Technology companies. She was awarded the ONZM for Services to Technology in 2015 and is currently a Director of Atkins Ranch, Alpine Energy. AoFrio and Wētā Workshop. She has previously been Chair of Little Yellow Bird, Deputy Chair of Radio NZ, and the first Independent Director on Beef and Lamb NZ.

In recent years Melissa has studied at MIT, Cambridge University and Stanford University twice, as well as The Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley. In addition to facilitating for the Institute of Directors, Melissa works with companies to execute transformational strategies through her Futurist Practice FutureCentre.nz

Melissa loves governance because more hearts and minds working together have a better chance of solving wicked problems than one genius on their own.

Moderator

Suse Reynolds

Suse Reynolds was a founding member of the AANZ Council joining at its inception in 2008. She took up the Executive Director role in 2012, transitioning to Chair in 2020 and stepping down from this role at the end of March 2024.

In 2005 Suse helped to found AngelHQ, the Wellington region’s angel network and remains on the Board. Today AngelHQ has about 100 members and has invested over $50m into 150+ high-growth startup companies.

An active angel investor, Suse has over 30 ventures in her portfolio and currently chairs Narrative Muse, a startup bringing representation and belonging to entertainment.

Suse Chairs the Wellington branch of the Institute of Directors and is on the National Council.

Suse recently stepped down from the board of CreativeHQ and as a trustee for Project Crimson Trust. Suse was the Deputy Chair of the Government appointed Startup Advisors Council which released the Upstart Nation Report in August 2023.

Additional information

Covid-19 precautions

By registering for this event you are confirming that you agree to adhere to our Covid-19 health and safety measures. If you are unwell or have any Covid-19 symptoms please do not attend this event.