Nelson Marlborough Branch
The Nelson Marlborough Branch of the Institute of Directors serves Te Tauihu, connecting, equipping, and inspiring people to deliver high-quality governance.
Our branch brings together directors, trustees, executives, and governance professionals from across Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough. Through a diverse programme of events and activities, we provide opportunities to connect with peers, share insights, expand professional knowledge, and stay informed about emerging governance issues and trends.
Throughout the year, we host a range of events designed to support and strengthen governance capability across the region. These include presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and conversations with experienced directors, business leaders, and governance experts.
The Nelson Marlborough Branch is guided by a volunteer committee drawn from across the region. Committee members help shape the branch's strategic direction, support member engagement, and ensure the branch remains connected to the governance opportunities and challenges facing Te Tauihu.
Branch Manager
Melanie Powick
+64 274 449 711
+64 3 922 7301
melanie.powick@iod.org.nz
Please feel free to contact me with any questions about your membership, becoming a member, or our events.
The Nelson Marlborough Emerging Director Award is for Nelson Marlborough Branch members in the very early stages of their governance journey.
- 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.
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Venus has called Te Tauihu home for more than a decade and brings extensive governance, commercial, and executive leadership experience across the public, private, and for-purpose sectors. Her executive leadership experience spans the FMCG sector, the Electoral Commission, and the Cancer Society, with a strong track record in strategic leadership, organisational performance, governance, and community impact.
A Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors (CMInstD), Venus is Chair of the IoD Nelson Marlborough Branch and a member of the IoD National Council. She also serves as Chair of the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Tasman Bays Heritage Trust, a board member of New Zealand Kindergartens, and a director of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce (NZCCI).
Passionate about developing directors and strengthening governance capability, Venus is recognised for leading organisational change, building collaborative cultures, and supporting boards to lead with integrity, purpose, and a commitment to sustainable outcomes and the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Gordon Shaw CMInstD
Gordon Shaw is a New Zealand-based professional director, governance advisor, and board facilitator.
With over 20 years of management and governance experience across the commercial, transport, health, and Government sectors globally, Gordon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his governance work.
Gordon is a Chartered member of the NZ Institute of Directors, and Deputy Chair of the Nelson Marlborough Branch. Over the years, Gordon has worked with a wide array of businesses and charities to help them navigate the intricacies of governance and enhance board performance with ease and expertise.
Pip Jamieson MInstD
Pip Jamieson is a strategic leader with deep experience across business, economic development, governance, and regional planning. She is recognised for navigating complexity, building strong cross‑sector relationships, and delivering outcomes that strengthen communities and regional economies.
Her career spans senior roles at NMIT, Tasman District Council, Nelson City Council, and more than a decade at MBIE, where she led regional labour market planning, major investment programmes, and interagency collaboration. She has supported industries from horticulture and viticulture to science, innovation, and the ocean economy, while working closely with iwi, local government, business, and community organisations.
Pip’s governance portfolio includes Chair, Deputy Chair, Trustee, Director, and President roles across national and regional boards. Holding an MBA and multiple professional qualifications, she is known for clarity, structure, strategic direction, and commitment to community wellbeing.
Tracy Johnston MInstD
Tracy Johnston is an experienced non-executive Director and Chair based in Marlborough, holding roles across national industry bodies, statutory organisations, and the charitable sector. With a professional background in marketing, corporate PR, tourism and organisation management—alongside two decades running a viticulture business—Tracy brings a practical, boots-on-the-ground perspective to strategic governance. Tracy currently serves on a number of boards including Chair of the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board, Chair of the Fire and Emergency NZ Marlborough Local Advisory Committee and as a Director of NZ Winegrowers/ Bragato Research Institute Boards.
Tracy also contributes her time and expertise voluntarily to support youth development, social wellbeing and business mentorship through roles as a mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand, member of the FutureFX Advisory Group and Trustee of the Good Bitches Trust. She also runs an annual event-Fabric-a-brac Marlborough to fundraise for Hospice Marlborough.
Tim Cosgrove CMInstD
Tim is Chief Executive Officer of Marlborough Lines, where he is responsible for the organisation's leadership, strategic direction, and delivery of stakeholder, financial, and operational objectives. Prior to joining Marlborough Lines, he held several senior roles within the Todd Corporation, including General Manager of Todd Generation and General Manager Operations and Development for Nova Energy.
Strategy and risk are areas of particular interest for Tim, who is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. He currently serves as a director of Nelson Electricity, Energy Marlborough, Mount Cass Wind Farm, Yealands Wine Group, and Treasury Services Group. His previous governance experience includes directorships with King Country Energy and its subsidiaries, as well as Todd Solar Limited.
Yolande Tzinavos MInstD
Yolande Tzinavos is a Senior Manager at Findex Nelson, having joined as a graduate in 2016 after completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Management and Accounting at NMIT. She has since completed her Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accounting. Within business advisory, Yolande supports a diverse portfolio of companies, trusts, charities, and not-for-profit organisations, providing strategic advice, problem-solving, governance support, and tax compliance services.
Yolande has extensive governance experience, currently serving on the boards of the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts and its Foundation Trust, as a committee member of the Institute of Directors Nelson Marlborough Branch, and as Chair of a subcommittee of the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce. She has previously been a trustee of the Nelson Historic Theatre Trust and the Crisis Pregnancy Support Trust.
Yolande has also lectured in Accounting Information Systems at NMIT. Originally from South Africa, she has called Nelson home since 2003 and is passionate about contributing to the region's business and governance community.
Matt Stevens CMInstD
Matt is a Chartered Accountant and company director with over fifteen years' entrepreneurial leadership experience, now based in Nelson. He co-founded Parrotdog Brewing Limited and grew it into the largest independently owned brewing operation in New Zealand, where he now serves as Board Chair having previously held the CFO and Commercial Director roles. Alongside this, Matt is a Director of COUNT NZ Limited (an AI-native accounting platform), fractional CFO of crowdfunding company PledgeMe Limited, and a Board Member of Nelson Netball Centre.
A Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors, Matt is building a portfolio of directorships across the commercial and for-purpose sectors, bringing particular strength in financial leadership, capital raising, and scaling businesses from start-up to maturity. He believes that for a fast-growing company, sound governance is not a handbrake on growth, but the guardrails that let a business grow and innovate at pace.
Jacqui Dean MInstD
Jacqui Dean is Director and Business Development Manager for Dean Building & Renovations and eHaus Marlborough, and serves on the Board of the Marlborough Primary Health Organisation. Her diverse career spans small business management, acting, polytechnic tutoring, hospitality, local government, and Parliament. During her parliamentary career, Jacqui developed extensive expertise in budget scrutiny, financial performance oversight, and public policy. She held ministerial portfolios including Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Small Business, and Associate Minister roles for ACC and Local Government. She also led significant work to reform Parliamentary culture during the last term of government.
Jacqui holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Policy from Victoria University and brings a strong understanding of government, legislative processes, and governance. Throughout her career, she has been a passionate advocate for communities, organisations, and businesses across New Zealand.
Now based in Waikawa Bay, Picton, with her husband Bill, Jacqui is committed to contributing her experience and governance expertise to the IoD Nelson Marlborough Branch Committee.
Our sponsors
The Nelson Marlborough branch acknowledges the generous support of
National partners |
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Branch sponsors |
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