Governance grounded in place, people and purpose

For many directors, governance development is about building technical capability: understanding risk, finance, legal duties and strategy.  

The Institute of Directors’ upcoming Company Directors’ Course Kaupapa Māori delivers the same governance foundations, practical application and learning outcomes as the benchmark Company Directors’ Course (CDC), while offering participants the opportunity to explore governance through a broader cultural and leadership lens. 

Delivered at Waiwhetū Marae in Lower Hutt from 9-14 August 2026, the programme includes the full CDC curriculum, including governance decision-making, strategy, finance, legal duties, risk governance and boardroom simulations. Participants experience this learning within an environment shaped by tikanga Māori (protocols), whakawhanaungatanga (building connections) and the cultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand. For Hinehou Timutimu MInstD (Tūhoe, Whakatōhea, Te Ātiawa), who completed one of the pilot kaupapa Māori CDC programmes, the experience transformed how she approaches governance practice. 

Timutimu, recently named the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, says the course gave her practical governance capability she could immediately apply in her professional life. 

“I’ve done quite a few governance and leadership programmes over the years, but this one was specific to the director role and how you apply governance in different scenarios. That was the difference for me,” she says. 

Timutimu works for an ahu whenua land trust overseeing dairy and maize operations. Like many working within Māori governance structures, she says the realities of governing whenua Māori require directors and managers to navigate complexity, diverse stakeholder expectations and long-term intergenerational thinking. 

“Nothing’s ever a short cup of tea,” she says. “You’ve got many different opinions, personalities and behaviours, and you’ve got to find the balance. Having governance development that had a Māori lens across it was amazing.” 

While participants undertake the same governance programme as the standard CDC, the learning experience is enriched by pōwhiri (welcome ceremony) and marae protocol, tikanga-based practices such as karakia (blessings) and concepts including manaakitanga (hospitality) and kaitiakitanga (environmental guardianship) as additional lenses for leadership and governance decision-making. 

Prior knowledge of te ao Māori is not required. 

The course creates a safe space to learn, ask questions and grow. The emphasis is on intention, respect and openness – not perfection. 

For Timutimu, one of the most powerful aspects of the programme was the cohort experience and the whakawhanaungatanga that developed quickly among participants. 

“There was no judgement,” she says. “Everyone felt what they had to contribute was valued.” 

She describes how participants connected through whakapapa, shared governance challenges and practical support for one another during board simulations and discussions. 

“We manaaki (care) each other and look after each other – we just do it,” she says. “The wairua (spirit) in the rōpū (group) was consistent from day one right through to the end.” 

Applying the Four Pillars in practice 

That sense of trust and openness strengthened the learning experience, particularly when grappling with difficult governance scenarios. 

“It helped me focus more on the Four Pillars [of Governance Best Practice] and how to execute those in a boardroom situation,” says Timutimu. “I’m able to respond to things around the table using that director’s lens.” 

Although she currently operates at management level rather than as a director, she says the programme fundamentally changed how she engages with boards. 

“I can now bring issues to the board from a director’s point of view. It’s following the right protocols, and I can clearly refer back to the governance framework and the Four Pillars.” 

The practical nature of the course was central to that shift. 

“Other governance programmes spoke about governance broadly. This one taught me how to execute on the ground when making decisions.” 

Participants in the upcoming programme can expect the same rigorous and applied learning experience that sits at the heart of the CDC.  The marae-based setting complements this learning by providing a distinctly Aotearoa environment in which governance can be explored from perspectives that are not always present in a traditional classroom. 

The optional noho marae (overnight stay) on the final night offers an additional opportunity to experience marae-based learning and hospitality. 

Since completing the CDC, Timutimu has gone on to become a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and says the programme played a role in strengthening her governance credentials and confidence. 

More importantly, she believes the kaupapa Māori CDC creates pathways for others. 

“Our people don’t know what they don’t know,” she says. “I feel a responsibility to share and encourage others to walk this pathway.” 

The purpose of the kaupapa Māori CDC is first and foremost to strengthen governance capability through the IoD’s benchmark governance programme. As boards increasingly engage with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, inclusion and diverse stakeholder expectations, the ability to combine strong governance practice with cultural confidence becomes increasingly valuable. 

The kaupapa Māori CDC helps directors build both governance capability and broader leadership perspective. 

As Timutimu puts it: “It’s taken my learning to the next level.” 

About the course

The Company Directors’ Course Kaupapa Māori will be delivered at Waiwhetū Marae from 9-14 August 2026.  Accommodation is included at The Sebel Lower Hutt, along with transport to and from Waiwhetū Marae. 

The programme is open to directors and senior executives with at least one to five years’ experience working on, or with boards. Participants complete the same benchmark CDC curriculum and learning outcomes as the flagship programme, delivered through a kaupapa Māori lens in a marae-based learning environment.  

Participants do not need to have whakapapa Māori (to have Māori ancestry) to attend, this course is open to both Māori and non-Māori directors and senior leaders.  

Bookings are now open, with expressions of interest also being taken for future 2026 deliveries. 

The IoD also offers the flagship CDC across the country (residential and non-residential) and in Rarotonga.