Future Director Charlotte Sullivan

Joining the Naylor Love board as an IoD Future Director provided Charlotte Sullivan CMInstD with an extra challenge during a disrupted 2020.

Sullivan had gone into the Future Directors programme hoping to gain practical experience of governance in action, to expand her skills and experience, to build her governance CV and increase her confidence.

She hadn’t bargained on COVID-19 complicating her introduction to the world of commercial construction as a board member of Naylor Love.

“Towards the end of the year I had quite a few jokes with the board members as to whether there were any aspect of governance I hadn’t experienced,” she says. “And really there was not much we didn’t cover that year.”

Sullivan has a background in marketing and is the director and founder of consultancy Auburn Marketing in Christchurch. She became interested in governance after hearing positive feedback from others who had been on the Company Directors Course.

“It reignited my interest in governance that had sparked through my interaction with boards when I was an executive.”

A meeting of minds

“When I started with Naylor Love I was right at the beginning of my governance career so it was about building my own confidence in my ability to perform. It was also about gaining certainty that governance was something for me, something that I wanted to do,” Sullivan says.

From the construction company’s side, Sullivan expanded the diversity of thought and expertise available to its board. Naylor Love “recruited to their gap” she says, using the Future Directors programme as a means to bring new skills and perspectives.

“They wanted somebody who had never worked in construction. I thought that was really good because they truly wanted a different perspective. They wanted to get value from me as well as giving me an opportunity, so were open to me being a proactive participant rather than just a fly on the wall.”

For Sullivan, the experience confirmed that governance was something she wanted to be involved in long term.

“The board was fantastic. I was their first Future Director and I know a couple of the independent directors on the board had been advocates for the programme.

“I said to the selection panel that if they chose me, I would throw myself into this. I thought of it as my governance investment year. I really wanted to end the year sure that governance was for me and that I could add value. I feel I have certainly achieved that.”

Sullivan’s tips for future directors and host boards

Future Directors

• Establish what success looks like for you and for the host board. Hopefully those things are aligned.
• Make time, get involved and be well prepared. It takes a lot of time.
• Be proactive with your mentor. There is value not just in feedback, they can help put meetings and decisions into context.
• Act like you are a director. Challenge yourself to be the first to speak on any given topic, don’t act like an observer.

Host boards

• Treat the Future Director as a director.
• Be open and inclusive with information. (Sullivan had an open line to the CFO that helped her understand specific aspects of finance in the construction industry).
• Draw on the strengths of your Future Director. They will come with relevant experience from their career.

See more on becoming a host board on the Future Directors' programme